The Royal Institution
The ideas of genetics are revolutionary. Today, technology is galvanising disruptive change in our understanding and ability to intervene with nature itself. What can we change, and should we?
Professor Alison Woollard presents the 2015 Genetics Society JBS Haldane Lecture.
Watch the Q&A here: https://youtu.be/iPnkKf2FaTA
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It is an everyday observation that the offspring of elephants are elephants and the offspring of humans are humans. Our biology is, quite literally, written in our DNA, and the copying and transmission of this genetic information is the most extraordinary process on earth.
The ideas of genetics are revolutionary, from Mendel’s perfect 19th century description of the mechanism of heredity, through the molecular revolutions of the 20th century to the present day. Today, new technologies are galvanising disruptive change, not only in our understanding of biology, but in our ability to intervene in the very nature of life itself. What can we change? How? Why? And indeed, should we meddle at all?
“The bravest”, said Thucydides, “Are surely those who have the clearest vision of what is before them, glory and danger alike, and yet notwithstanding, go out to meet it”. See if you agree.
Find out more about the JBS Haldane Lectures on the Genetics Society website: http://www.genetics.org.uk/Prizes/JBSHaldaneLecture.aspx
Alison Woollard is an Associate Professor in the Department of Biochemistry at the University of Oxford where she is also a Fellow of Hertford College, Oxford. She gave the 2013 CHRISTMAS LECTURES, ‘Life Fantastic’
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Astonishing and brilliant. Wow. The history and explanation of genetics in an hour!!!
what a wonderful lecture!
That's nice. Now please find a way to prevent aging and dying. Get to it!
Not yet watched, but im suprised by the lack of anti evolution hatred here… (//youtube)
excellent lecture!
Super sweet.
A very well put together lecture.
Darwin's theory of evolution is just that, a theory. A theory that has no proof, only blind followers who will force everything into the Darwin paradigm.
So eloquent
Darwin was born on this day, ( 12-02-1809 ) 207 years ago.
Human effort to search for knowledge is breathtakingly beautiful way, and calls for a remarkable comparison, between two branches, mathematics and evolution, with origins deep into our past.
Socrates discovered how mathematics was the 'mind of God', and shared by all human, including Meno's illiterate slave, for which he was declared as the 'wisest man on earth' by the Oracle of Delphi, almost 2500 years ago, and proving God and man compliment each other, with deep significance we still ignore, and fail to recognize and appreciate.
On evolution the story is even more unbelievable.
We are familiar with Darwin and his father, as the beginning of evolution, yet Indian history pays undue importance (and little understood) to the similarity between man and monkey (hanuman), discovered, and recently dated to 11,000 years ago when in Sanatan religion Krishna preached how God Vishnu is the cause of the evolution of the world.
God without man or man without God is meaningless. They are related.
The universe is queerer than we suppose.
Thumbs up for a lady who is clearly as knowledgeable in her field as she is passionate about it – as opposed to another teeth-sucking lady (only to eager to delve into pseudo-science) who seemed WAY out of her depth talking to an actual audience.
So it all just evolved like that. Billions of different animals and organism just evolved. No hand of design. No Creator. No master plan. Look at the beauty of it all. How it all works together in harmony, in purpose. How can you bypass the question. WHO MADE IT ALL? Your theory of evolution without design, without a designer cannot sell. Because it is impossible. There is a Creator, A designer, A maker, A planner, THERE IS GOD. He is in all that you are discussing. All that you see and don't see. He is even in you. He hold's you together and make you live. Science all point to the fact that there is a force that holds all things together, that holds the atom together. How blind can you be? How fool can you be to think it all just evolved without a super intelligent being that made it all possible. That holds it all together. That planned it all. That designed it all. Open your eye and see. Seek Him and you will find Him. When you do, you will have true knowledge. You will understand. But with all your knowledge, right now you don't. But I do hope one day soon you will see, know and understand.
A truly excellent and fascinating lecture.
(R)evolution=Eugenics
I am deeply concerned about eugenics. But if we must have it we would be better off editing genomes than we would be killing people like the Nazis, though.
Watching vids like this at british science institutions like the royal society, i wonder why they havent they produced anything of note since the industrial revolution 300 years ago?
And judging by the comments, science seems to be more entertainment these days to birts than anything worth pursuing and achieving at.
Great lecture!
Alfred Russel Wallace still goes unmentioned in these types of talks. How disappointing.
On the shoulders of giants seems to be how the biggest discoveries continues to rocket science and technology and our species to either great heights of brilliance or the lowest depths of despair.
Beautiful survey! Too bad the theory of evolution is nowhere mentioned in the one true source of eternal knowledge: Dianetics, the book of Scientology. Praise Xenu