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Simon E. Fisher Profile picture
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4 Dec, 5 tweets, 2 min read
Collecting together my earlier Twitter threads exploring popular misconceptions about genetics. A thread of threads, beginning with a brief guide to heritability:
Continuing a thread of threads on misconceptions about genetics, the case against "nature versus nurture":
Next on the thread of threads, the confusing power of soundbites. Or, why you share 98.8% of your genes with a chimpanzee, but only 50% with your human sibling:
Thread of DNA threads continues, with an explanation of why genomes are not blueprints:
Thread of threads on popular misconceptions about genetics. Would not be complete without "the gene for language":

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More from @ProfSimonFisher

Simon E. Fisher Profile picture
27 Nov
Striking images can make scientific ideas accessible to people from all walks of life. But some such pictures do more damage than good, seeding confusion & fueling widespread misconceptions of an essential topic. Two iconic images & (mis)understanding evolution — a thread...1/10
First, an instantly recognizable image that, in our collective consciousness, has become inextricably tied to the very concept of evolution itself. Tragically for one of the most famous scientific illustrations ever, it is fundamentally flawed, & a potent driver of fallacy. 2/10
Key background re origins of Exhibit A. The Road to Homo Sapiens (aka The March of Progress) was created by natural history artist Rudolph Zallinger for a 1965 Time-Life publication “Early Man”. The full version was a multipage annotated foldout including 15 aligned figures. 3/10
Read 10 tweets
Simon E. Fisher Profile picture
14 Aug
Links between genes & traits are complex & convoluted. But with the rise of genomic technologies perhaps it's no surprise that some people want to sell you lifestyle advice/products they claim are tailor-made for your DNA profile. Here's an example, h/t @AdamRutherford. 1/6 Image
Let's talk "DNA personalized skincare", summed up by this screenshot from a website promoting it. (See: newstjohns.com/dna-personaliz…) The article mentions costs of $90-$200 for an at-home test kit & that on-site testing with some companies could set you back as much as $1,000. ...2/6 Image
That piece alludes to a UK company GENEU. You can read about their DNA lab-on-a-chip approach to bespoke skincare here: trulyexperiences.com/blog/the-scien…
After a visit to GENEU, the author notes "now that I know the exact rate my skin is degenerating, I will be able to counter nature".3/6 Image
Read 6 tweets
Simon E. Fisher Profile picture
26 Jun
It was 20 years ago today that the US President & UK Prime Minister announced the completion of a rough draft of the human genome sequence. My family & friends didn't get why I (a geneticist myself) wasn't as excited for this landmark as they were. 1/4
nature.com/articles/d4158…
Thing is, the publicly funded sequencing effort had been buzzing along well for some time, pieces of data released to the community as they were collected. Most gigging geneticists were already using available human genome data in our work. There was no sudden transformation. 2/4
I am not downplaying the extraordinary achievements involved. But celebrating an arbitrary target (85% of the genome sequenced to a draft standard) felt more like political theatre than science. It might surprise you to hear that, even now, we still didn't fill all the gaps. 3/4
Read 4 tweets
Simon E. Fisher Profile picture
5 May
With UFO sightings again making the headlines in these unsettling times, what we need right now is a thread on aliens, genes & the origins of human language. Buckle up. 1/n
We discovered that rare mutations of FOXP2 cause a severe speech disorder. Over the years, I've spent much time stressing that FOXP2, while interesting, is not the mythical "gene for language". Weirdly, on occasion I've also had to explain why FOXP2 is not "proof of aliens". 2/n
One source of FOXP2-alien nonsense is a TV "documentary" series that aired on the History Channel. In the segment on FOXP2, a man named Giorgio Tsoukalos makes 5-6 statements about the gene, each of which is false. All packed into less than one minute's viewing. Let's dig in. 3/n
Read 13 tweets
Simon E. Fisher Profile picture
29 Dec 19
What's it like to be a geneticist? A thread, based on stock photos sampled from the internet.
We begin with an image of a state-of-the-art genetics lab in action. Notice all the flasks & tubing filled with blue liquid, & the smart matching attire of these everyday researchers.1/n
Expertise and precision in examining different coloured liquids is an essential skill in the day-to-day life of a geneticist. 2/n
After looking quizzically at the coloured liquid in the flask, this geneticist is recording the observations on a note pad, for later publication in a top scientific journal, such as Nature or Science. 3/n
Read 11 tweets
Simon E. Fisher Profile picture
15 Jul 18
Your genome is not a blueprint. A thread about misleading metaphors in science communication... 1/11
DNA is often referred to as a "blueprint for life". A blueprint is an architect plan, technical drawing or engineering design. Like a blueprint, DNA contains information to guide construction, in this case of a living organism. Beyond that, the analogy rapidly breaks down...2/11
...For blueprints, there's direct 1-to-1 mapping between each element of a design/drawing & its counterpart in the final constructed product. "DNA as a blueprint" implies that individual genes show 1-to-1 mapping with different parts of a body and/or its functions. Not so...3/11
Read 11 tweets

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