This week's show is brought to you by brilliant.com, a web site that teaches you how to think and solve problems with fun, interactive lessons in stem science, technology, engineering and math. Michael talks about the importance of catherine page harden's book on the genetic lottery for social equality. We also talk about headstart programmes and other social programs as well as why they don't work. And then we wrap up talking about volition and moral culpability, a simple but important question.
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.