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Why Does Carl Zimmer Say People Got Taller?

Carl Zimmer tells Bill Nye and Corey Powell, on Science Rules in the episode Heredity & Me, that the gain in height since earlier centuries is not a genetic change. It comes from diet, clean water, and medicine. He makes that point and the show moves on to a caller asking whether personality is fixed at birth. Zimmer is the author of She Has Her Mother's Laugh.

Heredity & Me ·

Science Rules! with Bill Nye

More from this episode

  1. What Inspires Carl Zimmer to Write BooksHe likes to explore things we know a little about, but don’t think about. Carl Zimmer likes to write books about things that he can to investigate.
  2. What Inspired Carl Zimmer's Book on Heredity?When he was considering the topic of heredity, he thought about what’s normally talked about with heredity.
  3. How Do Genes Mess Up Some Things With HeredityIt’s because we tend to think that genes and things like laughter are the same, but they’re not.
  4. How Are Nature and Nurture ConnectedOverall, no one knows what these genes do or how they connect, but the heredity connection is evident. They all weave together and influence each other.
  5. Why Does Carl Zimmer Say Redheads Have Pale Skin?On Science Rules with Bill Nye, in Heredity & Me, Carl Zimmer explains that the variants that make hair lighter also make the pigment in the skin lighter…
  6. What Are EpigeneticsIn addition to inheriting genes, you inherit the molecules around the genes that control whether they’re turned on or off.
  7. Did I Inherit My Artistic Abilities From My ParentsUnfortunately, science cannot answer this for someone individually. Science can look at averages from lots of people.
  8. How Do We Know Height Plays a Part in HeredityAccording to Zimmer, scientists are still struggling with this curiosity.
  9. Do Personality Traits ChangeYes, there are lots of things in life that can influence a person’s personality.
  10. Why Do People Go on Family FeudAccording to Bill Nye, there’s a belief or presumption that there’s a connection between family members that they would share.
  11. What Happens When You Make a Carbon CopyWhen you make a carbon copy, the copy is actually imperfect.
  12. Does Carl Zimmer Say Handedness Is Inherited?Carl Zimmer tells Science Rules with Bill Nye that being left-handed or right-handed seems to be inherited, but that scientists cannot find the genes that…
  13. Is IQ InheritableIt is partly inheritable because it's about 50-70%.
  14. Can You See a Gene Under a MicroscopeNo, you can't.
  15. Is It a Good Idea to Buy Genetic Test KitsZimmer states that yes, it is good to buy the kits, but only if the person is willing to put in the work to understand the results.
  16. Is It True That Baldness Genes Come From Our Mother’s FatherThere are lots of genes that are involved in hair, so it doesn’t necessarily rely on that speculation anymore.
  17. Is It True That Twins Skip a GenerationNo, this is false.

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