This week we welcomed a record-breaking baby to the world. Thaddeus Daniel Pierce, who arrived over the weekend, developed from an embryo that was frozen in storage for 30 and a half years. You could call him the world’s oldest baby.
His parents, Lindsey and Tim Pierce, were themselves only young children when that embryo was created, all the way back in 1994. Linda Archerd, who donated the embryo, described the experience as “surreal.”
Stories like this also highlight how reproductive technologies are shaping families. But while baby Thaddeus is a record-breaker, plenty of other babies have been born from embryos that have been frozen for significant spells of time. Read the full story.
—Jessica Hamzelou
This article first appeared in The Checkup, MIT Technology Review’s weekly biotech newsletter. To receive it in your inbox every Thursday, and read articles like this first, sign up here.
If you’re interested in reading more about fertility tech, why not check out:
+ Earlier this month, researchers announced babies had been born from a trial of three-person IVF. The long-awaited results suggest that the approach can reduce the risk of mitochondrial disease—but not everyone is convinced.
+ Frozen embryos are filling storage banks around the world. It’s a struggle to know what to do with them.
+ Read about how a mobile lab is bringing IVF to rural communities in South Africa.
+ Why family-friendly policies and gender equality might be more helpful than IVF technology when it comes to averting the looming fertility crisis.
+ The first babies conceived with a sperm-injecting robot have been born. Meet the startups trying to engineer a desktop fertility machine.
The must-reads
I’ve combed the internet to find you today’s most fun/important/scary/fascinating stories about technology.
1 Donald Trump has announced new tariffs across the world
They will affect virtually every nation—some more favorably than others. (CNN)
+ The new rates range widely from 10% to 41%. (NYT $)
+ The African country Lesotho had declared a tariff-induced state of emergency. (WSJ $)
2 Palantir has signed a $10 billion deal with the US Army
It’s the latest in a string of lucrative agreements with federal agencies. (WP $)
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3 Tech giants are raking in cash
But we still don’t know how useful a lot of the AI they’re currently building will prove to be. (FT $)
+ It’s a boon for investors, but not necessarily for employees. (WSJ $)
+ It’s unclear whose approach will result in sustainable profits. (Semafor)
4 Neuralink is planning its first trial in the UK
To join the current five patients using its brain implant. (Reuters)
+ This patient’s Neuralink brain implant gets a boost from generative AI. (MIT Technology Review)
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