"Whether it's ethical for others, I have no idea," he says. "For myself, I kind of like the mystery."
Neither Fixsen nor Gelbart hails the new procedure as a major scientific achievement. Another method of sex selection--through in vitro fertilization--is available for parents who want to choose the sex of their child.
"It's not news," Fixsen says. "I don't consider it to be a step forwards but maybe a step backwards."
Gelbart says the concept is very old.
"In the context of some cultures where there's such severe gender discrimination, it might be used," he says. "It's been used through selective abortion for a long time."
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"Is it better to have a technique?" he asks. "I don't know."