Expert Says Children Will Soon Have More than Two Biological Parents

A prominent futurist says we are not far off from breaking the genetic mold that has been the building blocks of human life.

In a wide-ranging interview with The Washington Post, Amy Webb predicted that the science of procreation will change the way we have babies, and may even change the maximum number of biological parents a person can have.

A technology that unlocks our ability to be moreselective and to intentionally design life is what she is talking about in her new book. Maybe that means one person using their own genetic material to bring an embryo to term, or it could be that it unlocks opportunities to select traits from more than two parents.

The author and founder of the Future Today Institute consulting firm admitted that while scientists and futuristic soothsayers like herself don't yet know the full applications for gene editing technology like CRISPR and others that are sure to follow, she believes the "possibilities" and "optionality"

The question of genetic engineering often leads to discussions of potential governmental abuse. The 1997 sci-fi flick Gattaca was name-checking, and that's why Webb dismissed those concerns.

While those for whom future is their business need to acknowledge the geopolitical advantages that some countries might try for by elevating their population's intelligence and physical traits, that doesn't mean we should reject synthetic biology wholesale.

She told the WaPo that making it easier for people who want to become parents is something we should be embracing. Creating a child is dependent on chance and serendipity, or enough money for a lot of in-vitro fertilization cycles. It is difficult to make a baby in the year 2022. It shouldn't be that way.

Considering how prevalent maternal illness and even death can be in general and for mothers of color, it is an exciting prospect.

There is no reason not to imagine, design, and fund technology that will make getting pregnant, carrying fetal to term, and giving birth as safe as, say, getting a tummy tuck, and with that kind of tech within our grasp.

Futurist Amy Webb says babymaking could get crazy and the phone will die.

Could we use our genes to be better sex lovers than our distant cousins?

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