Podcasts about behavioural genetics

Emeritus Professor of Behavioural Genetics at the University of Sydney, Benjamin Oldroyd is an experimental scientist who has published more than three hundred scientific papers, mostly on honey bees and their evolution. Oldroyd's new book Beyond DNA: How Epigenetics is Transforming our Understanding of Evolution advances new ways of thinking about evolution and adaptation. Here Prof Oldroyd examines the idea that spores, sperm, pollen and ova are packed with personalised extra-genetic information that play an important role in offspring development with lifelong effects.

Ever wondered what it's like to live another person's life but keep your own mind? What makes us so uniquely different? My guest today, psychologist and geneticist Robert Plomin, argues that it's largely due to a 1% difference in our DNA. Research Professor in Behavioural Genetics at the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience at King's College London for 13 years, Robert grew up in a household with “no books” in Chicago, but still excelled at school. It's in the 1970s, at the University of Texas at Austin that he falls in awe with behavioral genetics while studying psychology. Since then, his work - in great part based on twin studies - has highlighted how both genetic and environmental factors are crucial, but it's their interaction that's most determinant. That's why he comes to a fascinating and exciting conclusion: knowing everything about our DNA and our futures could improve our societies. By unlocking the secrets of our DNA, we have the power to tailor our environments for optimal health and happiness, ditching the one-size-fits-all "golden yardstick" that Robert so vehemently rejects. In this episode, you'll learn about: The relationship between psychology and genetics; Austin, Texas in the 70s; Why dreaming about becoming an F1 champion wasn't enough for him to become one; The ethics of genetics and how to handle it in responsibly; Why your children should get to do what they love, whatever you think; How your perception of things is actually a controlled hallucination. Big up to Antoine Freysz for suggesting I meet Robert! TIMELINE : 00:00:00 - Genetics 101 00:08:48 - Robert Plomin's life in a nutshell 00:30:40 - Predictive genetics, ethical implications, and parenting tips 01:06:16 - On the predictability of happiness & romance 01:23:17 - About his book Blueprint: How DNA Makes Us Who We Are 01:42:00 - The twin research method 01:50:20 - The nature of nurture theory, illustrated by top athletes 02:13:38 - We are the average of the people we hang out with vs. Genetics 02:18:27 - The future of behavioral genetics in health, education, and the job market 02:34:22 - Where to follow Robert Plomin 02:36:58 - Robert's book rec 02:37:55 - Where to get your DNA tested in France? With Robert, we talked about older GDIY episodes: #99 Antoine Freysz - Kerala Ventures - Comment être le The Voice des entrepreneurs ? #83 Perry Chen - Kickstarter - Un projet peut en cacher 100 000 autres #320 Michael Horvath - Strava - You are what you do everyday With Robert, we discussed: His book Blueprint: How DNA Makes Us Who We Are (2018) Genetics in pop culture and sci-fi Gattaca (dir. by Andrew Niccol, 1997) George Orwell's 1984 (1948) Aldous Huxley's Brave New World (1932) Downhill Racer (dir. by Michael Richie, 1969) Karl Ove Knausgård's literary series, My Struggle (2009-2011) 23andMe Robert recommends you read: Anil Seth's Being You: A New Science of Consciousness (2021) Enjoying the music theme? I owe it to Morgan Prudhomme. You can contact him here: https://studio-module.com. Interested in sponsoring Génération Do It Yourself or in building a partnership? Please contact my label Orso Media via this form. You can find Robert's talks on YouTube and he usually replies to his emails.

Behavioural geneticist Robert Plomin's book Blueprint, How DNA Makes Us Who We Are has changed lives. Robert is arguably the leading figure in behavioural genetics, working across the field for many decades. In his book Blueprint, he shows us the extraordinary evidence for our genetic nature being the absolutely dominant force in predicting who we are and will become. In fact about 50% of everything we care about is predicted by our genes. Not just our weight and height, but schizophrenia, anxiety and depression, to personality traits like agreeableness, grit, and love of learning, through to general intelligence and even university success. Emile and Lloyd probe Robert for the implications his research has for how we approach parenting. Outside of loving and protecting our children, Robert says parents can let go a bit of that inner panic that tells them that their role is to mould their kids, that their actions are crucial determinants in their children growing up to be smart, resilient, growth mindset, kind, enthusiastic, healthy, non-anxious or depressed, adults. Parents are just not that important, except in the genes they've passed on. Most radically of all, Plomin entreats us to focus on enjoying our time with our children, saying that parenting matters most just through the quality of our experiences together. Robert PlominRobert Plomin is Professor of Behavioural Genetics in the Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry (SGDP) Centre at The Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London. His research brings together genetic and environmental strategies to investigate the developmental interplay between nature and nurture. In 1994 when he came to the UK from the US, he launched the Twins Early Development Study (TEDS), which continues to thrive. He has published more than 900 papers and a dozen books, which have been cited more than 130,000 times. His latest book is Blueprint: How DNA Makes Us Who We Are (Penguin, 2019).After 50 years of research, Robert has come to the view that inherited DNA differences are the major systematic force that makes us who we are as individuals – our mental health and illness, our personality and our cognitive abilities and disabilities. The environment is important, but it works completely different from the way we thought it worked. The DNA revolution has made it possible to use DNA to predict our psychological problems and promise from birth. These advances in genetic research call for a radical rethink about what makes us who we are, with sweeping, and no doubt controversial, implications for the way we think about parenting, education and the events that shape our lives.~~ You can be part of the discussion @PofCharity on Twitter, @PrincipleofCharity on Facebook and @PrincipleofCharityPodcast on Instagram. Your hosts are Lloyd Vogelman and Emile Sherman. Find Lloyd @LloydVogelman on Linked in Find Emile @EmileSherman on Linked In and Twitter. This Podcast is Produced by Jonah Primo and Bronwen Reid Find Jonah at jonahprimo.com & @JonahPrimo on Instagram. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How much can we blame or praise genetics? Today, Dr. Robert Plomin comes on to chat about the role of genetics in areas such as alcohol addiction, obesity, and schizophrenia.Links from the show:* Blueprint: How DNA Makes Us Who We Are* Subscribe to the newsletterAbout my guest:Robert Plomin is MRC Research Professor in Behavioural Genetics at the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London. In 1994 after positions in the US at the University of Colorado and Pennsylvania State University, he came to the Institute to help Professor Sir Michael Rutter launch the Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Research Centre. The goal of the Centre is to bring together genetic and environmental strategies to understand individual differences in behavioural development, which characterises his research.  In 1995, Professor Plomin began the Twins Early Development Study (TEDS), which has followed 10,000 pairs of UK twins from infancy through early adulthood and has been continuously funded for 25 years as a programme grant from the Medical Research Council. He has published more than 800 papers and is the author of the best-selling textbook in the field as well as a dozen other books. His most recent book is Blueprint: How DNA Makes Us Who We Are (Allen Lane, October 2018; paperback by Penguin, June 2019). Blueprint describes how the DNA revolution is transforming science, society and the way we think about ourselves.  Professor Plomin has been elected the youngest President of the international Behavior Genetics Association and has received lifetime research achievement awards from the major associations related to his field (Behavior Genetics Association, Association of Psychological Science, Society for Research in Child Development, International Society for Intelligence Research), as well as being made Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, British Academy, American Academy of Political and Social Science, and Academy of Medical Sciences (UK).   Get full access to Dispatches from the War Room at dispatchesfromthewarroom.substack.com/subscribe

Dr Stuart Ritchie is a psychologist and science communicator known for his research in human intelligence and an author. The influence of our genes on the outcomes we get in life has been long established and replicated in science. However the public response to this has been very unhappy, making Behavioural Genetics one of the most heated areas of research there is. Expect to learn why some people dislike behavioural genetics so much, what happened with the recent SSRI rug pull, whether Emotional Intelligence is an actual thing, how to be skeptical without becoming nihilistic, which psychological phenomenon were debunked during the replication crisis and much more... Sponsors: Get 83% discount & 3 months free from Surfshark VPN at https://surfshark.deals/MODERNWISDOM (use code MODERNWISDOM) Get 15% discount on Craftd London's jewellery at https://bit.ly/cdwisdom (use code MW15) Get 15% discount on all VERSO's products at https://ver.so/modernwisdom (use code: MW15) Extra Stuff: Buy Science Fictions - https://amzn.to/3y666Wl Follow Stuart on Twitter - https://twitter.com/stuartjritchie  Get my free Reading List of 100 books to read before you die → https://chriswillx.com/books/ To support me on Patreon (thank you): https://www.patreon.com/modernwisdom - Get in touch. Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chriswillx Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/chriswillx YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/modernwisdompodcast Email: https://chriswillx.com/contact/ 

Noah Carl is a British sociologist and independent researcher. He currently writes for a number of outlets, but his most consistent output can be found on Substack (link below). Apologies in advance if this conversation isn't up to the usual standard, Noah actually messaged me out of the blue asking if I wanted to do a podcast, so I only had an hour or two to put some questions together. We only had an hour, but I think there's a lot in here. Some of the spicier topics we touch on include: dysgenics, global IQ differences, and whether the West should "recolonise" parts of Africa. Noah's Substack: https://noahcarl.substack.com/ My links: Substack: https://ideassleepfuriously.substack.com Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/Ideas_Sleep Twitter: https://twitter.com/Ideas_Sleep

Can genetics play a role in crafting left social policy? Or should we not touch those ideas ever again–even with a 10 foot pole? Paige Harden's book, “The Genetic Lottery: Why DNA Matters for Social Equality” makes a forceful case for an egalitarian politics informed by DNA. However, geneticist Joseph Graves critiqued the book, arguing that we do not need sophisticated genetic knowledge to make a more socially just world. On this episode managing producer Marc Apollonio guest hosts, talking to both. —————————-SUPPORT THE SHOW—————————- You can support the show for free by following or subscribing on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or whichever app you use. This is the best way to help us out and it costs nothing so we'd really appreciate you clicking that button. If you want to do a little more we would love it if you chip in. You can find us on patreon.com/dartsandletters. Patrons get content early, and occasionally there's bonus material on there too. ——————-ABOUT THE SHOW—————— For a full list of credits, contact information, and more, visit our about page. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Can genetics play a role in crafting left social policy? Or should we not touch those ideas ever again–even with a 10 foot pole? Paige Harden's book, “The Genetic Lottery: Why DNA Matters for Social Equality” makes a forceful case for an egalitarian politics informed by DNA. However, geneticist Joseph Graves critiqued the book, arguing that we do not need sophisticated genetic knowledge to make a more socially just world. On this episode managing producer Marc Apollonio guest hosts, talking to both. —————————-SUPPORT THE SHOW—————————- You can support the show for free by following or subscribing on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or whichever app you use. This is the best way to help us out and it costs nothing so we'd really appreciate you clicking that button. If you want to do a little more we would love it if you chip in. You can find us on patreon.com/dartsandletters. Patrons get content early, and occasionally there's bonus material on there too. ——————-ABOUT THE SHOW—————— For a full list of credits, contact information, and more, visit our about page. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/psychology

Can genetics play a role in crafting left social policy? Or should we not touch those ideas ever again–even with a 10 foot pole? Paige Harden's book, “The Genetic Lottery: Why DNA Matters for Social Equality” makes a forceful case for an egalitarian politics informed by DNA. However, geneticist Joseph Graves critiqued the book, arguing that we do not need sophisticated genetic knowledge to make a more socially just world. On this episode managing producer Marc Apollonio guest hosts, talking to both. —————————-SUPPORT THE SHOW—————————- You can support the show for free by following or subscribing on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or whichever app you use. This is the best way to help us out and it costs nothing so we'd really appreciate you clicking that button. If you want to do a little more we would love it if you chip in. You can find us on patreon.com/dartsandletters. Patrons get content early, and occasionally there's bonus material on there too. ——————-ABOUT THE SHOW—————— For a full list of credits, contact information, and more, visit our about page. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/public-policy

Can genetics play a role in crafting left social policy? Or should we not touch those ideas ever again–even with a 10 foot pole? Paige Harden's book, “The Genetic Lottery: Why DNA Matters for Social Equality” makes a forceful case for an egalitarian politics informed by DNA. However, geneticist Joseph Graves critiqued the book, arguing that we do not need sophisticated genetic knowledge to make a more socially just world. On this episode managing producer Marc Apollonio guest hosts, talking to both. —————————-SUPPORT THE SHOW—————————- You can support the show for free by following or subscribing on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or whichever app you use. This is the best way to help us out and it costs nothing so we'd really appreciate you clicking that button. If you want to do a little more we would love it if you chip in. You can find us on patreon.com/dartsandletters. Patrons get content early, and occasionally there's bonus material on there too. ——————-ABOUT THE SHOW—————— For a full list of credits, contact information, and more, visit our about page. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/science

Can genetics play a role in crafting left social policy? Or should we not touch those ideas ever again–even with a 10 foot pole? Paige Harden's book, “The Genetic Lottery: Why DNA Matters for Social Equality” makes a forceful case for an egalitarian politics informed by DNA. However, geneticist Joseph Graves critiqued the book, arguing that we do not need sophisticated genetic knowledge to make a more socially just world. On this episode managing producer Marc Apollonio guest hosts, talking to both. —————————-SUPPORT THE SHOW—————————- You can support the show for free by following or subscribing on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or whichever app you use. This is the best way to help us out and it costs nothing so we'd really appreciate you clicking that button. If you want to do a little more we would love it if you chip in. You can find us on patreon.com/dartsandletters. Patrons get content early, and occasionally there's bonus material on there too. ——————-ABOUT THE SHOW—————— For a full list of credits, contact information, and more, visit our about page. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/politics-and-polemics

Can genetics play a role in crafting left social policy? Or should we not touch those ideas ever again–even with a 10 foot pole? Paige Harden's book, “The Genetic Lottery: Why DNA Matters for Social Equality” makes a forceful case for an egalitarian politics informed by DNA. However, geneticist Joseph Graves critiqued the book, arguing that we do not need sophisticated genetic knowledge to make a more socially just world. On this episode managing producer Marc Apollonio guest hosts, talking to both. —————————-SUPPORT THE SHOW—————————- You can support the show for free by following or subscribing on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or whichever app you use. This is the best way to help us out and it costs nothing so we'd really appreciate you clicking that button. If you want to do a little more we would love it if you chip in. You can find us on patreon.com/dartsandletters. Patrons get content early, and occasionally there's bonus material on there too. ——————-ABOUT THE SHOW—————— For a full list of credits, contact information, and more, visit our about page. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

Can genetics play a role in crafting left social policy? Or should we not touch those ideas ever again–even with a 10 foot pole? Paige Harden's new book, “The Genetic Lottery: Why DNA Matters for Social Equality” makes a forceful case for an egalitarian politics informed by DNA.  However, geneticist Joseph Graves critiqued the book … Read More Read More

Robert Plomin is a Professor of Behavioural Genetics at King's College London and author of Blueprint: How DNA Makes Us Who We Are. The conversation includes sections on the history of the field of behavioral genetics, and why we should not undersell what it tells us about why people turn out the way they do. Research involving twins, adoptees, and now looking directly at the genome, use a variety of methods to arrive at the same conclusion and all reveal that differences between individuals are rooted in our DNA, and the role of the home environment is very limited. Richard and Robert touch on parenting, what is happening in China and elsewhere across the world, consumer genomics, the existence of the p factor, and whether behavioral genetics can find more acceptance outside of the academic literature. They also discuss the potential political implications of the field.

Robert Plomin is MRC Research Professor in Behavioural Genetics at the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London. He is the author of the book Blueprint: How DNA Makes us Who We Are.In this episode we discuss the genetics behind personality, psychopathology and many of the other factors that make us who we are, as well as Robert's thoughts on the DNA revolution, how DNA testing will change everyone's lives.Interviewed by Dr. Alex Curmi - Give feedback here - podcast@maudsleylearning.com -  Follow us here: Twitter @maudsleypodcast Instagram @maudsleylearningpodcast

In this upcoming interview Alex talks to Robert Plomin about the the genetic influences of psychological traits, the DNA revolution and much more. Robert Plomin is MRC Research Professor in Behavioural Genetics at the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London. He is the author of the book Blueprint: How DNA Makes us Who We Are 

Robert Plomin is one of the world's leading behavioural geneticists. He is currently MRC Research Professor in Behavioural Genetics at the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience at King's College London.

Robert Plomin is one of the world's leading behavioural geneticists. He is currently MRC Research Professor in Behavioural Genetics at the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience at King's College London. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today I’m honoured to be speaking with Robert Plomin - Professor of Behavioural Genetics at the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology, and Neuroscience at King's College London. Robert has previously held positions at the University of Colorado Boulder, and at Pennsylvania State University. He was elected a Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences and of the British Academy for his twin studies and his ground-breaking work in behavioural genetics. He is the author or co-author of many books, including G is for Genes: The Impact of Genetics on Education and Achievement (with Kathryn Asbury), and most recently, Blueprint: How DNA Makes Us Who We Are.I’ve spent the past three weeks wrapping my head around Blueprint, and I must admit, I’ve become a little obsessed. So much has changed since I last read up on behavioural genetics. The DNA revolution is now upon us, and if you thought the technological revolution shook up the world, you ain’t seen nothing yet!Today, Robert and I discuss the following:· How Robert came to study behavioural genetics· The history of behavioural genetics· Why Robert waited 30 years to write Blueprint· The concept of heritability – a mysterious 6-syllable word that is perhaps the most confused word in psychology· The mind-bending finding that heritability actually increases with age - in spite of our best efforts - we're become more and more like our parents with each passing day.

Vincent Debierre interview Robert Plomin, Professor at King's College London.

The president of the Ontario Medical Association, Dr. Samantha Hill discusses the shift to telemedicine driven by the pandemic and how it has proven to be surprisingly efficient and reliable; Even thought the CERB will end soon, most of the recipients will be eligible for continuing assistance. Shannon Lee Simmons, a certified financial planner, author and founder of the New School of Finance, explains; Getting kids to school on the bus continues to be a problem for some communities. We hear from Cobourg mother, Renee Mercier-Mintz and Joel Sloggett, the Chief Administrative Officer of the Student Transportation Services of Central Ontario; We meet the new interim host of Ontario Morning, Julianne Hazlewood; Why do wasps become such a problem this time of year? Graham Thompson, a professor of Behavioural Genetics and Sociobiology at Western University, explains.

Does DNA affect who we become? If you have siblings or children you can probably tell that we as humans are both similar and dissimilar. In todays episode Robert Plomin tell us about how DNA affects who we become and stress the importance of both DNA and the environment. We also discuss the importance of DNA for preventing health problems and for having better lives. Robert Plomin is a Professor in Behavioural Genetics at the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London. He has published more than 800 papers and is the author of the best-selling textbook in the field as well as a dozen other books. His most recent book is Blueprint: How DNA Makes Us Who We Are  For more episodes, tips and inspiration follow me at @healthpsychologyandhumannature on Instagram and FB. Please enjoy and have a great day. 

------------------Support the channel------------ Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/thedissenter PayPal: paypal.me/thedissenter ------------------Follow me on--------------------- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thedissenteryt/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheDissenterYT Dr. Robert Plomin is Professor of Behavioural Genetics at the Social Genetic & Developmental Psychiatry Center at King's College London, and Research Professor at the Medical Research Council (MRC). He's one of the leading figures in the entire field of Behavioral Genetics. A Review of General Psychology survey, published in 2002, ranked Dr. Plomin as the 71st most cited psychologist of the 20th century. And he's also the author of many books, including Behavioral Genetics: A Primer (1989), Separate Lives: Why Siblings Are So Different (1992), Nature And Nurture: An Introduction To Human Behavioral Genetics (2004), Nature and Nurture During Infancy and Early Childhood (2006), G Is for Genes (2013), and, the most recent one, Blueprint: How DNA Makes Us Who We Are (2018). In this episode, we start off by talking about the history and development of the field of Behavioral Genetics. We also address the issue of environmentalism in Psychology and the behavioral sciences. We also go through some of the basic concepts in Behavioral Genetics, like heritability, gene-environment correlations, and twin and adoptee studies. We also tackle the problems with environmental factors in human behavior. We also deal with GWAS (Genome-Wide Association Studies), polygenic scores and the type of information we can obtain from them and what we can do with it. We also talk about how clinical psychology and psychiatry should revise the way they classify mental conditions, moving from a qualitative to a quantitative approach, and some of the current limitations in these fields. Toward the end, we also briefly discuss the potential of gene editing technologies. Time Links: 01:07 The history of Behavioral Genetics 09:13 Environmentalism in the history of Psychology 14:22 Normative vs individual differences 19:32 Twin studies 26:12 The effects of the environment are mediated by genetics; gene-environment correlations 33:17 Uncontrolled accidents and unique life events 40:02 Actively seeking environments 42:47 All behavioral traits are heritable 50:00 Genome-wide association studies and identifying genes 1:00:29 Making good use of polygenic scores, and issues regarding society and equality of opportunity 1:17:28 Science does not dictate moral nor social values 1:22:14 About clinical psychology, and the classification of mental conditions 1:37:50 Certain biases in clinical psychology, and what happens when children develop in deprived environments 1:44:43 Is gene editing around the corner for complex psychological traits? 1:48:30 How pleiotropy complicates gene editing 1:50:44 Follow Dr. Plomin's work! -- Follow Dr. Plomin's work: Faculty page: https://tinyurl.com/y8awombm Reviews of Blueprint: https://tinyurl.com/yadhys6m Blueprint: How DNA Makes Us Who We Are: https://tinyurl.com/y8tva7ok Other books: https://tinyurl.com/y92gb3rt Twitter handle: @RobertPlomin -- A HUGE THANK YOU TO MY PATRONS: KARIN LIETZCKE, ANN BLANCHETTE, JUNOS, SCIMED, PER HELGE HAAKSTD LARSEN, LAU GUERREIRO, RUI BELEZA, MIG

The multibillion-pound parenting industry tells us we can all shape our children to be joyful, resilient and successful. But what if it’s all bunk? Intelligence Squared are bringing together a panel of top geneticists and parenting experts to explore just how important parenting is.Arguing in favour of the motion are Robert Plomin, Psychologist and Professor of Behavioural Genetics at the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience at King’s College London; and Stuart Ritchie, Lecturer in the Social Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre at King’s College London.Arguing against the motion were Susan Pawlby, a developmental Clinical Psychologist with over 30 years of experience working with mothers and babies both in clinical and research contexts; and Ann Pleshette Murphy, a therapist, parenting counsellor and advocate for young children and their families.The debate was chaired by Xand van Tulleken, a medical doctor and broadcaster who has presented numerous shows for the BBC and Channel 4, often alongside his identical twin brother Chris. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

It is an age old debate that engages scientists and philosophers; which is the more powerful influence on who we are, nature or nurture? In recent years, genetic science has done much to reframe the debate by highlighting the connections between our individual DNA and our traits and behaviours. At the forefront of this research is Robert Plomin, a professor of behavioural genetics at Kings College London. To what extent are our genes our destiny?

It is an age old debate that engages scientists and philosophers; which is the more powerful influence on who we are, nature or nurture? In recent years, genetic science has done much to reframe the debate by highlighting the connections between our individual DNA and our traits and behaviours. At the forefront of this research is Robert Plomin, a professor of behavioural genetics at Kings College London. To what extent are our genes our destiny?

Today it’s a great honor to have Dr. Robert Plomin on the podcast. Dr. Plomin is Professor of Behavioural Genetics at the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology, and Neuroscience at King's College London. He previously held positions at the University of Colorado Boulder and Pennsylvania State University. He was elected a Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences and of the British Academy for his twin studies and his groundbreaking work in behavioral genetics. He is the author or coauthor of many books, including G is for Genes: The Impact of Genetics on Education and Achievement (with Kathryn Asbury), and most recently, BluePrint: How DNA Makes Us Who We Are. In this wide-ranging conversation, we discuss the following topics: How Robert became interested in genetics The importance of going “with the grain” of your nature Robert’s twin studies methodology How genotypes become phenotypes How kids select their environments in ways that correlate with their genetic inclinations The genetic influence on television viewing How virtually everything is moderately heritable The effects of extreme trauma on the brain The developmental trajectory of heritability How the abnormal is normal How we could use polygenic information to inform educational interventions The potential for misuse of genetic information to select children for particular educational tracks Recent research on shared environmental influences on educational achievement The “nature of nurture” The variability of heritability across different cultures and levels of SES The role of education on intelligence How teachers can and cannot make a difference The genetics of social class mobility Free will and how we can change our destiny Further Reading Fifty years of twin studies: A meta-analysis of the heritability of human traits The nature of nurture: effects of parental genotypes Variation in the heritability of educational attainment: An international meta-analysis Genetic analysis of social-class mobility in five longitudinal studies Large cross-national differences in gene x socioeconomic status interaction on intelligence How much does education improve intelligence? A meta-analysis Are cognitive gand academic gone and the same g? A systematic review of personality trait change through intervention How scientists are learning to predict your future with your genes Using nature to understand nurture What makes us who we are?  Can 'genius' be detected in infancy? A brief history of everyone who ever lived The gardner and the carpenter: What the new science of child development tells us about the relationship between parents and children The effects of childhood maltreatment on brain structure, function and connectivity

The link between genetics and a child's academic performance hit the headlines this week when Education Secretary, Michael Gove's outgoing special advisor, Dominic Cummings, called for education policy to incorporate the science behind genes and cognitive development. Mr Cummings cited the Professor of Behavioural Genetics, Robert Plomin, as a major source, and Professor Plomin tells Dr Adam Rutherford what he thinks about the way his research has been interpreted. Steve Jones, Emeritus Professor of Genetics from University College London says why he believes genetics and education is such a controversial subject.Fifty years ago, researchers tried, and failed, to teach chimpanzees English. They concluded that chimp noises were merely basic expressions of fear or pleasure. Dr Katie Slocombe from York University has shown that chimp language is far more tactical, machiavellian even, than that.The inventor of Golden Rice, the genetically modified crop, tells Adam Rutherford that he agrees with Environment Secretary, Owen Paterson, that those who attack GM crops are "wicked". Professor Ingo Potrykus from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich developed Golden Rice enriched with Vitamin A in 1999 and believes that opposition to GM foods has prevented the crop being grown and widely planted. But, nearly 80 years old, Professor Potrykus tells Inside Science that he still believes Golden Rice will be grown and eaten throughout the world during his lifetime. Rhys Phillips makes lightning at a Cardiff laboratory for this week's Show Us Your Instrument. It's used to test aeroplane parts. Less metal in an aircraft makes it lighter but too little and the lightning may damage the plane. The safest way to test is to make your own lightning, at ground level.Producer: Fiona Hill.

Charalambos ("Bambos") Kyriacou is Professor of Behavioural Genetics at the University of Leicester, UK. His research for a number of years has principally focused on circadian rhythms (biorhythms) in a variety of organisms, but especially the fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster. His research group also study aggression and mating behaviour. He also collaborates with Dr Flaviano Giorgini in the Genetics Department in research using fly models to study Huntington's Disease. This is the full interview in which Prof Kyriacou introduces us to the value of Drosophila as a model organism and explains about the importance of biorhythms, including their relevance to human health.

Charalambos ("Bambos") Kyriacou is Professor of Behavioural Genetics at the University of Leicester, UK. His research for a number of years has principally focused on circadian rhythms (biorhythms) in a variety of organisms, but especially the fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster. His research group also study aggression and mating behaviour. He also collaborates with Dr Flaviano Giorgini in the Genetics Department in research using fly models to study Huntington's Disease. This is the full interview in which Prof Kyriacou introduces us to the value of Drosophila as a model organism and explains about the importance of biorhythms, including their relevance to human health.

Charalambos ("Bambos") Kyriacou is Professor of Behavioural Genetics at the University of Leicester, UK. His research for a number of years has principally focussed on circadian rhythms (biorhythms) in a variety of organisms, but especially the fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster. His research group also study aggression and mating behaviour. He also collaborates with Dr Flaviano Giorgini in the Genetics Department in research using fly models to study Huntington's Disease. In this short film, Prof Kyriacou introduces us to the value of Drosophila as a model organism and explains about the importance of biorhythms, including their relevance to human health.

Charalambos ("Bambos") Kyriacou is Professor of Behavioural Genetics at the University of Leicester, UK. His research for a number of years has principally focused on circadian rhythms (biorhythms) in a variety of organisms, but especially the fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster. His research group also study aggression and mating behaviour. He also collaborates with Dr Flaviano Giorgini in the Genetics Department in research using fly models to study Huntington's Disease. In this short film, Prof Kyriacou introduces us to the value of Drosophila as a model organism and explains about the importance of biorhythms, including their relevance to human health.

Professor Robert Plomin is MRC Research Professor in Behavioural Genetics at the Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London, where he is Deputy Director of the Social Genetic and Develoopment Psychiatry Centre.Professor Plomin is currently conducting a study of all twins born in...