Robert Plomin is MRC Research Professor of Behavioral Genetics at King’s College London. He has published over 800 papers, is among the hundred most cited psychologists of the twentieth century, and was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire for his research, the best known of which is on twin studies and behavioral genetics. In this episode, Robinson and Robert discuss the distinction between molecular and quantitative genetics, how one researches the question of nature vs nurture, the extent to which genetics determines human behavior, the controversies about these lines of research, and what to expect in the next ten years of behavioral genetics. Robert’s most recent book is Blueprint: How DNA Makes Us Who We Are (MIT, 2018).
Blueprint: https://a.co/d/eqpK5dB
OUTLINE
00:00 In This Episode…
01:06 Introduction
03:22 An Interest in Behavioral Genetics
12:46 The Distinction Between Quantitative and Molecular Genetics
26:12 How Impactful is Genetics on Behavior?
33:25 Twins, Adoption, and Nature Versus Nurture
41:07 Some Remarkable Consequences of DNA Sequencing
50:43 Nazis, Intelligence, and the Controversy of Genetics Research
01:02:16 Is Intelligence Heritable?
01:15:51 The Generalist and Modular Models of Genes
01:21:50 Is Depression Genetically Determined?
01:31:22 What Is The Role of Nurture in Human Behavior?
01:39:08 What Behaviors and Traits are Heritable?
01:44:53 The Next Ten Years
01:52:47 Is Socioeconomic Status Heritable?
Robinson’s Website: http://robinsonerhardt.com
Robinson Erhardt researches symbolic logic and the foundations of mathematics at Stanford University. Join him in conversations with philosophers, scientists, weightlifters, artists, and everyone in-between.