Biopolitical Times

The Center for Genetics and Society blog highlights the latest developments in the social, political, and ethical implications of human biotechnologies, with contributions from staff, fellows, consultants, and guest authors.

Group of men who were test subjects in the Tuskegee Syphilis Experiments

The Shameful Legacy of Tuskegee Is Still Relevant

By Pete Shanks | 01.28.2026

^{Group of Tuskegee Experiment test subjects

Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons}

Every generation needs to learn about what is commonly known as the Tuskegee syphilis study, which ran from 1932 to 1972. (Officially, it was the U.S. Public Health Service Syphilis Study at Tuskegee, Alabama, which gets the emphasis right.) For many people, the history is hard to believe, though it is hardly unique. Of the 600 subjects, all Black men, 399 had syphilis, for which...

U.S. Federal

Some of Our Favorite 2025 Blog Posts

By Pete Shanks | 01.06.2026

Biopolitical Times

Following a long-standing CGS tradition, we present a selection of our favorite Biopolitical Times posts of the past year.

In 2025, we published up to four posts every month, written by 12 authors (staff, consultants and allies), some in collaboration and one simply credited to CGS.

These titles are presented in chronological order, except for three In Memoriam notices, which follow. Many more posts that are worth your time can be found in the archive. Scroll down and “VIEW...

Policies

Good Trouble

By Pete Shanks | 12.18.2025

A Review of Exposed by Becky McClain

“Do not get lost in a sea of despair. Be hopeful, be optimistic. Our struggle is not the struggle of a day, a week, a month, or a year, it is the struggle...

Society

Silicon Valley’s race to produce genetically engineered humans

By Katie Hasson | 11.21.2025

Several recent Biopolitical Times posts (1, 2, 3, 4) have called attention to the alarmingly rapid commercialization of “designer baby” technologies: polygenic embryo screening (especially its use to purportedly screen for traits like intelligence), in...

Genetic Selection

Biopolitical Times

The Shameful Legacy of Tuskegee Is Still Relevant

Some of Our Favorite 2025 Blog Posts

Good Trouble

Silicon Valley’s race to produce genetically engineered humans

New Guidelines on Trisomy 13 and 18 Promote Nuanced Care Decisions

UK Researchers Announce Eight Babies Born Through Three-Person IVF, but Questions Remain

How to Make Cloning Pay

The tech billionaires and rogue scientists moving to commercialize CRISPR babies

The Post-Human Games

Remembering George Annas (1945-2025)

Fourth International Summit on Genome Editing Emphasizes Ethical and Societal Concerns

The Emperors’ New Clothes