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A public history of science event exploring the legacy of Mendel's Laws in genetics and education

Overview

Celebrate 150 years since Mendel's lectures

You may remember learning about Mendel’s pea experiments in science classes growing up, using smooth and wrinkly peas to explain dominant and recessive traits.

We now know that it’s not quite so simple. Our knowledge and understanding of inheritance patterns has deepened extensively since Mendel’s time, but the models in schools rarely reflect this.

In this dynamic panel discussion, we explore the Mendelian picture of genetics that is taught to students and debate if it should be jettisoned for a more up-to-date picture of gene-environment interactions.

  • Free to attend, no registration required
  • Seats allocated on a first-come-first-served basis
  • Doors open at 6pm

Speakers

Professor Gregory Radick – President of the British Society for the History of Science and Professor of History and Philosophy of Science, University of Leeds

Dr Jenny Lewis – Director of the Centre for Studies in Science and Mathematics Education (CSSME), University of Leeds (Retired)

Professor Steve Jones FRS - Professor of Genetics, University College London 

Chaired by Professor Jonathan Ashmore FRS