Recorded on November 28, 2023
Future of Families: How reproductive technology can reverse population decline
Speakers: Antonio Regalado, Sr Editor of biomedicine and special guest Martín Varsavsky, Founder of Prelude Fertility
Birth rates have been plummeting in wealthy countries, well below the “replacement” rate. Even in China, a dramatic downturn in the number of babies has officials scrambling, as its population growth turns negative. What’s behind the baby bust and can new reproductive technology reverse the trend? Startup companies are working on ways to reduce the cost of IVF, allow same-sex couples to reproduce, and extend parenthood far later into life.
Related Coverage
How Silicon Valley hatched a plan to turn blood into human eggs
The first babies conceived with sperm-injecting robot have been born