Some Notable 2024 Blog Posts
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Following an annual CGS tradition, we present a selection of our favorite Biopolitical Times posts of the past year. Contributors include staff, consultants and allies. Many more posts that are worth your time can be found in the archive — scroll down and “VIEW MORE” as needed — or by using the “Advanced options” in the search function to select by Content Type &/or Date.
The Tangled Web of Presidential Politics, AI, Transhumanism and Eugenics,
Pete Shanks | January 27
AI and its makers are sidling into the race for U.S. President. The modern masters of technology pride themselves on disrupting hide-bound, old-fashioned industries. And what is presidential politics if not an old-fashioned industry?
Why the Newest Lindbergh Baby Conspiracy Theory Isn’t All That Out There from a Disability History Perspective
Emily Beitiks | February 9
A new theory about the kidnapping has chilling implications for disability history and brings to light Lindbergh’s often forgotten enthusiasm for Nazism and eugenics. Can it also help us understand the obsessions of today’s tech elites?
Groundbreaking principles on heritable genome editing bring social justice voices to the fore
Emily Galpern | February 14
An international coalition convened by CGS outlines why there’s no argument for pursuing heritable genome editing that aligns with feminist, anti-eugenic, and human rights commitments.
Hunting Cloned Sheep and Other Post-Modern Biotech Absurdities
Pete Shanks | March 19
A Montana rancher created “franken-sheep” and scientists at Colossal Biosciences made progress toward a hybrid “designer elephant” while rich people continue to seek immortality and anticipate the singularity.
Challenging the Legacies of Eugenics in Science, Medicine, and Technology
CGS | April 17
A new anti-eugenics initiative kicked off with a monthly essay series in the Los Angeles Review of Books, where UC Berkeley professor and CGS senior fellow Osagie K. Obasogie explores the history and persistence of eugenics in science, medicine, and elsewhere.
Gene Therapy in a Capitalist Economy
Pete Shanks | April 29
Multi-million dollar price tags limit the power of innovative gene therapies. Without innovations in research funding and product pricing, gene therapies will reinforce social inequalities in healthcare.
Population Bomb, Great Replacement Theory, and Pronatalism
Kyla Rosin | June 27
Panelists including CGS Executive Director Marcy Darnovsky discussed the history of eugenics and population control and its legacies, which are visible today in right-wing politics, anti-immigrant bias, and the selection of embryos based on polygenic risk scores.
Eugenics: still a fool's errand
Emma McDonald Kennedy | July 11
Companies want to convince prospective parents that taking the “Gattaca route” of genetic testing and embryo selection will ensure their child's future––which makes it all the more urgent to recognize the eugenic threats these technologies pose.
Precious DNA: Unethical research on oppressed Uyghur population continues
Isabelle Bartram | July 17
Human rights violations against Chinese Uyghurs, a predominantly Muslim minority, have been reported frequently over the last few years. Western scientists have actively participated in genetic research that plays a role in these abuses.
Recent Biopolitical News: Ethics, Guidelines, History, and Pure Fantasy
Pete Shanks | July 31
From reports of Elon Musk volunteering his sperm to seed a colony on Mars to the return of He Jiankui as China releases new regulations on heritable genome editing, it’s been a busy couple of months in biopolitics.
Neoliberalism’s Love Affair with Innovation
Emma McDonald Kennedy | November 24
A new book by Jennifer Denbow unmasks the neoliberal myth that innovations inevitably advance social good. Her work demonstrates why social justice perspectives are crucial to pushing back on unfettered development and commercialization of reproductive and genetic technologies.
South Africa Does Not Allow Heritable Human Genome Editing
Pete Shanks | November 24
A handful of South African academics claimed that creating genetically modified children is now permitted there. After alerts from CGS and others, the Chair of South Africa's National Health Research Ethics Council confirmed that heritable human genome editing remains prohibited.
Serving Two Masters: Trump Team’s Tensions on Reproductive Politics
Pete Shanks | December 16
The incoming Administration may face difficulties establishing consistent policies about controversial issues concerning human reproduction, while navigating the goals of Project 2025 on the one hand and the desires of Trump’s biggest donor, Elon Musk, on the other.