Genes and behavior: podcast explores nature versus nurture
6 reported
A podcast episode from The Guardian examines the role of genetics in shaping human behavior, including traits such as risk-taking, antisocial behavior, and violence. Host Ian Sample speaks with Kathryn Paige Harden, a behavioral geneticist and professor of psychology at the University of Texas at Austin. Harden studies how genetic factors influence behavior and discusses her book Original Sin, which explores how nature and nurture combine to affect the likelihood of committing crimes. The episode also asks whether the cause of a person’s actions matters for how society thinks about culpability.
What’s reported
The podcast is hosted by Ian Sample.
The guest is Kathryn Paige Harden, a behavioral geneticist and professor of psychology at the University of Texas at Austin.
Harden studies how genetic factors shape human behavior.
Her book is titled Original Sin.
The book explores how nature and nurture combine to influence the likelihood of committing crimes.
The episode questions whether the cause of actions matters for thinking about culpability.
Key figures
Ian Sample (podcast host)
Kathryn Paige Harden (behavioral geneticist, professor of psychology at the University of Texas at Austin)
Sources: The Guardian
