Alternative paths for genetics, then and now: Q&A with Gregory Radick about Disputed Inheritance

Despite the complexity of biological inheritance, most students are introduced to genetics using simplistic concepts that can be traced back to the mid-19th century work of Gregor Mendel and its subsequent ‘rediscovery’ in 1900. But what if history had played out differently? How would the practice and teaching of genetics look today? What would have been the implications for society more broadly? The possibility of alternative paths for genetics, past and present, is a theme explored in detail in Disputed Inheritance: The Battle over Mendel and the Future of Biology [1.], by Gregory Radick, professor of history and philosophy of science at the University of Leeds. In this Q&A, he answers questions from the editor of Trends in Genetics, Maria Smit.