“Junk science props up totalitarian regimes. And totalitarian regimes produce junk science.”
Work
The Gene: An Intimate History is a book written by Siddhartha Mukherjee, an Indian-born American physician and oncologist. It was published on 17 May 2016 by Scribner. The book chronicles the history of the gene and genetic research, all the way from Aristotle to Crick, Watson and Franklin and then the 21st century scientists who mapped the human genome. The book discusses the power of genetics in determining people's well-being and traits. It delves into the personal genetic history of Siddhartha Mukherjee's family, including mental illness. However, it is also a cautionary message toward not letting genetic predispositions define a person or their fate, a mentality that the author says led to the rise of eugenics in history.
Quotes
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Siddhartha Mukherjee
Canonical work source
“Junk science props up totalitarian regimes. And totalitarian regimes produce junk science.”
“Illness might progressively vanish so might identity. Grief might be diminished, but so might tenderness. Traumas might be erased but so might history. Infirmities might disappear, but so mi...”
“Freaks become norms, and norms become extinct. Monster by monster, evolution advanced”