306: Are artificial wombs a good idea?

<p>P&amp;C drink and review Cream Team, a cookies and cream milk stout, then discuss "advances" in reproductive technology.&nbsp;</p> <p>Ectolife is working on creating an artificial womb, where babies can be grown in a production facility. There's been some success with mice, and they want to extend the tech to humans.&nbsp;</p> <p>The goal is to alleviate some of the pain and risk inherent in childbirth, and to help couples who are unable to reproduce naturally.&nbsp;</p> <p>It would eliminate premature births, miscarriage, c-sections, and all sorts of complications in pregnancy. The system would also report on genetic abnormalities, and possibly allow doctors to correct them -- or even correct inherited diseases.&nbsp;</p> <p>It can go even further. You might be able to choose some of your baby's characteristics, like eye and hair color, strength, intelligence, height, etc.&nbsp;</p> <p>But there are criticisms.&nbsp;</p> <p>If babies are so easily created, will they be less valued?&nbsp;</p> <p>There's also no real connection between the mother and child.&nbsp;</p> <p>It seems like a slippery slope. How far does this go?&nbsp;</p> <p>Every human that has ever born came from a woman’s body. How will these babies be different?&nbsp;</p> <p>How will this affect our perception of women?&nbsp;</p>