The Problem Social Scientists Have Is You Got a Box to Tick?

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Social scientists have to have a box to tick. Which one? Are you married or divorced? Are youa first born, later born? Are you, how much do you make? Zero, 50, 51 to 100. Got o tick a box right, so that we can have some kind of correlation and run these progression analysis and all that stuff. Otherwise, what are you even talking about? But that's delimiting, is your point there? A, yes. One of my favourite studies that i've ever read is on the unpredictability of human life outcomes. And it's the study where they measured essentially everything they can think to measure on these children from birth until age 12.

In recent years, scientists have shown that DNA makes us different, in our personalities and in our health — and in ways that matter for educational and economic success in our current society.

Michael speaks with University of Texas (Austin) professor of clinical psychology and Director of the Developmental Behavior Genetics Lab, Kathryn Paige Harden, about her book, The Genetic Lottery. Harden introduces us to the latest genetic science, dismantling dangerous ideas about racial superiority and challenging us to grapple with what equality really means in a world where people are born different. Weaving together personal stories with scientific evidence, Harden shows why our refusal to recognize the power of DNA perpetuates the myth of meritocracy, and argues that we must acknowledge the role of genetic luck if we are ever to create a fair society.

Reclaiming genetic science from the legacy of eugenics, this groundbreaking book offers a bold new vision of society where everyone thrives, regardless of how one fares in the genetic lottery.