Nurture vs Nature
4,598 views · Published 9 April 2014 · 1:21:23 · Indexed 31 October 2026
Channel: British Library · 2014 · Education
The 'nature versus nurture' debate between scientists, philosophers and social scientists seems to have existed for almost as long as the disciplines themselves. In recent years, however, the growing field of epigenetics has re-written our scientific understanding of how changes in the expression of the DNA in our cells can determine how we develop and function. Epigenetics has demonstrated how our genes respond dynamically to environmental factors such as nutrition, toxins and hormones to change the way our cells behave. Through epigenetics, we are gaining a clearer picture of how our social world gets under our skin to influence gene expression in ways that could have lasting effects for us and our descendants. Chaired by Professor Jane Elliot, Director of the Centre for Longitudinal Studies at the Institute of Education. With Professor George Davey Smith, Professor of Clinical Epidemiology at the University of Bristol and Professor Nikolas Rose, Professor of Sociology and Head of Department of Social Science, Health and Medicine at King's College, London. www.bl.uk/socialsciences
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