Grasses

نویسندگان

  • John Raven
  • Howard Thomas
چکیده

over one’s genes? Perhaps it is because this notion resonates with a public that in the eighties and nineties the same press have bullied into believing that there is ‘a gene for everything’. In that sense, the debate is remarkably similar to the one on whether we humans (or animals in general) have such a thing as a free — or conscious — will. Much like with the idea of the vulgarised genetic determinism, the scientific data that, at the very least, question the case for a clear free and conscious will are viewed as handcuffing the basic human freedom, the very essence of being human. But, while free will is being mainly defended on philosophical and psychological grounds, epigenetics seems to offer solid scientific proof — DNA modification as a kind of liberation. Structurally, then, this is the same reason why Lysenko’s ideas thrived in a Marxist system. Apart from that, the reason for why epigenetics is so intensely and tendentiously covered in the press may simply be a journalistic one. Science journalism, where it still exists, is part of the news industry, and thus needs to be newsy; ironically, that the environment can influence the phenotype and the genes is terribly old news, no news at all, really. So, at the very least, such a story will need a human-interest factor. This is easy for fossil ancestors or cute chimpanzees, but not so easy for molecular genetics. Therefore, a larger frame has to be invoked, far-fetched as it may be. Building around the story is a legitimate literary technique to some extent, but becomes dangerous when the frame interferes with the presentation and interpretation of empirical data. In effect, it’s not far from what Lysenko did, and makes the whole purpose of science journalism questionable. It won’t cost lives as Lysenko’s mad ideas — after all, it’s only molecular biology — but the public have a right to be informed correctly. First, because they pay for the research. Second, because at the very least they need to know that science, and genetics in particular, cannot give them simple answers about who they are and how they should live, and neither can epigenetics. They’ll have to work that out for themselves and let Lysenko lie.

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عنوان ژورنال:
  • Current Biology

دوره 20  شماره 

صفحات  -

تاریخ انتشار 2010