Why DNA matters for social equality with Kathryn Paige Harden

Science & Cocktails is proud to present a unique episode with Kathryn Paige Harden, superstar psychologist and behavior geneticist, author of the book "The Genetic Lottery: Why DNA Matters for Social Equality". If you have never though deeply about whether DNA has anything to do with how much luck you have in life, this is your opportunity.
Did your DNA sequence really make a difference in your life? Are genes destiny? Are genes linked to social income? What about eugenics? How do we avoid harming people? How do we use genetics for good? What do we need to do to prepare for the future?
"The ultimate claim of The Genetic Lottery is an extraordinarily ambitious act of moral entrepreneurialism. Harden argues that an appreciation of the role of simple genetic luck—alongside all the other arbitrary lotteries of birth—will make us, as a society, more inclined to ensure that everyone has the opportunity to enjoy lives of dignity and comfort."— Gideon Lewis-Kraus, New Yorker
In recent years, scientists have shown that DNA makes us different, in our personalities and in our health—and in ways that matter for educational and economic success in our current society. Can our increasing understanding help us to make society a fairer place, or does focusing on genetics put us at risk of the dark temptations of eugenics and genetic determinism?
As part of her appearance for Science & Cocktails, Harden will present the lengthy research that acted as the basis for the book, work which has been featured, among other, in the New York Times, Washington Post, The Atlantic, and Huffington Post. Harden introduces us to the latest genetic science, dismantling dangerous ideas about racial superiority and challenging us to grapple with what equality really means in a world where people are born different. Weaving together personal stories with scientific evidence, Harden shows why our refusal to recognize the power of DNA perpetuates the myth of meritocracy, and argues that we must acknowledge the role of genetic luck if we are ever to create a fair society.

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