Is selecting embryos to avoid devastating diseases the same thing as eugenics? Jonathan Anomaly of Herasight says no — and the data behind his argument might change your mind.
In this episode of Optimists Make Money, we go inside the world of embryo selection and polygenic risk scoring — the technology letting parents assess real disease risk (schizophrenia, diabetes, certain cancers) in embryos during IVF, before a pregnancy even begins. Jonathan breaks down how large-scale biobank data turns genetic risk into an actionable score, why some countries have banned the practice outright, and why he believes the "designer babies" framing misses the point entirely.
We dig into the taboo head-on: is this eugenics debate rooted in real ethical risk, or in outdated fear of a technology that's already helping families avoid preventable suffering? Jonathan makes the case that minimizing risk of a "devastating disease" isn't a slippery slope to a dystopian future — it's just informed reproductive choice, backed by the same statistical logic doctors already use elsewhere in medicine.
What we cover:
How polygenic risk scores are calculated from biobank data
Why embryo selection for disease risk is legal in the US but restricted in the UK
The eugenics comparison — and where Jonathan thinks it breaks down
What's next for genetic screening technology in IVF
The line between disease prevention and trait selection
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