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Unlocking the Hidden History of DNA

Season 1
These 12 half-hour episodes by science writer and podcaster Sam Kean cover the fundamental properties of DNA, the techniques that have unraveled its mysteries, the exciting revelations that have come to light, and the stories of the all-too-human scientists involved.
202012 episodesTV-PG
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Episodes

  1. S1 E1 - Genes versus DNA
    August 13, 2020
    33min
    TV-PG
    Your investigation begins with the independent discoveries of genes and of DNA in the mid-1800s. Follow both trails into the 20th century, as chromosomes are discovered and the realization finally begins to dawn that genes and DNA may be related. #Science & Mathematics
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  2. S1 E2 - The Quest for DNA's Structure
    August 13, 2020
    30min
    TV-PG
    Join the quest to understand the molecular biology of the gene with the famous blender experiment, which showed that DNA, not proteins, transmit genetic information. Then look at five scientists who competed to solve the mystery of DNA's structure, including Rosalind Franklin and a team of rookie investigators who stumbled embarrassingly in their first attempt.
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  3. S1 E3 - The Double Helix Revealed
    August 13, 2020
    31min
    TV-PG
    Enter the home stretch in the race to find the structure of DNA. With eminent chemist Linus Pauling leading the pack, longshots James Watson and Francis Crick got a key clue from rival investigator Rosalind Franklin (without her knowledge). Analyze the reasoning that led Watson and Crick to their 1953 breakthrough, and consider why Franklin didn't beat them to it.
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  4. S1 E4 - From Genetic Codes to DNA Fingerprints
    August 13, 2020
    33min
    TV-PG
    Because DNA is only a blueprint, the discovery of its double helix structure was just the beginning. Trace the next big step: understanding how DNA synthesizes proteins through the intermediary of RNA. Here again, a dark horse researcher (Marshall Nirenberg) made the crucial breakthrough. Then see how DNA fingerprinting became possible in the 1980s.
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  5. S1 E5 - The War over the Human Genome
    August 13, 2020
    31min
    TV-PG
    Cover the "Manhattan Project" of DNA: the Human Genome Project to sequence all three billion base pairs of human genetic material. Two separate teams, led by Francis Collins and Craig Venter, competed bitterly to reach this costly goal, which required new technologies and controversial methods. Examine the politics and unexpected legacy of this effort, which was declared complete in 2003.
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  6. S1 E6 - How DNA Controls Itself and Shapes Our Culture
    August 13, 2020
    33min
    TV-PG
    The decoding of the human genome paved the way for Project ENCODE, designed to identify functional elements in the genome. Focus on examples that are central to human culture, such as language. Probe the foxp2 gene that appears to play a role in speech, together with other genes. Consider the role of mutations and nature's gene splicing in boosting our brain and cognitive abilities.
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  7. S1 E7 - Microbes Manipulate Us, Viruses Are Us
    August 13, 2020
    33min
    TV-PG
    Investigate the curious career of microbes in our bodies, not just the ones that make us sick, but more crucially, those that get incorporated into our DNA, driving evolution in unpredictable ways. For instance, the placenta that makes most mammals distinct from egg-laying animals appears to be an adaptation derived from an invasive virus. Learn why 8% of our genome is viral in origin.
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  8. S1 E8 - How Epigenetics Turns Genes On and Off
    August 13, 2020
    33min
    TV-PG
    Every cell in the human body has essentially the same DNA, yet cells behave very differently, partly due to epigenetics. In epigenetics, the DNA genetic sequence remains constant, but the activity of that sequence changes as genes get switched on and off. More surprising, epigenetics also explains how the inheritance of traits can be influenced by environmental factors.
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  9. S1 E9 - Apes, Humans, and Neanderthals
    August 13, 2020
    32min
    TV-PG
    In the wake of the Human Genome Project, scientists were able to chart our shared heritage with a multitude of species. Most startling was evidence of breeding between modern humans and Neanderthals in the deep past, with a small percentage of Neanderthal DNA present in major human populations today. Peer into the human genome to read these and other clues about our multifaceted history.
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  10. S1 E10 - How DNA Reveals History
    August 13, 2020
    33min
    TV-PG
    Where did humans originate? When did we first start wearing clothes? How did the agricultural revolution spread? Delve into historical questions that DNA has answered, involving figures such as King Tut, Genghis Khan, Thomas Jefferson, and King Richard III. Consider Abraham Lincoln to ask where we draw the line in reading genetic secrets from the past.
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  11. S1 E11 - CRISPR's Rise, Promise, and Peril
    August 13, 2020
    31min
    TV-PG
    Investigate the first precision technique for genetic engineering, CRISPR, heralded as holding the potential for science fiction-like manipulation of the human genome. Trace the history of CRISPR-based techniques from a coastal salt marsh, to the fight over patents. Consider the potential for abuse of this powerful tool.
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  12. S1 E12 - How DNA Redefines Medicine and Our Future
    August 13, 2020
    33min
    TV-PG
    Look at the genetic basis for certain diseases and how personalized genetic medicine might be customized to the hidden histories that each of us have written in our DNA. Discover what makes the challenges so daunting and focus in particular on the different mechanisms behind different cancers, and how genetics helps us disentangle the differences.
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Extras

Bonus

Unlocking the Hidden History of DNA
Unlocking the Hidden History of DNA
2minTV-PG
These 12 half-hour episodes by science writer and podcaster Sam Kean cover the fundamental properties of DNA, the techniques that have unraveled its mysteries, the exciting revelations that have come to light, and the stories of the all-too-human scientists involved.
These 12 half-hour episodes by science writer and podcaster Sam Kean cover the fundamental properties of DNA, the techniques that have unraveled its mysteries, the exciting revelations that have come to light, and the stories of the all-too-human scientists involved.
These 12 half-hour episodes by science writer and podcaster Sam Kean cover the fundamental properties of DNA, the techniques that have unraveled its mysteries, the exciting revelations that have come to light, and the stories of the all-too-human scientists involved.

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Subtitles
None available
Producers
The Great Courses
Cast
Sam Kean
Studio
The Great Courses
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