The Potential of Heredity

I interview Carl Zimmer, an award-winning, celebrated New York Times columnist and science writer. In this episode, Carl presents a profoundly original perspective on what we pass along from generation to generation. Carl suggests that although Charles Darwin played a crucial part in turning heredity into a scientific question, he failed spectacularly to answer it. The birth of genetics in the early 1900s seemed to do precisely that. A fascinating conversation.

Guest Bio

Carl Zimmer is the author of thirteen books about science. His newest book is She Has Her Mother’s Laugh: The Power, Perversions, and Potential of Heredity. His column Matter appears each week in the New York Times.

Zimmer’s writing has earned a number of awards, including the 2016 Stephen Jay Gould Prize, awarded by the Society for the Study of Evolution to recognize individuals whose sustained efforts have advanced public understanding of evolutionary science.

A professor adjunct at Yale University, Zimmer is a familiar voice on programs such as Radiolab. He lives in Connecticut with his wife Grace and their children, Charlotte and Veronica. He is, to his knowledge, the only writer after whom a species of tapeworm has been named.

Topics of discussion 

• The history of heredity.
• What we inherit from our parents and ancestors.
• Material vs. genetic heredity.
• The nature of genes and the environment and how they shape our lives.
• The power of heredity over our behaviour.
• Altering genes to control future intelligence.
• The science of gene manipulation for disease and disorders.

Quick round questions

Do you have any routines and rituals that you believe contribute to your success?

Writing every day.

What advice would you give your 20-year-old self?

Think about what makes a good story.

How would you define success? What does success look like to you? 

Reaching readers and hearing their feedback.

What is one tool, skill, resource, or technique that has helped improve your effectiveness and/or productivity? 

Use Scrivener. A writers tool.

If I would serve you your last meal what would you request?

A good steak.

What activity gives you the greatest sense of joy? 

Watching my kids grow up and become adults.

If you could pick one book to pass down to your children or future generations what book would it be? 

Moby Dick (Wordsworth Classics) by Herman Melville

She Has Her Mother’s Laugh: The Powers, Perversions, and Potential of Heredity by Carl Zimmer

Do we all have a Hidden Why, a purpose?

I think we can all find a purpose but it’s not one that’s embedded within.

What does living with passion and purpose mean?

Being able to try making a difference everyday despite the challenges we face in this world.

What do you believe is the underlying motivation behind everything you do? 

I don’t have one. As a writer my motivation is the search for the great story.

How to connect with Carl

Check out Carl’s work and website here. 

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