Grapevine: Jun. 25, 1990

SAFE DEPOSITS. A decade ago, California tycoon Robert K. Graham caused a stir and a few snickers when he established the Repository for Germinal Choice. Its purpose: to make the sperm of brainy men (preferably Nobel prizewinners) available to brainy, childless women, who would then theoretically bear superintelligent babies. Three Nobel laureates contributed to this experiment, although the only one to announce his deposits was William Shockley (physics, 1956), a proponent of crackpot theories about the genetic inferiority of blacks. After ten years the repository has spawned 111 children, with 30 more on the way, but not a single one of...

Want the full story?

Subscribe Now

Subscribe
Subscribe

Learn more about the benefits of being a TIME subscriber

If you are already a subscriber sign up — registration is free!