scripod.com
#1017 - Jonathan Anomaly - What Embryo Selection Means for Humanity

Overview

Shownote

Highlights

Transcript

Chapters

Pins

#1017 - Jonathan Anomaly - What Embryo Selection Means for Humanity

Modern Wisdom

Nov 08
Modern Wisdom

Modern Wisdom

Nov 08
OverviewShownoteHighlightsTranscriptChaptersPins

Shownote

Dr Jonathan Anomaly is a philosopher, professor and an author. What if you could design your own “super baby”? Imagine erasing genetic diseases, removing inherited conditions, and even selecting traits for beauty or intelligence. How close are we to makin...

Highlights

The conversation dives into the rapidly advancing world of embryo selection, where science is beginning to offer parents the ability to screen for genetic diseases and even influence complex traits like intelligence. As this technology becomes more accessible, ethical debates are intensifying around autonomy, equity, and the long-term societal impact of designing future generations.
08:27
Wealth inequality already has a genetic component due to assortative mating.
16:44
Genetic selection can minimize disease burden and support cognitive development without implying moral superiority.
29:38
Polygenic screening allows selection for common diseases like breast cancer and schizophrenia, yet many doctors resist it due to misunderstanding of probabilistic risk.
40:15
Polygenic scores trained on European data lose accuracy in African ancestry samples.
55:34
Choosing not to select an embryo to avoid disease may be morally wrong, akin to refusing a vaccine.
1:13:52
Selecting against severe depression may reduce risks for bipolar and schizophrenia due to positive pleiotropy
1:19:15
Choosing an embryo isn't improving a life—it's deciding which life comes into existence.
1:29:47
Understanding genetic processes can reveal new beauty and reduce stigma around unchosen conditions.
1:35:34
Behavioral genetics could replace all parenting books
1:37:57
Screening embryos for psychiatric conditions could reduce blame by highlighting genetic causes.
1:46:36
About 40% of natural pregnancies end in spontaneous abortion, often due to genetic abnormalities.
1:51:44
China may use its biobank to select for empathy and against aggression

Chapters

Could selecting embryos be a step toward healthier futures—or a dangerous path?
00:00
Should governments pay for embryo screening to level the genetic playing field?
10:57
How did IVF evolve from basic testing to full-genome embryo analysis?
22:11
Can we trust polygenic scores when they’re built mostly on European DNA?
37:39
What happens when parents must choose between health and intelligence in an embryo?
50:29
As technology advances, who decides which traits are 'acceptable' to select?
1:03:00
If choosing an embryo changes who is born, are we creating new people?
1:16:40
Is it ethically right to give your child the best possible genetic start?
1:24:27
How much of who we are is shaped by genes versus upbringing?
1:32:51
Can love survive in an age where genetics influence partner choices—and babies?
1:37:57
When does life begin? The science and ethics of embryo status
1:43:57
Will some countries pull ahead in the race for genetically healthier populations?
1:51:44
What tools already exist to help parents calculate the odds in embryo selection?
2:01:46

Transcript

Chris Williamson: I've been advising you guys now for ages, and I think I became convinced that this could be a technology for good. Probably ever since our first conversation a few years ago now. Why do a lot of people still have such an issue with embryo...