Scheduled dates
Join Professor Sarah Churchwell in conversation with Dr Adam Rutherford, geneticist and bestselling author of How to Argue with a Racist and A Brief History of Everyone Who Ever Lived, as they discuss why science depends upon history. In September 1921, scientists and politicians gathered for an International Eugenics Conference, designed to "improve" the human race through the "science" of eugenics, ideas that led directly to the theories of racial hygiene developed by the Nazis. A century later, as we wrestle with the continuing impact of a global pandemic, Adam and Sarah will discuss DNA home kits, embryo selection, genealogy and ancestry websites, and how they intersect with theories of racial identity, in order to understand the role that history must play in understanding scientific innovations.
This free online event is open to all; come along to reflect on history and science and share your thoughts in the Q&A.