In 1951, two years before the double-helical structure of DNA was discovered, Barbara McClintock gave a lecture on her newest research into maize genetics, which revealed something truly surprising—certain genes were able to jump from one region of the genome to another. These jumping genes appeared to have a pronounced effect on the regions where they landed, disrupting and inactivating nearby genes. In maize (i.e., corn), these effects were easily visualized as changes in the color pattern of kernels over generations. Despite compelling evidence, McClintock’s lecture was met with confusion and open hostility from the scientific community because it conflicted…
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Welcome back to Science You Can Bring Home To Mom! This month, in honor of pride month, we are discussing the science behind gender and biological sex. Just like many other attributes of the human brain, our common understanding of gender is rife with oversimplification and misunderstanding. But digging a little deeper can help us learn to empathize with others and understand ourselves better. As a human attribute, gender is inherently biopsychosocial—it’s influenced by biological, psychological, and social factors. And each of these paradigms is far more complex than it may seem on the surface. Next week, we’ll dissect some…
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