The baby of your dreams
Australian Women’s Weekly NZ|June 2021
Since the first test-tube baby was born, people have been fascinated by the idea of designer babies. Now, the reality – and the threat – of genetically modified humans is closer than ever before.
GENEVIEVE GANNON
The baby of your dreams

GENE

LRP5

ENHANCEMENT

Stronger bones.

Imagine yourself on a hot summer day in the not-too-distant future. You’ve brought your three-year-old daughter to the playground because she loves the swings. A natural athlete, she is using her strong little body to propel herself ever higher, her blonde pigtails trailing behind her like streamers. She’s soaring, and your breath catches as she reaches the top of the swing’s arc and her tiny hands let go of the chains. You rush towards her as she crashes to the ground. She is dazed, but not injured. It is just as the doctor promised:

You hug her and remind yourself of the insurance policy you put in place before she was born. She has a vanishingly small risk of cancer, and no risk of diabetes. She will never get Alzheimer’s. You made sure of that when you requested that her embryo be edited before implantation.

“To produce a GMO [genetically modified] sapiens baby, you would begin effectively by placing an order for her or him,” wrote biologist Paul Knoepfler in 2015. “Scientists would team up with you, as the parent, to make this new GM child, using your cells and genetic fabric as the starting material. The only other things needed from you would be the money to pay for the process and your input into the design of the baby.”

He then suggested we could see edited humans as soon as 2030.

هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة June 2021 من Australian Women’s Weekly NZ.

ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 8500 مجلة وصحيفة.

هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة June 2021 من Australian Women’s Weekly NZ.

ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 8500 مجلة وصحيفة.

المزيد من القصص من AUSTRALIAN WOMEN’S WEEKLY NZ مشاهدة الكل
Spotlight on Vitamin D
Australian Women’s Weekly NZ

Spotlight on Vitamin D

Sunlight is the best source of vitamin D, but safe sun exposure is still essential.

time-read
2 mins  |
May 2024
Coming up roses
Australian Women’s Weekly NZ

Coming up roses

Driven by a renewed interest in the flower’s power, a rose renaissance is dawning.

time-read
3 mins  |
May 2024
'I was given a 5% chance of survival'
Australian Women’s Weekly NZ

'I was given a 5% chance of survival'

When Caroline Laner Breure was hit by a car in an horrific accident on a Spanish holiday with her boyfriend, her body and her dreams were shattered. Somehow she found the will to go on living.

time-read
5 mins  |
May 2024
Time to celebrate our mothers
Australian Women’s Weekly NZ

Time to celebrate our mothers

Author Kathy Lette gives a heartfelt thank you to her magnificent mum, Val - a baker of fairy cakes with the patience of a saint.

time-read
4 mins  |
May 2024
"I am lucky to be here" ”
Australian Women’s Weekly NZ

"I am lucky to be here" ”

Since the day she walked onto the MasterChef Australia set back in 2009, Julie Goodwin has openly shared her life. But in writing a memoir, she had to examine the demons she'd battled privately... until now.

time-read
9 mins  |
May 2024
JAMIE OLIVER at your service
Australian Women’s Weekly NZ

JAMIE OLIVER at your service

Returning to the set of MasterChef Australia to help steer a path through grief and spread happiness, the celebrity chef is also at a turning point - he opens up about failure, love, second chances and his endless reservoir of joie de vivre.

time-read
10 mins  |
May 2024
From one mum to another
Australian Women’s Weekly NZ

From one mum to another

Princess Catherine's public announcement struck a chord with mum-of-two Jane Gillard. She shares her story of parenting through cancer- and offers hope for the princess and mums navigating their own health journey while raising primary-aged kids.

time-read
4 mins  |
May 2024
The courage of Princess Catherine "You are„, not alone"
Australian Women’s Weekly NZ

The courage of Princess Catherine "You are„, not alone"

It was a rare personal address that she shouldn’t have had to make. But with conspiracy theories swirling and the slimmed-down “Firm” under fire, Princess Catherine silenced critics with searing courage and dignity.

time-read
9 mins  |
May 2024
THE MAN WHO WASN'T THERE
Australian Women’s Weekly NZ

THE MAN WHO WASN'T THERE

When Tracy Hall fell for Max Tavita, she fell for a mirage. Max was a false identity created by a con man, and Tracy was the latest in a long line of women whose life savings hed stolen.

time-read
9 mins  |
May 2024
Amother's GIFT
Australian Women’s Weekly NZ

Amother's GIFT

In December last year, Australia’s first uterus transplant recipient, Kirsty Bryant, gave birth to Henry, a happy, healthy baby boy. The uterus that had made this little miracle possible had been donated by her mother, Michelle. Five months later, their first Mother’s Day since Henry’s birth feels especially precious.

time-read
10 mins  |
May 2024