In Bioethics, the Public Deserves More Than a Seat at the Table

Every time scientists present a groundbreaking biological innovation, it seems as though there is a crescendo of noise — articles beckoning for public discussion, social media posts sharing the public’s opinions, scientists urging for more public input about bioethical decisions. The noise grows and grows and then — silence.

In August 2022, two research groups published papers in Nature and Cell that demonstrated scientists’ newfound ability to create synthetic mouse embryos in the laboratory until 8.5 days post-fertilization — no egg cells, sperm cells, or wombs needed. The outcry was immediate: If this can be done with mice, are humans next?