eugenics
An island in the storm
Paul Harding’s evocative novel begins with the 1815 hurricane off the New England coast.
A landscape scarred by the trauma of eugenics
Elizabeth Catte traces the haunting history of forced sterilizations in Central Virginia.
by Chris Hammer
Gene editing, race, and the social contract
Imagine Jennifer Doudna working in the lab overnight, her eyes sore, her head pulsing, and her mind swirling with an existential crisis. Utilizing a bacterial cell’s self-defense mechanism, the geneticist has mastered the ability to reproduce and guide gene-editing technology, otherwise known as CRISPR-Cas9. This technology could save countless lives, cure genetic diseases, and reverse the effects of cancer. But it could also advance efforts at human enhancement, leading to a revival of modern eugenics.
In December, the National Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Medicine held a three-day summit on CRISPR technology.
by Max A. Hunter and Dylan P. Marashi