Dec 12, 2022
In recent years, scientists have shown that DNA makes us
different, in our personalities and in our health — and in ways
that matter for success in our current society. Reclaiming genetic
science from the legacy of eugenics, Kathryn Paige Harden offers a
bold new vision of society where everyone thrives, regardless of
how one fares in the genetic lottery.
Harden is Professor of Psychology at UT Austin, where she leads the
Developmental Behavior Genetics lab and co-directs the Texas Twin
Project. Using research from her book The Genetic Lottery, Harden
dismantles dangerous ideas about racial superiority and challenging
us to grapple with what equality means in a world where people are
born different. Weaving personal stories with scientific evidence,
Harden shows why our refusal to recognize the power of DNA
perpetuates the myth of meritocracy, and argues that we must
acknowledge the role of genetic luck if we are ever to create a
fair society.