We find out why it’s so important to make sure that academic and commercial genomic research studies are done with rather than on participants.
All in Episodes
S3.07 An accidental invention: the story of genetic fingerprinting
We take a look at the story of genetic fingerprinting, and some of the very first ways that this game-changing technique was put to work.
S3.06 Can you have a 'perfect genome'? Myths and misconceptions in genomics
We’re taking a look at some of the common myths and misconceptions surrounding genomics and genetic tests. Are mutations always bad? If you’re more like your mum, does that mean you’ve inherited more of her genes? And is there such a thing as a perfect genome?
S3.05 - Poop, pus and the Manhattan Project: How we learned to spell the genetic alphabet
The genetic code of DNA is written in just four ‘letters’ - A (adenine), C (cytosine), T (thymine) and G (guanine). But where did those strange-sounding names come from?
S3.04 Race to the Bottom
We’re hunting for the ghosts in the human genome, recreating the story of the discovery of the double helix in Lego, and Adam Rutherford tells us how to argue with a racist.
S3.03 - Fish, facts and fiction, from Haeckel’s embryos to Tiktaalik
We’re discovering our inner fish: finding out whether we really do go through a fishy phase in the womb, and looking at the legacy of Tiktaalik, the first fish to walk on land.
S3.02 - Hidden family secrets revealed by genetic testing
It’s become cheaper and easier than ever to access genetic testing, and more and more people are having their genomes ‘done’. But what happens when an innocent genetic investigation reveals dark family secrets?
S3.01 - Investigating the icons of evolution, from Darwin's Finches to the March of Progress
We look at two iconic images of evolution - the March of Progress, portraying the journey from monkey to man, and the famous finches of the Galapagos islands - supposedly the inspiration for Charles Darwin’s theory.
S2.07 New Light on Old Britons - Professor Turi King
Professor Turi King reveals the secrets of the Y chromosome and how the remains of Richard III were identified in a Leicester car park.