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| Predicting the IQ of Future Peopleby Pete Shanks, Biopolitical TimesMay 15th, 2013The resignation of Jason Richwine from the Heritage Foundation raised the profile of racist views about IQ. Expect new publicity soon for genetic claims about intelligence. |
| Direct Action? Seats at the Table? All of the Above?by Pete Shanks, Biopolitical TimesMay 2nd, 2013Last week, some 15 French activists in chimpanzee masks disrupted a Forum on Synthetic Biology in Paris, raising questions about the appropriateness of that kind of activism. |
| Synthetic Biology as Public Relationsby Pete Shanks, Biopolitical TimesApril 17th, 2013Recent synthetic biology projects related to malaria, flu and conservation are providing PR cover for the field and its corporate sponsors. |
| Who Decides What Patients Need to Know?by Pete Shanks, Biopolitical TimesApril 2nd, 2013The American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics report on "incidental findings" in genetic tests has kicked up a storm of controversy, not least because it seems to contradict February's ACMG recommendations about testing children. |
| Cloning, De-extinction, and Possibly Human Applicationsby Pete Shanks, Biopolitical TimesMarch 29th, 2013Synthetic biologist and entrepreneur George Church and cloning expert Robert Lanza are starting a company to change animal reproduction — and maybe human, too, but they wouldn't say that even if it were true. |
| Guidelines for Genetic Testing of Childrenby Pete Shanks, Biopolitical TimesFebruary 28th, 2013A new policy statement from the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American College of Medical Genetics discusses when doctors should suggest a genetic test for a child.
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| Gene-ism and the Trout in the Milkby Pete Shanks, Biopolitical TimesFebruary 19th, 2013The remains of King Richard III were not really identified by DNA, but that was what the headlines said. |
| Follow the Biotech Money … If You Can Find It by Pete Shanks, Biopolitical TimesJanuary 9th, 2013In a relatively slow period for mergers and acquisitions in genomics and related sectors, Illumina, Amgen, BGI, and BioTime were buyers and 23andMe added financing while Geron sold and Roche held off. |
| Tell the FDA: No Genetically Modified Salmonby Pete Shanks, Biopolitical TimesJanuary 2nd, 2013The FDA released a "Preliminary Finding of No Significant Impact" about a modified Atlantic salmon, but invites comments before a final decision. |
| Biopolitical News of the Year 2012by Pete Shanks, Biopolitical TimesDecember 20th, 2012Artificial gametes and renewed advocacy of inheritable genetic modification are featured in our summary of the news, along with prenatal and other genetic testing, commercial surrogacy, egg freezing, eugenics, DNA databases, stem-cell scandals and more. |
| Top Biopolitical Times posts of 2012by Pete Shanks, Biopolitical TimesDecember 19th, 2012Some of our favorites of the year, including comments on genetic privacy, embryos for sale, April foolery, fraud, eugenics and a whole lot more. |
| DNA Forensics Update by Pete Shanks, Biopolitical TimesNovember 28th, 2012The U.S. Supreme Court has decided to consider a potentially significant case about police collection of DNA from suspects rather than criminals; and forensic DNA databases round the world continue to proliferate. |
| Clones and Cloud Atlasby Pete Shanks, Biopolitical TimesNovember 13th, 2012Of the many characters in Cloud Atlas that explore what it means to be human, the most eloquent is a genetically engineered clone. |
| Money Doesn't Talk, It Liesby Pete Shanks, Biopolitical TimesNovember 1st, 2012California's Proposition 37, which would require labeling of genetically modified food, is being battered by a million dollars a day of deceptive commercials, but the race is roughly tied. |
| Advocating Human Germline Interventionsby Pete Shanks, Biopolitical TimesOctober 28th, 2012Scientists in Oregon have published a paper that explicitly challenges the legal and procedural system that forbids genetic experiments on future generations, but most reports miss the full implications of the announcement. |
| Stem Cell Controversy #1: Celltex and the FDAby Pete Shanks, Biopolitical TimesOctober 18th, 2012The FDA has warned Texas stem-cell treatment company Celltex, and the review board that approved its activities, that the company is illegally selling an unlicensed drug and violates good manufacturing practices. |
| Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells and Germline Engineeringby Pete Shanks, Biopolitical TimesOctober 16th, 2012Japanese researchers have created mice by using sperm and eggs grown from induced pluripotent stem cells, a development that could bring human germline engineering much closer. |
| Got Hypoallergenic Milk? Noby Pete Shanks, Biopolitical TimesOctober 3rd, 2012Scientists have created a genetically modified cow that produces milk without a specific protein that may cause allergic reactions. But their achievement has been badly misrepresented, since its milk does contain higher levels of another allergenic protein. |
| Is This Informal Surrogacy or Exploitation?by Pete Shanks, Biopolitical TimesOctober 2nd, 2012A bizarre situation in Texas is either the result of a horrible misunderstanding about an informal, unpaid surrogacy or an appalling case of exploitation. |
| Crucial GMO Food Fight in Californiaby Pete Shanks, Biopolitical TimesSeptember 20th, 2012California's Proposition 37 aims to label GMO foods, and the industry is fighting back hard. |
| The Limitations of Voluntary Guidelinesby Pete Shanks, Biopolitical TimesAugust 21st, 2012Guidelines on paying for women's eggs and on embryo implantation are regularly being ignored, even by members of the fertility industry's professional organization. |
| Ethics Schmethics Says Ethicistby Pete Shanks, Biopolitical TimesJuly 19th, 2012The approach of the Olympics sparks the usual flood of pro-enhancement articles, notably an interview with Julian Savulescu. |
| "Tainted Families" Ancient and Modernby Pete Shanks, Biopolitical TimesJuly 11th, 2012Paul Lombardo has well summarized the use of the "Jukes family" myth to promote eugenics, in the 19th, 20th and now 21st century. |
| Survival of the Fastest?by Pete Shanks, Biopolitical TimesJuly 10th, 2012Michael Johnson, the legendary athlete, recently made global headlines for suggesting that black American and Caribbean sprinters have a "superior athletic gene." |
| Will the FDA Close Down Celltex?
by Pete Shanks, Biopolitical TimesJune 28th, 2012An FDA report itemizes 79 specific problems with the Texas stem-cell company Celltex, and more trouble may be on the way.
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| Genetic Purity Tests for Politiciansby Pete Shanks, Biopolitical TimesJune 14th, 2012A Hungarian member of parliament has a certificate stating that his genetic ancestry is neither Jewish nor Roma, which set off a storm of protest. |
| More Scandals in South Koreaby Pete Shanks, Biopolitical TimesJune 8th, 2012Fresh accusations of stem-cell fraud, whose full extent is yet unknown, are rocking South Korea and threatening to damage the nation's reputation again. |
| Sex Selection, Politics and U.S. Lawby Pete Shanks, Biopolitical TimesMay 31st, 2012A cynical attempt to make access to abortion harder by banning selective-abortion failed in the U.S. House of Representatives. |
| More Fun with Genomic Studiesby Pete Shanks, Biopolitical TimesMay 30th, 2012A gene of the week for smoking, and cheerful genetic news about very old people.
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| Genomic Medicine Stumbles Forwardby Pete Shanks, Biopolitical TimesMay 29th, 2012Recent reports that all of us have large numbers of rare genetic variants complicate the prospects for therapies. |
| Bioeconomy in South Korea, Again by Pete Shanks, Biopolitical TimesMay 15th, 2012South Korea is investing in the bioeconomy again, despite the scandals of the last decade. |
| Mara Hvistendahl's Unnatural Selection Finalist for Pulitzer by Pete Shanks, Biopolitical TimesApril 26th, 2012Unnatural Selection: Choosing Boys over Girls, and the Consequences of a World Full of Men has been cited as one of the best books of 2011 by many publications, and has now been recognized by the Pulitzer Board as a finalist for the General Nonfiction award. |
| Anonymous DNA? No, It's Notby Pete Shanks, Biopolitical TimesApril 19th, 2012An article in Nature Genetics essentially says that keeping aggregated DNA data anonymous is impossible, which raises important questions about privacy and the conduct of research. |
| Discussing Transhumanism on Al-Jazeeraby Pete Shanks, Biopolitical TimesApril 5th, 2012Al Jazeera, the global TV and multimedia news organization, recently featured a discussion of transhumanism. |
| Gene of the Week — Not!by Pete Shanks, Biopolitical TimesMarch 5th, 2012A pair of political scientists who specialize in behavioral genetics demolish a paper for claiming that "two genes predict political voter turnout" and then draw much broader conclusions about the failures of reductionist genomics. |
| Stem Cell Fraud Is the Real Issue in Texasby Pete Shanks, Biopolitical TimesMarch 2nd, 2012Bioethicist Glenn McGee has resigned from Celltex. His connection with the controversial stem-cell company has raised important issues about its business practices. |
| Worrying New Signs of Interest in Re-engineering Humansby Pete Shanks, Biopolitical TimesFebruary 23rd, 2012Several academics and defense department employees are actively discussing the idea of engineering people, for warfare, to express social values and even to react to climate change. |
| Rick Perry, Glenn McGee and Selling Texas Stem Cellsby Pete Shanks, Biopolitical TimesFebruary 16th, 2012Gov. Perry is actively promoting an industry based on adult stem cells, in which Glenn McGee, until recently editor of the American Journal of Bioethics, is now employed. |
| First Cloned Pet Turns 10by Pete Shanks, Biopolitical TimesFebruary 15th, 2012The first cloned cat was announced 10 years ago this week, but her birth did not herald a successful industry. |
| Unethical Bioethicists?by Pete Shanks, Biopolitical TimesFebruary 10th, 2012Questions are swirling around the American Journal of Bioethics, whose founder and former editor has moved on to work for a stem-cell company, while his wife moves up to co-editor. |
| Gene of the Week: Wall Street!by Pete Shanks, Biopolitical TimesFebruary 8th, 2012An article in the Wall Street Journal, citing published research, speculates about the existence of a "Wall Street Gene" and proposes testing for it. |
| A New Push for Human Cloning in Koreaby Pete Shanks, Biopolitical TimesJanuary 20th, 2012Korean Professor Park Se-pill has confidently announced his intention to clone human embryos and derive stem cells from them, and is even willing to discuss human reproductive cloning. |
| Dog Cloning Infomercial on TVby Pete Shanks, Biopolitical TimesJanuary 12th, 2012A soft-focus TV documentary downplayed the practical realities of dog cloning in favor of kooky-human dramas |
| 60 Minutes Exposes Stem Cell Scams — Againby Pete Shanks, Biopolitical TimesJanuary 10th, 2012For the second time in two years, 60 Minutes exposes a stem-cell scam and stresses that these are not isolated instances. |
| News of the Year 2011by Pete Shanks, Biopolitical TimesDecember 22nd, 2011Sex selection, surrogacy and gamete donation became public controversies; shock waves rocked the stem-cell business; and other news of the year. |
| Top Biopolitical Times Blog Posts of 2011by Pete Shanks, Biopolitical TimesDecember 22nd, 2011Our favorite posts of 2011: We comment on race and genes in the patent office and the courts; surrogacy and other scandals; prisoners in clinical trials; a porn gene, a Christian gene, and a gene ring; disability justice and cyborg fantasy; sex selection in the US; reverse evolving the chicken; and more. |
| Payment for Bone Marrow Donors?by Pete Shanks, Biopolitical TimesDecember 8th, 2011A federal appeals court has ruled that in certain circumstances it may be legal to pay for materials used in bone marrow transplants; Professors Greely and Capron respond. |
| Signs of Skepticism About DNA Forensicsby Pete Shanks, Biopolitical TimesDecember 1st, 2011Several recent editorials and other articles are expressing a more nuanced view of the issues involved in DNA forensic databases. |
| Geron Quits the Embryonic Stem Cell Industryby Pete Shanks, Biopolitical TimesNovember 16th, 2011Geron has cancelled its clinical trial of a stem-cell treatment for spinal cord injuries, raising questions about the future of the company and the industry. |
| Visa Wants to Make Money off Your DNAby Pete Shanks, Biopolitical TimesNovember 3rd, 2011Visa has filed a patent application for a process that would use, among other sources, DNA databases to identify potential advertising targets. |
| Moral Obligations For Thee But Not For Me?by Pete Shanks, Biopolitical TimesOctober 27th, 2011Calls for the general public to volunteer for clinical trials sit strangely with the behavior of some pharmaceutical companies and physicians. |
| Hwang Clones Coyotes, Scores Headlinesby Pete Shanks, Biopolitical TimesOctober 19th, 2011Disgraced South Korean scientist Hwang Woo-Suk continues his efforts at rehabilitation by cloning endangered coyotes. |
| More on Cash for Eggsby Pete Shanks, Biopolitical TimesOctober 13th, 2011The Nuffield Council on Bioethics has issued a report about the provision of human bodily material for medicine and for research, including the issue of payment for gametes. |
| More on the Guatemala Syphilis Scandalby Pete Shanks, Biopolitical TimesSeptember 1st, 2011The Presidential Commission for the Study of Bioethical Issues concluded its investigation of the horrifying Guatemalan syphilis experiments this week, and began to consider some new regulations. |
| The Blade Runner's Personal Victoryby Pete Shanks, Biopolitical TimesAugust 31st, 2011Oscar Pistorius, running on two prosthetic legs, reached the semifinals of the track and field World Championship 400m race, encouraging some potentially important discussions. |
| Regulating the "Global Baby"by Pete Shanks, Biopolitical TimesAugust 4th, 2011George Annas analyzes last year's Canadian Supreme Court decision about regulating assisted reproduction, and the implications for the U.S. and other countries. |
| The Myriad Breast Cancer Patent Case Continuesby Pete Shanks, Biopolitical TimesAugust 1st, 2011A federal appeals court mostly overturned the lower court ruling that invalidated Myriad's patents on breast cancer genes, but further appeals are expected. |
| How to Hack a Genomeby Pete Shanks, Biopolitical TimesJuly 20th, 2011Synthetic biology seems to have taken a major step forward, with the publication of a technique for making multiple alterations to a living genome. |
| New Chair for California Stem Cell Agencyby Pete Shanks, Biopolitical TimesJune 29th, 2011By a narrow margin, the CIRM board elected financier Jonathan Thomas as Chair, provoking significant criticism over his huge salary. |
| Promoting a Genetic Basis for Crimeby Pete Shanks, Biopolitical TimesJune 23rd, 2011An article in the New York Times celebrates a misguided trend toward genetic explanations for crime. |
| Eight Babies and the End of a Doctor's Careerby Pete Shanks, Biopolitical TimesJune 15th, 2011Fertility specialist Dr. Michael Kamrava lost his license to practice medicine for repeated negligence involving three patients, including the mother of octuplets. |
| Gallup Poll: Cloning Still Unpopularby Pete Shanks, Biopolitical TimesJune 1st, 2011The annual Gallup survey of opinion on moral issues shows continuing strong opposition to reproductive cloning. |
| An Uncomfortable Synthesis of Art and Biologyby Pete Shanks, Biopolitical TimesMay 26th, 2011The Natural History Museum in Vienna is hosting the Bio:Fiction Science, Art & Film Festival, which features work about synthetic biology. |
| Dreams of the Weekby Pete Shanks, Biopolitical TimesMay 18th, 2011Several recent announcements and studies appear to presage renewed interest in manipulating the biology that is thought to control longevity and especially our children's happiness and intelligence. |
| Petition for an Egg Donor Registryby Pete Shanks, Biopolitical TimesMay 5th, 2011A petition being circulated by the Alliance for Humane Biotechnology calls for the creation of a well-publicized national registry to track the long-term risks of egg retrieval. |
| Trust-Busting in the Baby Business?by Pete Shanks, Biopolitical TimesMay 5th, 2011An antitrust suit against the ASRM, SART and the Pacific Fertility Center claims they are illegally conspiring to hold down payments for women's eggs. |
| ESHRE on Reproductive Tourism: Be Niceby Pete Shanks, Biopolitical TimesApril 26th, 2011The ESHRE "Good practice guide for cross-border reproductive care" is better on defining issues than solving problems. |
| Media Passes Gene Test, Parents Flunkby Pete Shanks, Biopolitical TimesApril 21st, 2011Parents interested in having their own genes tested also want to test their kids, but the media reports quote experts recommending against routine testing of children for adult-onset diseases. |
| Bioethicists Show How to Disagree Without Rancorby Pete Shanks, Biopolitical TimesApril 19th, 2011Excerpts of a conversation between Arthur Caplan and Robert P. George demonstrate the possibility of constructive discussions about difficult ethical issues. |
| Forensic DNA databases — without prior arrestby Pete Shanks, Biopolitical TimesApril 12th, 2011Potential offenders, never arrested or even individually identified as suspicious, are now being required to provide the authorities in at least two European towns a sample of their (canine) DNA. |
| Identical Twins Are Genetically Differentby Pete Shanks, Biopolitical TimesApril 5th, 2011Researchers looking for a genetic basis for schizophrenia report that monozygotic twins, always assumed to be genetically identical, in fact have different DNA. |
| Gene of the Week: Christianityby Pete Shanks, Biopolitical TimesApril 1st, 2011Gay scientists are reported to have isolate the 'Christian gene' and to have successfully removed it from experimental rats. |
| Scotland Yard "seduced for years by science and DNA"by Pete Shanks, Biopolitical TimesMarch 29th, 2011Scotland Yard has admitted that basic errors, apparently arising from an over-reliance on forensic DNA, allowed a multiple burglar and rapist to stay free for ten years after he should have been caught, preying on at least another 146 victims. |
| Profits, Princes and Police DNA Databasesby Pete Shanks, Biopolitical TimesMarch 16th, 2011A new investigation reveals disturbing commercial pressures to establish forensic DNA databases that may go well beyond legal limits in Europe and the US. |
| More on Genetic Rights in the Statesby Pete Shanks, Biopolitical TimesMarch 4th, 2011California and Vermont have joined Massachusetts in introducing legislation intended to safeguard genetic privacy. |
| Criminal Surrogacy Ring Exposed in Thailandby Pete Shanks, Biopolitical TimesMarch 2nd, 2011Police in Thailand have broken up a criminal operation, apparently based in Taiwan and with an office in Cambodia, that sold the services of Vietnamese women as surrogates. |
| Isn't It Time to Focus on the Real Future?by Jillian Theil and Pete Shanks, Biopolitical TimesFebruary 16th, 2011Time magazine features a glowing story about Ray Kurzweil, of Singularity fame. But does the hoopla around Kurzweil's tomorrow distract from the important problems of today? |
| Appeals Court Overturns Sentence Based on "Porn Gene"by Pete Shanks, Biopolitical TimesFebruary 2nd, 2011A judge increased a sentence because he believed the offender had a gene that would eventually be identified; the Court of Appeals called this a "plain error" and sent the case to a different judge for re-sentencing. |
| Feds to Pay States to Expand Forensic DNA Databases?by Pete Shanks, Biopolitical TimesJanuary 26th, 2011A newly introduced bill would incentivize states to expand the collection of DNA from people arrested for certain crimes, before trial let alone conviction. |
| Testing for Brainsby Pete Shanks, Biopolitical TimesJanuary 19th, 2011Discussing DTC tests, even libertarians seem to slip into some kind of contradictory acceptance of regulation. |
| Dog, Inc.: A Book About Peopleby Pete Shanks, Biopolitical TimesJanuary 11th, 2011A new book about dog cloning offers a deadpan description of the people involved. |
| Top News Stories of 2010by Pete Shanks, Biopolitical TimesDecember 21st, 2010The year saw some notable headlines about human biotech issues, controversies both entertaining and tragic, and a number of significant but tentative adjustments to the law. |
| Gene of the Week: One-night standby Pete Shanks, Biopolitical TimesDecember 7th, 2010A small, tentative study is over-hyped even by its authors to emphasize casual sex. |
| Europeans Want Regulation for Biotechby Pete Shanks, Biopolitical TimesNovember 18th, 2010The latest Eurobarometer report on biotechnology shows that Europeans, in general, support medical uses of technology as long as they are carefully regulated. |
| Science in the New York Timesby Pete Shanks, Biopolitical TimesNovember 11th, 2010The anniversary issue of the Science Times section includes analysis and predictions as well as news. |
| Abolishing (and Replacing) the UK HFEAby Pete Shanks, Biopolitical TimesOctober 28th, 2010The UK Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) is to be abolished, as part of a massive governmental reorganization, and its responsibilities reassigned. |
| Embryonic Stem Cells: A Small Step Forward?by Pete Shanks, Biopolitical TimesOctober 21st, 2010Geron's first clinical trial involving embryonic stem cells is greeted without much enthusiasm -- except by its competitors. |
| Building Brighter Kids? Not exactlyby Pete Shanks, Biopolitical TimesOctober 7th, 2010A Time Healthland headline grossly distorts a legitimate study on the effects of IVF on children. |
| NIH Ethics Advisory Committee Disbandedby Pete Shanks, Biopolitical TimesSeptember 30th, 2010The abrupt cancellation of the Secretary's Advisory Committee on Genetics, Health, and Society is a disquieting development. |
| International Survey of ART Releasedby Pete Shanks, Biopolitical TimesSeptember 23rd, 2010The International Federation of Fertility Societies has just released Surveillance 2010, the 5th edition of a triennial global survey of the assisted reproduction industry. |
| Mary Shelley and the Modern Worldby Pete Shanks, Biopolitical TimesSeptember 22nd, 2010Out of the Shadows, a new novel by Joanne Rendell, touches on several current genetic issues, and connects them with the author of Frankenstein. |
| When Racism and Genism Mixby Pete Shanks, Biopolitical TimesSeptember 13th, 2010There have recently been several disturbing indications in Europe of racism with a genetic twist. Mainstream reaction has been critical, but the racists have their defenders. |
| The Great Gene Hunt (cont'd)by Pete Shanks, Biopolitical TimesSeptember 3rd, 2010Accurate reporting and headlines should not be noteworthy, but when it comes to genetics they are -- and Reuters got one right. |
| ART and Art in the Movies 2010by Pete Shanks, Biopolitical TimesAugust 25th, 2010Assisted reproductive technologies are a repeating theme this year in Hollywood, and the results seem to be decidedly mixed. |
| Time to Clean Up After Cloning Cattleby Pete Shanks, Biopolitical TimesAugust 17th, 2010The USDA is still committed to promoting livestock cloning, but recent bad publicity makes it clear that the technology remains unpopular, unnecessary, and unethical. |
| "Weak and Meaningless" Guidelines for UK DTC Testsby Pete Shanks, Biopolitical TimesAugust 10th, 2010The UK Human Genetics Commission's "A Common Framework of Principles for direct-to-consumer genetic testing services" rejects government regulation and relies entirely on voluntary guidelines. |
| Stem Cell Education and Hypeby Pete Shanks, Biopolitical TimesAugust 4th, 2010The embryonic stem cell lobby seems to be making a concerted effort to promote their technology. |
| A People's History of the Human Genomeby Pete Shanks, Biopolitical TimesJune 30th, 2010Genewatch UK marked the 10th anniversary of the Human Genome Project announcement by publishing an extraordinary History with important current policy implications. |
| A Curious Incidentby Pete Shanks, Biopolitical TimesJune 30th, 2010The 10th anniversary of the first Human Genome Project announcement passed with remarkably little hoopla. |
| A Singular Kind of Eugenicsby Pete Shanks, Biopolitical TimesJune 16th, 2010Modern techno-utopianism, discussed in a recent feature on Singularity University, has worryingly eugenic overtones. |
| "Splice" is an Infertile Hybridby Pete Shanks, Biopolitical TimesJune 8th, 2010The movie Splice is neither deep enough to be interesting nor shocking enough to succeed as horror. |
| Tragedy on the Pharmby Pete Shanks, Biopolitical TimesMay 24th, 2010Cows genetically modified to produce human follicle stimulating hormone died unexpectedly from vastly enlarged ovaries, unleashing a storm of controversy in New Zealand. |
| Reactions to Venter's Latest Synthetic Biology Announcement by Pete Shanks, Biopolitical TimesMay 22nd, 2010The announcement of the first self-replicating, synthetic bacterial cell provoked considerable comment, and led President Obama to make synthetic biology the first order of business for his Bioethics Commission. |
| IVF Doc Promotes IVF Shockby Pete Shanks, Biopolitical TimesMay 20th, 2010New reports that IVF will replace sex turn out to be based partly on a misunderstanding. |
| Every Dog in the Databaseby Pete Shanks, Biopolitical TimesMay 19th, 2010A ritzy condo in Baltimore is proposing to mandate DNA tests for every dog in the building. |
| Fiction in Scienceby Pete Shanks, Biopolitical TimesMay 7th, 2010The journal Science cheapens its coverage of an important paper by including speculation, which it refutes, about the cloning of Neanderthals. |
| When Cultures Collideby Pete Shanks, Biopolitical TimesApril 28th, 2010The lawsuit brought by 41 members of the Havasupai Indian tribe against Arizona State University has implications that go far beyond last week's settlement. |
| Pretending to be Toughby Pete Shanks, Biopolitical TimesApril 19th, 2010The English forensic DNA database has been dragged into the current UK election campaign with false accusations that supporting reform means being "soft" on crime. |
| Struggling to Control Fertility Tourismby Pete Shanks, Biopolitical TimesApril 17th, 2010Several countries are trying to figure out what to do about their citizens who go abroad for assisted reproduction procedures to evade local prohibitions (or just to save money). |
| President Obama's Bioethics Commission by Pete Shanks, Biopolitical TimesApril 13th, 2010The recently announced membership of the new Presidential Commission for the Study of Bioethical Issues is, as expected, significantly different from that of its predecessor. |
| Selling With Stem Cellsby Pete Shanks, Biopolitical TimesMarch 24th, 2010The Korean Food and Drug Administration (KFDA) is battling biotech companies over "stem cell cosmetics," some of which are already on sale in the U.S. |
| 23andWho?by Pete Shanks, Biopolitical TimesMarch 23rd, 2010The most prominent personal-genomics companies are struggling and may be threatened by advancing technology. |
| One of the Leading Scientists in the World?by Pete Shanks, Biopolitical TimesMarch 15th, 2010Robert Lanza, the Chief Scientific Officer of Advanced Cell Technology, projects great self-confidence, but is it justified? |
| DNA Ancestry Testing on TVby Pete Shanks, Biopolitical TimesMarch 10th, 2010"Faces of America," with Henry Louis Gates, Jr., raised interesting questions though it somewhat over-simplified DNA ancestry testing. |
| The Motherland Needs ... Clones of Me!by Pete Shanks, Biopolitical TimesMarch 3rd, 2010Ultra-nationalist Russian politician Vladimir Zhirinovsky objects unsuccessfully to extending the Russian moratorium on reproductive human cloning. |
| Caveat Emptorby Pete Shanks, Biopolitical TimesFebruary 24th, 2010Allerca Lifestyle Pets, the company that claims to sell hypoallergenic cats, may not be out of business after all, but it may be in trouble. |
| Hwang Tries for a Comebackby Pete Shanks, Biopolitical TimesFebruary 5th, 2010Hwang Woo-Suk is making active efforts to salvage his reputation, and to reestablish himself as a force in science. |
| Two More "Lazarus" Projectsby Pete Shanks, Biopolitical TimesFebruary 3rd, 2010Genomics is being used in attempts to revive both the Aurochs and a species of Galápagos tortoise. |
| Looking Back a Decadeby Pete Shanks, Biopolitical TimesJanuary 27th, 2010The Center for Genetics and Society has been active for about a decade, and at the start of a new one it seems appropriate to take a look back. |
| Struggling SynBio Gets a Boostby Pete Shanks, Biopolitical TimesJanuary 22nd, 2010The tenth anniversary of Synthetic Biology finds a field with mixed prospects, boosted by a new major grant. |
| Nudging the Discourse?by Pete Shanks, Biopolitical TimesJanuary 8th, 2010The Popular Mechanics article misleadingly titled "How to Create a Designer Baby" includes a call for regulation of assisted reproduction. |
| Hot Air and Cat Hypeby Pete Shanks, Biopolitical TimesDecember 3rd, 2009Allerca Lifestyle Pets is getting out of the hypoallergenic cat business - if it was ever really in it. |
| Genes and Jobs: U of Akron Tests the Testing Lawsby Pete Shanks, Biopolitical TimesNovember 4th, 2009The University of Akron (UA) has a policy that could require any candidate for employment to submit a DNA sample, despite the Genetic Information Non-discrimination Act. |
| Return of the GenRich?by Pete Shanks, Biopolitical TimesOctober 29th, 2009There has been a brief flurry of discussion about future separate species of humans. |
| Hwang is Convictedby Pete Shanks, Biopolitical TimesOctober 27th, 2009Hwang Woo-Suk, the notorious Korean stem-cell and cloning researcher, was given a suspended two-year prison sentence and three years of probation by a Seoul court on Monday. |
| Genotyping Childrenby Pete Shanks, Biopolitical TimesSeptember 29th, 2009Twice in the last few weeks Anne Wojcicki, of 23andMe, has strongly defended genotyping children, an increasingly controversial practice. |
| Lou Hawthorne Quitsby Pete Shanks, Biopolitical TimesSeptember 18th, 2009BioArts, the successor to Genetic Savings and Clone, has stopped selling dog clones. |
| What's in a Name?by Pete Shanks, Biopolitical TimesSeptember 14th, 2009The naming of a new park after noted eugenicist William Shockley has drawn international attention to the small town of Auburn, California. |
| Korean Cloning Updateby Pete Shanks, Biopolitical TimesSeptember 3rd, 2009A cloned wolf has died mysteriously, and other news from Korea. |
| Capitalism 1, Transhumanism 0by Pete Shanks, Biopolitical TimesAugust 31st, 2009Singularity University's first students have revealed the projects for which they are seeking capital, and they backed away from transhumanist or singularitarian ideas. |
| The Gray Areas at the Edges of Regulationby Pete Shanks, Biopolitical TimesAugust 26th, 2009The UK experience with regulation continues to offer lessons, as sperm sellers are arrested, US companies promote sex selection to Britons, and an MP has his DNA removed from the police database. |
| Furry Mathby Pete Shanks, Biopolitical TimesAugust 21st, 2009The South Korean biotechnology company RNL Bio has just made a substantial commitment to commercial dog cloning. |
| Would you like them with a mouse?by Pete Shanks, Biopolitical TimesAugust 3rd, 2009Japanese scientists report that mice have (almost) been fooled into making mammoth eggs. |
| GATTACA Comes to Baseballby Pete Shanks, Biopolitical TimesJuly 24th, 2009Major League Baseball has been using DNA tests on prospects from the Dominican Republic. |
| From the Sports Deskby Pete Shanks, Biopolitical TimesJune 30th, 2009Letters in the New York Times express opposition to drugs in baseball. |
| Patriotic Puppies -- and a Prize!by Pete Shanks, Biopolitical TimesJune 23rd, 2009Another pet-cloning company emerges, with the same principals and the same gimmicks. |
| Family Unbalancingby Pete Shanks, Biopolitical TimesJune 16th, 2009The New York Times is reporting on evidence that Americans of Chinese, Indian and Korean descent have a statistically significant preference for male children. |
| Brain Drugsby Pete Shanks, Biopolitical TimesJune 11th, 2009Controversy over "cognitive-enhancement" drugs is heating up |
| Empathy and Eugenics on the Supreme Courtby Pete Shanks, Biopolitical TimesJune 4th, 2009LA Times columnist Michael Hiltzik uses Buck vs. Bell as a case study to demonstrate the importance of empathy for Supreme Court justices. |
| Eugenics and Genetic Screeningby Pete Shanks, Biopolitical TimesMay 20th, 2009A new report raises the specter of eugenics from a libertarian perspective. |
| Pig Patents Provoke Protests in Germanyby Pete Shanks, Biopolitical TimesApril 24th, 2009A street protest outside the European Patent Office in Munich highlights concerns about the patenting of animals. |
| Answering Questions With Questionsby Pete Shanks, Biopolitical TimesApril 23rd, 2009The future of genomics is now the subject of serious debate, with enormous implications for genomic medicine. |
| Baseball Enhances Philosophyby Pete Shanks, Biopolitical TimesApril 16th, 2009More discussion about the article in Nature that advocated the use of "cognitive-enhancing drugs" includes a comparison with baseball's drug issues. |
| Shake-up Coming in Biotech?by Pete Shanks, Biopolitical TimesMarch 16th, 2009The financial condition of the biotech industry is looking very bad, according to a Wall Street Journal article and the Burrill Report. |
| Antinori Clones a Claimby Pete Shanks, Biopolitical TimesMarch 4th, 2009The controversial Italian fertility specialist Severino Antinori has said he cloned humans nine years ago, contradicting while roughly copying his own previous claims. |
| The Neanderthal campaignby Pete Shanks, Biopolitical TimesFebruary 19th, 2009Controversy about the idea of using genetic and cloning techniques in an effort to re-create Neanderthals. |
| There's no success like failure ...by Pete Shanks, Biopolitical TimesFebruary 6th, 2009Another attempt to clone an extinct species has failed, but been widely hailed as a success. Many more have been and are being considered. |
| Human Genetic Diseases in Dogs?by Pete Shanks, Biopolitical TimesFebruary 5th, 2009Dog cloning is a means to an end, say those who are selling it. Human-dog experimental chimeras are a more significant goal than pet replacement. |
| Presidential Genes?by Pete Shanks, Biopolitical TimesJanuary 20th, 2009Should we be looking at future candidates' genomes to discover if they have the qualities we need in a president? |
| Racism and Genomesby Pete Shanks, Biopolitical TimesJanuary 9th, 2009A Turkish politician has called for the Turkish President's genome to be analyzed to disprove his ethnic purity. |
| Drug Companies & Corruptionby Pete Shanks, Biopolitical TimesJanuary 5th, 2009Marcia Angell has published an excellent essay on corruption in the pharmaceutical industry. |
| Nature Makes Newsby Pete Shanks, Biopolitical TimesDecember 11th, 2008Nature has published a Commentary that advocates the use of "cognitive-enhancing drugs." |
| Hotline for Eugenics Victimsby Pete Shanks, Biopolitical TimesDecember 10th, 2008North Carolina has set up a toll-free number for survivors of the state's eugenic program. |
| Known Unknownsby Pete Shanks, Biopolitical TimesDecember 2nd, 2008As more anomalies are reported, it seems that we know less and less about more and more -- and scientifically, this is a good thing. |
| All the President’s Genes?by Pete Shanks, Biopolitical TimesNovember 5th, 2008Some are proposing that we begin to judge candidates by genotype instead of superficial aspects of phenotype |
| Appleyard on H+by Pete Shanks, Biopolitical TimesOctober 22nd, 2008Brian Appleyard weighs in on "risible" transhumanists. |
| Bioethics for Profit?by Pete Shanks, Biopolitical TimesOctober 14th, 2008Is there something problematic about an explicitly for-profit bioethics operation that is closely linked to a prominent academic journal? |
| How Many Embryos Are Left Over?by Pete Shanks, Biopolitical TimesOctober 8th, 2008An estimate of how many leftover embryos might become available for research annually is surprisingly low. |
| Eugenics — AgainCompulsory sterilization is back in the newsby Pete Shanks, Biopolitical TimesSeptember 25th, 2008Proposals for compulsory sterilization have just been made in three different jurisdictions in the U.S. and Canada. |
| A Literal Reductionist?by Pete Shanks, Biopolitical TimesJuly 31st, 2008Michael Rae believes calorie restriction will increase his lifespan. |
| Gene Doping Hits the Headlinesby Pete Shanks, Biopolitical TimesJuly 29th, 2008The media are speculating about gene doping at the Olympics, and Friends of the Earth is urging sports to renounce it. |
| The True Believerby Pete Shanks, Biopolitical TimesJuly 24th, 2008Michael West remains a man on a mission -- immortality. |
| Is He for Real? Are You?by Pete Shanks, Biopolitical TimesAugust 20th, 2007Nick Bostrom's specialty is coming up with ludicrous premises and then explicating the inferences that can logically be derived from them in pedantic detail. |
| Spinning the Pollsby Pete Shanks, Biopolitical TimesDecember 8th, 2006Americans remain skeptical, at best, of biotechnology, especially when applied to animals. That's the lesson of the newly released 2006 Pew Initiative on Food and Biotechnology poll. |
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Pete Shanks, MA, attended Oxford University, where he
studied Philosophy, Politics and Economics, and moved to California in the
mid-1970s. He has been active in a range of local and international political
movements, while mostly making his living in the publishing industry, especially
on the production side; he enjoys the craft of bookmaking. Appalled by the
eugenic possibilities of biotechnology, he has worked with the Center for
Genetics and Society since its earliest days. He is the author of Human
Genetic Engineering: A Guide for Activists, Skeptics, and the Very Perplexed
(Nation Books) and a regular contributor to Biopolitical Times.
