How Similar Identical Twins Are for Some Life Outcomes

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Mice are genetically similar animals who are raised in exactly equal rearing conditions. And what they see is how randomness turns into personality, that there'sRandom differences in which mice go which ware, you know, which place and how much the first day. But that influences their social arrangements for the next day, which influences our social arrangements forThe next day,. until you have the emergence of these stable patterns of activity and social dominance between the mice.

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.