Science Magazine Podcast

Tracing the genetic history of African Americans using ancient DNA, and ethical questions at a famously weird medical museum

Aug 3, 2023

36:03

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Episode notes

Introduction

4min

The Impacts of the Catocton Furnace Study on the History of the Black Workforce

2min

The 23andMe Project Brings Historical Genetics to the Present

2min

The Origins of the Catocton Individuals

2min

The Maryland Connection to the Catocton Individuals

2min

The History of the Catocton Furnace

2min

The Role of DNA in the African-American Community

2min

The Genetic Legacy of African Americans From Catoctin Furnace

3min

The History of the Mutter Museum

2min

10.

The Importance of Contextualization in Medical Records

2min

11.

The Importance of Respect for Human Remains

2min

12.

The Ethics of the Mirror Museum

1min

13.

The Ethics Review Process

2min

14.

The Museum's Guidelines on Disability Representation

1min

15.

The Museum's Audit of the Human Body

2min

16.

The Importance of Returning Native Americans to the Museum

2min

17.

The Importance of Accountability in Museums

3min

Bringing together ancient DNA from a burial site and a giant database of consumer ancestry DNA helps fill gaps in African American ancestry, and a reckoning for Philadelphia’s Mütter Museum

First up on this week’s show, ancient DNA researchers and ancestry giant 23andMe joined forces to uncover present day ties to a cemetery at the Catoctin Furnace ironworks in Maryland, where enslaved people were buried. Contributing producers and hosts of the Dope Labs podcast Titi Shodiya and Zakiya Whatley spoke with authors Éadaoin Harney and David Reich about the historical significance of this work and how it may help some African American communities recover parts of their lost genealogy. Our News team also covered the paper here.

Next we have a conversation with Staff Writer Rodrigo Pérez Ortega about Philadelphia’s famously creepy Mütter Museum. He talks to producer Kevin McLean about his recent story on the ethics of showcasing the various medical curiosities that the museum is known for.

This week’s episode was produced with help from Podigy.

About the Science Podcast

Authors: Sarah Crespi, Kevin McLean, Titi Shodiya, Zakiya Whatley, Rodrigo Pérez Ortega

Episode page: https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adk1038

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