Piece originally aired on The Current. Epigenetics has profound implications for what it means to be human. Not only are genes not fate, it also seems as though their expression in life is shaped by the experience of our ancestors, who continue on inside us, their lived decisions echoing through the genome.
Features interviews with McGill University’s Moshe Szyf, and Tel Aviv University’s Eva Jablonka, who wrote a smart book called Evolution in Four Dimensions: Genetic, Epigenetic, Behavioral, and Symbolic Variation in the History of Life. Those interested in a more expansive view of human nature should check it out.