Kat Arney sits down with historian Professor Greg Radick to chat about the scientific relationship between the ‘grandfather of genetics,’ Gregor Mendel, and the ‘grandfather of evolution,’ Charles Darwin. We know that Mendel read Darwin’s books, but did Darwin read Mendel? And where would we be now if these two great men had been on Twitter?
Also in this episode, Dan Mead from the Wellcome Sanger Institute reveals an ambitious project that Darwin would have loved: aiming to read the DNA of all the species in the world. Plus, fascinating tales of fly genitals, bee balls and elusive bats.
- Greg Radick is Professor of History and Philosophy of Science at the University of Leeds, UK. He is the author of The Simian Tongue and Darwin in Ilkley, and has a particular interest in the history of genetics. Twitter: @HPSLeeds
- Dan Mead is in the Director’s Office at the Wellcome Sanger Institute in Cambridge, UK, and is co-ordinator of the institute’s 25 Genomes and Darwin Tree of Life projects. Twitter: @DanGRMead
Full transcript and show notes here.
Genetics Unzipped is presented by award-winning science communicator Kat Arney and produced by First Create the Media for the UK Genetics Society. Follow Kat on Twitter @Kat_Arney and Genetics Unzipped @geneticsunzip
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