The LRB Podcast The Mendel Inheritance
Nov 6, 2024
Lorraine Daston, Director Emerita at the Max Planck Institute for the History of Science, dives into the legacy of Gregor Mendel and the debates surrounding genetic determinism. She contrasts Mendel’s work with the theories of Bateson and Weldon, illuminating how personal biases influenced scientific acceptance. The discussion highlights misconceptions in genetics, challenges to inherited traits, and the historical neglect of women's contributions. Daston urges a nuanced understanding of these ongoing scientific controversies and their cultural implications.
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Mendel's Pea Plant Experiments
- Gregor Mendel, a monk from a farming background, conducted pea plant hybridization experiments.
- He observed predictable ratios in traits like seed color and shape, leading to his main message of inheritance.
Mendel's Overlooked Work
- Mendel's work, though published, wasn't widely recognized until its 'rediscovery' around 1900.
- It was independent of Darwin's work despite being relevant to his theory of evolution.
Darwin and Pangenesis
- Darwin, though carrying out experiments, didn't know Mendel's work and had a different theory (pangenesis).
- Darwin's theory proposed that traits acquired during an organism's life could be passed to offspring.