Unexplainable Superbabies?
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Jan 12, 2026 
In this discussion, Sigal Samuel, a senior reporter at Vox and ethics advisor, navigates a parent's complex question about embryo genetic testing. She dives into the science behind PGTA and polygenic tests that assess embryos. Samuel raises concerns about the societal implications of genetic selection, emphasizing the risk of reducing human diversity. She advocates for a balanced approach, suggesting parents should focus on preventing severe diseases rather than optimizing traits, and encourages case-by-case decision-making free from profit pressures.
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Value Pluralism Explains Moral Conflict
- Value pluralism accepts that people hold multiple, sometimes conflicting, moral values that are all legitimate.
- Trying to maximize one moral value (like 'the most good') is exhausting and often impossible.
Reader's IVF Dilemma
- A parent wrote that IVF produced several embryos and the clinic urged PGTA and polygenic testing to pick one.
- They worried it felt eugenics-y but also feared failing to do everything to secure their child's future.
Limits Of Polygenic Predictions
- PGTA screens for chromosomal conditions and sex and is established; polygenic tests predict complex traits influenced by thousands of genes.
- Predictions for traits like IQ or depression remain uncertain due to gene-environment interplay.