News broke this week about a Chinese scientist who says he edited the genes of twin girls while they were in the womb. The goal was to make the girls immune to HIV, but editing human genes at that level is ethically controversial and illegal in many countries. It raises many questions about creating genetic traits that can be passed on and about a future where people choose the genetic traits in their children. Not surprisingly, it’s a topic well covered in science fiction. The 1997 movie “Gattaca” is about a future where your genes determine whether you’ll succeed in life or be considered an “invalid.” Molly Wood talks about it with Amy Webb, founder of the Future Today Institute. Webb says there are plenty of benefits to gene editing technology, but that “Gattaca’s” social commentary was all too prescient.

If you are a creator on YouTube, you live and die by the algorithm. It’s the invisible technology that recommends videos on the trending page or in search results or suggestions all across the platform. No one but YouTube knows exactly how the algorithm decides what to promote and what not to promote. The controversial process has at times promoted fake news and sensational or harmful content. And creators say it’s burning them out. Katherine Lo, a visiting researcher in informatics at the University of California, Irvine, studies harassment and mental health in online communities. Molly Wood talks with her about how the YouTube algorithm affects business for creators.

President Trump has said repeatedly that he wants a Space Force. Congress denied the request for a new branch of the military in the latest funding bill, but some have started pricing it out, including the Center for Strategic and International Studies. Todd Harrison is director of the Aerospace Security Project there. He broke it down into three models: a Space Corps within the Air Force, Space Force Lite, and Space Force Heavy. All would mostly use existing military resources but require an additional $1.5 to $2.7 billion over five years. Harrison talks about his cost estimates with Marketplace Tech guest host Kimberly Adams. Today’s show is sponsored by Mozilla.

If you’re shopping for holiday tech, you’ll probably see a bunch of devices being marketed as 5G ready. 5G is the next generation of super fast internet, but it needs infrastructure. More bandwidth for streaming videos, games, and connecting the ever-growing Internet of Things. The Federal Communications Commission is trying to open up that bandwidth by auctioning off little-used parts of publicly owned airwaves — portions that may not have been useful for 3G or 4G, but are now in high demand. FCC Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel explains why.

This week, we’ve partnered with CNET to talk about big trends in consumer technology. To hear Twitter users and the press tell it, the biggest trend in tech is everyone being mad at tech. So we wondered if that might show up in the holiday shopping season. Are people worried about tech being bad for their mental health or their privacy? Will the “techlash” seriously affect spending on consumer technology? Molly talks about it with Lindsey Turrentine, editor-in-chief of “CNET Reviews.”

All this week on Marketplace Tech we’re partnering with CNET to talk about big trends in consumer technology. Once upon a time, laptops and desktop computers were cool and not just the thing you used for work. Then phones and tablets came along, gaming consoles got more popular and computers did not make the holiday shopping list. But that might be changing. CNET’s holiday shopping survey finds that young people are lot more interested in computer hardware this year, mostly to play video games. Between “Fortnite” and esports streaming, kids want more powerful systems than an Xbox or a PS4. Molly Wood talks with Dan Ackerman at CNET Reviews, where he focuses on PCs and laptops. He said there is a minor resurgence in the PC market. (11/22/18)

All this week we’re partnering with CNET Reviews to talk about the big trends in consumer technology. TVs, which used to be in the pipe dream category of holiday gift ideas, are now more in the stocking stuffer price range. Television prices have been in free-fall for over a decade, and manufacturers tried to keep people buying with gimmicks like 3D and ultra high-resolution 4K, except there still aren’t many shows being broadcast in 4K. As a result, TV prices just keep getting lower, and the only thing that is getting people to buy them is streaming. For more, Molly Wood spoke with David Katzmaier, an editor at CNET who covers TVs and home theater.

All this week we’re partnering with CNET Reviews, talking about the big trends in consumer technology as we head into the holiday shopping season. And it appears that the smart home is finally coming home to a lot more people. In 2017, almost 25 million smart speakers were sold, according to the Consumer Technology Association. So far this year, 19 million smart speakers have shipped, and holiday shopping has just begun. And once they’re in a house, they can act like a gateway drug. People buy more connected devices so they can have Alexa or Google control everything in the house. Molly Wood talks with Rich Brown, an executive editor at CNET Reviews covering appliances and smart homes.

It is Thanksgiving week and the official start of the 2018 holiday shopping season. All this week we’re partnering with the online tech reviews and news site CNET to talk about the big trends in consumer technology. This year CNET did a holiday survey asking its users what they’re thinking about when it comes to tech. And this year the research bears out what the retail industry has already been saying: It’s going to be a big year for shopping, especially in tech. Molly Wood talks with Lindsey Turrentine, editor-in-chief of CNET Reviews.