Greetings Economists,
Epigenetics means over genes. More clearly meaning how the
environment might shape gene expression. People familiar with Soviet
era science will remember the Lysenko claims about environment
influence on inheritance. Quoting Wikipedio -
Lysenkoism, or Lysenko-Michurinism, may also denote the biological
inheritance principle which Lysenko subscribed to and which derive
from theories of the heritability of acquired characteristics, a body
of biological inheritance theory which departs from Mendelism and that
Lysenko named "Michurinism".
Doyle;
Epigenetics revives this debate. Lysenko was way in advance of the
technical confirmation of environmental affect (Epigenetics) on genes
that the Soviets claimed as their own doctrine. It's a good example
of how a disconnect between theory and practice can arise politically
and have dubious consequences. I would not rename Epigentics,
Lysenkoism, though in some sense his theory has merit as a precursor
demonstrating the pitfalls of the claim.
In the U.S. and Western Europe due to cold war pressures Lysenkoism or
environmental impact on inheritance was science anathema and a very
good example of the tyrannical aspects of big science. The political
linkages to anti-Lysenkoism made any discussion of the topic verboten
in public scientific discourse though various marginalized voices may
have kept the faith so to speak about environmental influences.
thanks,
Doyle Saylor
On May 13, 2009, at 7:19 AM, ravi wrote:
Adapting Minds is an important book (as I mentioned to Doug off-
list) also because it corrects some of the incomplete or incorrect
arguments offered by Gould against EP.
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