‘We Need to Talk About Mendel…’

So, from Roman skeletons in Garforth, it’s back to history of science. Open any GCSE biology textbook today & you’ll see 19th century abbot Gregor Mendel hailed as the founding father of genetics. But what was he really up to with those pea plants? And does it really matter anyway? Let my colleague Prof. Greg Radick author of the forthcoming book ‘Disputed Inheritance: The Battle Over Mendel and the Future of Biology’, convince you that it really does & why getting Mendel & his peas wrong with an oversimplified story can have major – and harmful social consequences…