Freedomain Radio

This is a fascinating documentary on epigenetics, a new field of science which is discovering that your life may be significantly effected by the experiences and environment of your grandparents.  It may provide a scientific explanation for things that we empirically see in human behavior and health.

It may also help to explain how life is more than just the sum of its chemical parts. 

Check it out.  Highly recommended.   

I saw that program on television last week.  My initial reaction was scepticism concerning the measurements in the Swedish study.

The hypothesis rests to a large degree in the capability of the Swedish village's medical examiners over the past century and a half to accurately determine causes of death.  Not very likely in my opinion.

The hypothesis also relies to a large degree on accurate recording of the Swedish village's food supply.  Maybe this food data is more accurate than the medical data, but it is still subject to the standards of the past, self-reporting, political influence, etc.

Then the program launched into the usual hyperbole of how DDT is killing people.  That started me switching channels, so I'm unclear as to how the program ended.

This is a theory that an Australian biologist has been working on for almost 30 years. It is one of those tales of the scientific establishment rejecting someone who goes against the established knowledge, his career was ruined because of it. I wish I could remember his name, I saw a documentary about him just a few weeks ago.

The problem he faced was proving that the 'Weisman barrier' could be crossed. He showed that environment affected DNA in the body, but not conclusively that the changes could cross from regular bodily DNA into sperm/egg DNA, where the traits would be passed on to future generations.

It really is quite an interesting topic.
 

PRice:

I saw that program on television last week.  My initial reaction was scepticism concerning the measurements in the Swedish study.

The hypothesis rests to a large degree in the capability of the Swedish village's medical examiners over the past century and a half to accurately determine causes of death.  Not very likely in my opinion.

The hypothesis also relies to a large degree on accurate recording of the Swedish village's food supply.  Maybe this food data is more accurate than the medical data, but it is still subject to the standards of the past, self-reporting, political influence, etc.

Then the program launched into the usual hyperbole of how DDT is killing people.  That started me switching channels, so I'm unclear as to how the program ended.

I didn't get the sense that they were saying anything about pesticides killing people.  I think they were just saying that it's important to look carefully at all of the potential effects of pesticides and the like.

I agree with you on the Swedish study.  Too many variables, if you ask me.  The lab rat studies were far more interesting to me.  And the whole explanation of how the methyl groups can turn genes on and off was really cool.  Especially with reference to the divergence of twins' characteristics over time. 

I'm just at the beginning of it, but the theory seems plausible.  We know that cancerous agents can mutate your gonads' DNA (I'm not sure if I used the right word, but I'm talking about the diploid ancestors that create all sperm and eggs before meiosis in individuals).  If cancerous materials can mutate the DNA, why not other environmental circumstances?

ash:

The problem he faced was proving that the 'Weisman barrier' could be crossed. He showed that environment affected DNA in the body, but not conclusively that the changes could cross from regular bodily DNA into sperm/egg DNA, where the traits would be passed on to future generations.

It really is quite an interesting topic.
 

 

That sounds like almost a return to Lamarckian evolution.  If confirmed, it would have serious repercussions on social science... many of which might not be good.

Jason Orr:

ash:

The problem he faced was proving that the 'Weisman barrier' could be crossed. He showed that environment affected DNA in the body, but not conclusively that the changes could cross from regular bodily DNA into sperm/egg DNA, where the traits would be passed on to future generations.

It really is quite an interesting topic.
 

 

That sounds like almost a return to Lamarckian evolution.  If confirmed, it would have serious repercussions on social science... many of which might not be good.

If you've seen the video from the original post, you could easily imagine a crazy state program to malnourish all male children of the age of 10.