Dr Adam Rutherford Control: The Dark History and Troubling Present of Eugenics

Throughout history, people have sought to improve society by reducing suffering, eliminating disease or enhancing desirable qualities in their children. But this wish goes hand-in-hand with the desire to impose control and the ideas underlying eugenics are not merely historical. With new gene editing techniques, very real conversations are happening - including in the heart of British government - about tinkering with the DNA of unborn children, to make them smarter, fitter, stronger. The acclaimed geneticist and presenter of Radio 4's Inside Science tells the story of attempts by the powerful throughout history to regulate the interface of breeding and society so ensure it is never repeated.