This is the Cato Daily Podcast for Tuesday, February 12th, 2008.

I'm Caleb Brown.

In England, the DNA of three people has been combined to create a human embryo, but it could have implications for

regulation on how humans might improve themselves and their children down the line.

Cigarette Fry Revere, the Cato Institute's director of bioethics studies, offers some perspective.

I think it's wonderful that the scientists in England at Newcastle University in Northern England have been able to combine DNA from three different people to create one embryo.

Their objective is to help prevent certain genetic diseases. And I really

can't see anything wrong with people helping each other by offering DNA to do so.

If you think of, you know, we offer our knowledge, we not offer our work and our labor why not offer someone a little DNA

to help them raise healthy children.

Designer babies what's what's preventing designer babies and do you think that's okay?

Well, actually I think designer babies are just fine.

It's sort of a scare term that people use.

There's two things that are really interesting there.

One, designer babies have turned out to be like their parents.

In other words, when people go to get IVF and they decide on what genetic traits the child's going to have,

they sort of make it themselves plus a little.

I mean, you don't have parents who are five feet tall taking the

genes from someone who's seven feet tall even if they would love their child

to be a basketball player because no one will believe it's their child.

Or someone, you know, parents who are both, you know, dark-skinned and dark-haired don't want

a blonde blue-eyed baby because no one will believe it's theirs.

...