Play Tinker Tots
A simple game exploring embryo selection preferences and dilemmas
The National University of Singapore (NUS), Oxford University, and the University of Exeter are coorganizing a study called Tinker Tots, asking the public about which embryos they would prioritize for implantation when undergoing IVF.
Tinker Tots offers a simple game asking participants which embryos they would choose based on their genetic likelihood of developing certain traits and conditions, such as reduced heart disease risk, physical aptitude, higher musical ability, or IQ.
When I played the game, I was offered the chance to choose between two different embryos six times according to their sex and the same two traits, and then in the seventh round to choose up to three from all the previous embryos for implantation.
The idea is to determine how participants weigh up the trade-offs of choosing between traits (e.g., I had to choose between embryos with varying likelihoods of becoming creative and of developing bipolar disorder), and what this says about their underlying social and personal values.
At the end you get a summary of your results comparing how your choices compare with other participants.
You are also invited to participate in a survey to share your views on embryo selection in general (including whether and how this can be ethical).
Professor Julian Savulescu, one of the study’s principle investigators, says: “We’re asking people to really think: What do you value in a child? What kind of future are you imagining when you make these choices?” The researchers hope the findings will help inform future guidelines on use of genetic information in IVF.
Participate in the Tinker Tots study here!
There’s also a summary video: