IVF was long considered controversial and ethically dubious

IVF procedures fertilize eggs outside the body in a laboratory dish

In vitro fertilization is a complex and expensive set of procedures that potential parents dealing with infertility or genetic disorders may turn to when other methods are unavailable. IVF births account for 2% to 3% of all live births in the US annually.

IVF is legal across America, but some worry that state bans could curtail this reproductive technology

This reproductive technology is available across the US, but if states take action to prohibit the discarding of unused embryos or pass related legislation, it could affect access to IVF. Laws prohibiting IVF or effectively outlawing the procedure by defining personhood as being conferred at the moment of conception have been under discussion in several states in recent years, including Ohio, Virginia, and Texas.

How to consider the ethics of 3-parent IVF, which is illegal in the US

Ethical concerns with this controversial procedure include that a little bit of a child's offspring would be from a third person and that the decisions made with this pregnancy will affect numerous generations, making a permanent change to the gene pool.

Scientific advances are unlocking a wide range of alternatives to IVF

From refined artificial insemination and microsurgical sperm extraction to experimental uterine transplants, scientific innovation is rapidly advancing potential fertilization technologies. But they come along with costly trials, some ethical dilemmas, regulatory issues, and more.

How two families navigated an unthinkable IVF mistake

The field offers hope to thousands of families annually, but it is also largely unregulated, and for a small number of parents, things can go terribly wrong.

A 2024 court ruling has had ripple effects for frozen embryos

The Alabama Supreme Court's 2024 ruling that embryos created through IVF are legally children has had a chilling effect on the fertility industry. A few centers for reproductive assistance paused egg fertilization, and others are questioning where the legal argument will lead. The decision has some surprising implications for the future of IVF technology, including techniques that haven't yet been invented.

About 250,000 patients accessed assisted reproductive technologies in 2022

In 2022, 251,542 patients tried assisted reproductive technologies—most commonly IVF—resulting in more than 98,000 infants. Those children represent around 2.6% of the babies born in the US.

The average number of IVF cycles before a viable pregnancy is 2.5

Health insurance often does not cover IVF treatment, and Medicaid coverage for fertility services differs by state. As a result, the cost of IVF is often unrealistic for low-income families.

The first successful IVF pregnancy was in the United Kingdom in 1978

Gynecologist Patrick Steptoe and his collaborator Robert Edwards, a biologist, attempted to fertilize a human egg cell in a petri dish 101 times before finally succeeding. This resulted in the birth of Louise Brown—at the time referred to as a "test tube" baby—in 1978, who was born into the spotlight.

The history of ectogenesis and artificial wombs

While the science of artificial wombs is new, the idea goes back to a 1923 Heretics Society of the University of Cambridge lecture where an English biologist was one of the first people to propose an egg could be fertilized outside the womb. This...

Six of history's most unethical human experiments, from deliberate flu exposure to withholding syphilis treatment

Some of the progress made in mental health treatment, vaccines, blood transfusions, and more came about before the advent of consent and ethics committees, resulting in serious physical and psychological harm that participants in studies were not even anticipating.

This scientist treated her own cancer

Virologist Beata Halassy treated her own breast cancer by injecting the tumor with lab-grown viruses. Though this self-treatment worked, it has not been approved for widespread use. Read to learn more about her fascinating experience, and how it has led to conversations about safety and ethics.

France once had a reproduction czar to help midwives deliver babies

Much ado is made about falling marriage and birth rates worldwide, and how they might affect tax bases, retirement funds, and social standing. But this isn’t the first time marriage, and subsequently reproduction, have fallen out of favor. Some countries have resorted to drastic measures to restore the tarnished state of these hallowed institutions.

Before vaccines, there was 'variolation': what was it?

Before the technology behind vaccinations was discovered, some keen observers of medicine around the globe noticed how previous infections could impact future ones. Learn about the techniques early physicians used before they had vaccines.

Indefinite cloning of some endangered species may not sustain their longevity because cloning success rates decrease as genetic mutations accumulate.

The first line of 'immortal' human cells, which can divide indefinitely and are used in scientific research, was nonconsensually taken from a Black woman.

The ABCs and FAQs on GMOs from the WHO.

GMOs (or genetically modified organisms) are a subject of great debate in the food world…but how come? GMOs are organisms whose genetic materials have been altered in a way that does not occur naturally in order to create a product that has a...

Understanding vaccine side effects

A vaccine is a medical intervention, and as with any medical intervention, may have side effects. This article discusses side effects and adverse events related to vaccination.

The Vatican included 'The Second Sex' on its list of forbidden books

In 1956, the Vatican added Simone de Beauvoir's "The Second Sex" and her novel "The Mandarins" to its Index Librorum Prohibitorum, which already included every book by her partner Jean-Paul Sartre. The Vatican newspaper explained that de Beauvoir's books, which advocated for birth control and criticized marriage, included "the harmful atmosphere of a certain existentialist philosophy" that contained a "hidden poison." (Some readers may experience a paywall.)

Revocable trusts are more flexible than irrevocable trusts

Irrevocable trusts are almost impossible for the grantor to change or dissolve. With a revocable trust, the grantor can alter or dissolve the trust at any time. However, there are upsides to irrevocable trusts, too—such as the fact that they’re typically not subject to estate taxes, unlike revocable trusts.

Premarin was the bestselling drug in the US in 1992

The drug, derived from the urine or pregnant mares, raised ethical and animal welfare concerns, but also became wildly popular until the Women's Health Initiative study findings in 2002 (which have since been largely disproved). In the 1990s, Premarin was used to treat menopause symptoms and also to protect against osteoporosis and heart disease among older women.

High fuel prices and fuel shortages revived dormant interest in EVs

Electric vehicles, in the form of motorized carriages, predate the invention of the gas-powered automobile by over 40 years. The latter's affordability made it more popular until technological advances made EVs more viable to consumers in the early 2000s.

The tragic Pulitzer Prize-winning image 'The Vulture and the Little Girl' (1993) generated controversy, raised concerns about ethics in photography, and eventually led to the photographer's death.

Watson's book was described as misleading when detailing Franklin's role in DNA

Despite working together to win the Nobel Prize for their discovery of the structure of DNA, Francis Crick and Maurice Wilkins objected to the publication of James Watson's account of DNA's discovery. Those involved describe how he villainized Rosalind Franklin and downplayed her work.

The Chernobyl disaster prompted a sharp decline in public confidence in nuclear power

A Gallup poll from two months after the disaster showed 73% of respondents opposed building a nuclear plant near their homes—up from 45% in 1976. Chernobyl and other nuclear accidents remain in the public consciousness today in debates about nuclear power.

Divorce reportedly existed in hunter-gatherer societies

Though divorces have been around for centuries and have become increasingly common, they can still be perceived with hints of shame. Historian Stephanie Coontz advises readers that the good old days of marriage may have been just as bad as today, considering its prevalence throughout history.

Invasivorism is a form of ethical eating focused on eating invasive species

The culinary approach helps combat the growth of invasive species populations by increasing demand for dishes made with them, but some suggest that creating a market for these species may help prolong their presence by moderating control. Some diners have expressed reluctance toward consuming more exotic species, such as nutria—raccoon-sized rodents.

Deepfakes came to prominence in the form of nonconsensual pornography

The explosion of deepfakes depicting renowned people in both ridiculous and compromising videos has provoked widespread fears they will undermine public trust in authoritative knowledge. However, some scholars argue that real videos will always be distinguishable from deepfakes via the video-sharer's testimony and a broader social context.

Visualize how CRISPR-Cas9—a type of immune system used by single-celled organisms to attack invasive viruses—targets and makes precise changes to a gene's DNA.

How fusion—which releases energy when two lighter atoms combine to form a heavier atom—differs from fission

Venture capital is a form of funding provided to early-stage companies with high growth potential, typically in exchange for an equity (or ownership) stake

Hookworm infection, though risky, may help fight certain autoimmune conditions by tamping down the immune system's inflammatory response.

After 25 people used virtual reality headsets to practice flying with virtual wings—flapping their arms—their visual cortex responded to the wings almost as if they were real arms, treating them as body parts.

Long before Major League Baseball began allowing instant replay for balls and strikes, an umpire reluctantly used the technology to determine whether a hit was a home run, a move that inadvertently ushered in a new era for the sport.

20,000 letters to the advice columnist 'Dear Abby' provide insight into prevailing sex, religion, and LGBTQ fears, anxieties, and concerns from the 1950s onward.

A vending machine run with Anthropic's AI went out of business after it was convinced to give away items for free and sell a video game console.

The syncytiotrophoblast is the outer layer of the placenta and the largest human cell, spanning an area about twice that of a king-sized bedsheet.

The hormonal disorder PCOS was renamed PMOS in 2026, a move designed to improve care and research by shifting the focus to the hormonal causes of this condition that affects 1 in 8 women.

Explore what it's like inside a patient isolation unit, used in situations such as treating a patient or suspected patient with Ebola.

At the beginning of the 20th century, a group of young men ate standard American food—replete with food additives like borax and formaldehyde—as part of government research to better understand food safety.

The story of Dollree Mapp, whose legal challenge over her 1957 conviction for possessing "obscene material" led to a major strengthening of the Fourth Amendment

As of 2025, the most cited papers in science include a review of graphene, methods to improve image recognition, streamlining electron density calculations, and optimizing protein studies.

Doctors differentiate between a phobia and fear by asking patients whether their fear interferes with their day-to-day activities.

Famed poet TS Eliot rejected the manuscript for George Orwell's political fable 'Animal Farm,' writing that its criticism of authoritarianism was not 'the right point of view.'

The Russia-Ukraine conflict is the largest ground war in Europe since World War II in terms of casualties, forces mobilized, and displacement of civilians.

Electrical grids worldwide must double their power delivery capacity by 2050 to meet surging demand from AI and electric vehicles.

The United States has had a tumultuous relationship with Cuba since its 1959 revolution, highlighted by a nuclear crisis and a decades-long trade embargo.

Explore the archaeological treasures of Pompeii, the city buried under volcanic ash when Mount Vesuvius erupted in 79 CE.

The distributor behind 'Rocky Horror' pulled the film from its scheduled national release, believing it would be a failure, though it eventually amassed a dedicated fanbase through midnight showings, a trend that continues over 50 years later.

Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps is independent of Iran's regular army and is one of the most powerful and influential military-political organizations in the Middle East.