Marrying your cousin has long been considered taboo, but new research says that procreating with your cousins may not be as risky as previously thought. Popular Science's Eleanor Cummins breaks down the findings. Eleanor Cummins, Editorial Assistant at Popular Science, breaks down the findings. Columbia University data scientist Yaniv Erlich studied a family tree of 13 million people to see how marrying various relatives impacts the risk of genetic birth defects. He found that one set of first cousins having children doesn't necessarily pose a high risk of having children with birth defects, but if the trend continues beyond one generation, then the risk increases exponentially.

Share:
More In Science
Health Experts Warn Of Winter Surge As Covid Cases Rise
Health officials are warning of a grim winter as the Omicron variant of COVID-19 spreads rapidly across the country. New York City is the latest hotspot, with cases rising in a way the city hasn't previously seen in the pandemic. Dr. Bob Lahita, director of the Institute for Autoimmune and Rheumatic Diseases at St. Joseph Health and author of the book "Immunity Strong," joined Cheddar to discuss whether the rest of the country will follow in New York's footsteps.
Covid Cases On the Rise As Holidays Near
Covid cases and deaths are on the rise in many parts of the country even before the Omicron variant takes hold. More than 30 states had higher seven-day averages for new cases last week than they did before Thanksgiving, according to Johns Hopkins University data, with some of the biggest increases in the Northeast. Dr. Anthony Santella, professor of Health Administration and University COVID Coordinator at the University of New Haven, joined Cheddar to discuss where we stand in the pandemic and how we can keep ourselves safe during the holidays.
Load More