Keynote Lecture Dr. Adam Rutherford

In the context of the Musicality Genomics Consortium Conference, scientist, writer and broadcaster, Dr. Adam Rutherford will give a Keynote Lecture on 8 September:

Eugenics, and the Misuse of Mendel

The emergence and translation of Mendel’s discoveries about genetics into English coincided with the rise of eugenics, and provided its most devoted apostles with a biological mechanism to justify their bigotry. An ideological commitment to mendelian pedigrees formed the pseudoscientific basis for mass sterilisation and genocide. We now have a much more sophisticated understanding of human genetics, but this eugenic spectre limps on in our culture and teaching, reinforcing a view of biology that is simplistic, deterministic and wrong. It is incumbent upon us to serve future geneticists and the public understanding of genetics an education which does not unwittingly reinforce outdated and pernicious ideas from our history. 

All welcome!

Link to live stream: www.mpi.nl/livestream-auditorium