Watch Unlocking the Hidden History of DNA

2020
1 Season

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.

Unlocking the Hidden History of DNA is a series that is currently running and has 1 seasons (12 episodes). The series first aired on August 14, 2020.

Filter by Source

Rent or Buy Subscription

Prime Prime Video

Do you have The Disney Bundle?

What are you waiting for?

Nice! Browse The Disney Bundle with Yidio.

Seasons

12. How DNA Redefines Medicine and Our Future

August 14, 2020

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.

11. CRISPR

August 14, 2020

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.

10. How DNA Reveals History

August 14, 2020

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.

9. Apes, Humans, and Neanderthals

August 14, 2020

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.

8. How Epigenetics Turns Genes On and Off

August 14, 2020

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.

7. Microbes Manipulate Us, Viruses Are Us

August 14, 2020

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.

6. How DNA Controls Itself and Shapes Our Culture

August 14, 2020

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.

5. The War over the Human Genome

August 14, 2020

Cover the

4. From Genetic Codes to DNA Fingerprints

August 14, 2020

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.

3. The Double Helix Revealed

August 14, 2020

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

2. The Quest for DNA

August 14, 2020

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

1. Genes versus DNA

August 14, 2020

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.

Description

Where to Watch Unlocking the Hidden History of DNA

Unlocking the Hidden History of DNA is available for streaming on the The Great Courses website, both individual episodes and full seasons. You can also watch Unlocking the Hidden History of DNA on demand at Prime and Prime Video.