Current discoveries have placed genetic research in the limelight. Gone are the eras where cloning & designer babies were thought to be a science fictional fantasy. Now, genetic advances are front page news. However, rarely it is questioned whether people understand the barrages of information that is conveyed to them. Frequently, political correctness, miscommunication, ethical and social issues prevent people from seeing these ideas through open minds.
Former Harvard University president, Lawrence Summers, was scrutinised for questioning the underrepresentation of women in science and maths fields was due to innate differences between the sexes. Although this is a legitimate scientific question, many did not believe innate sex differences in science aptitude was a suitable hypothesis that should be voiced out aloud, let alone tested. Quite often the public view genetic causes in a fatalistic way. Many have erroneous conceptions of how genes influence behaviour, conceiving genes as merely just an ingredient in a recipe. However, they are anything but. Genes can influence the way people interact with, and thus shaped by, our environment. In the end, these simplified stories can misrepresent genetic explanations for behaviour.
Article Link
http://www.boston.com/news/globe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/2006/11/03/genetic_research_and_human_behavior/
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