Swimming in the Educational Gene Pool? How Far Can Children Go With the Genes They Have?
It seems so sci-fi! First there were educational toys, then educational apps and now educational genes. A recent paper published in the journal Developmental Psychology finds that there are three genes associated with academic achievement. Florida State University, Professor Kevin Beaver headed the team reporting that certain forms (alleles) of the genes DAT1, DRD2, and DRD4 predicted the level of education individuals would reach. Imagine genes in a Petri dish telling whether you were going to get your high school diploma or graduate from Harvard Law (OK, not quite that level of precision). So does this mean you should run out and have your children's genomes sequenced, which by the way is getting cheaper and cheaper? Will submitting your genome be a requirement in the preschool and college admission's process? NO! As even these researchers remind us, genes are not destiny. Just because something has a genetic basis doesn't mean it will come to pass.
Take health for example. Many of us carry genetic potential for heart disease or cancer. It was in our family tree. But we don't just throw in the towel and wait for the disease to strike. Instead, we alter the environment in ways that reduces risk by exercising and avoiding that buttery popcorn at the movie theaters that tastes so so good.
News > Swimming in the Educational Gene Pool? How Far Can Children Go With the Genes They Have?