Are we slaves to our genes? Denis Alexander vs Dr Simon Walker-Samuel hosted by Andy Kind

Unbelievable?

Premier Unbelievable?

Christianity, Religion & Spirituality

4.6 • 2.3K Ratings

🗓️ 20 June 2025

⏱️ 50 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Are we slaves to our genes, and is who we are already written in our DNA? In this live edition of Unbelievable?, recorded at Aylesbury High School, Andy Kind is joined by humanist physicist Dr. Simon Walker-Samuel and Christian biologist Dr. Denis Alexander for a lively and thought-provoking debate on genetics, free will, and what makes us… us. From CRISPR and epigenetics to moral responsibility, determinism, and the question of "the soul", this conversation dives deep into whether our genes define our destiny, or if there's more to the human story. Are we morally responsible if we’re biologically programmed? Can science detect a “soul”? What do twin studies reveal about nature vs nurture? And do your genes influence your beliefs? Are we just highly evolved biological machines? Or is there something that transcends our biology? SOCIAL LINKS Twitter: https://twitter.com/unbelievablefe Facebook: / https://facebook.com/premierunbelievable Instagram: / https://instagram.com/premierunbelievable Tik Tok: / https://tiktok.com/@premier.unbelievable 👉 Get bonus content, updates, fascinating articles, and early access to new episodes - absolutely free! Join now at www.premierunbelievable.com 🎉📢 • Subscribe to the Unbelievable? podcast: https://www.premier.plus/unbelievable • More shows, free eBook & newsletter: https://premierunbelievable.com • For live events: http://www.unbelievable.live • For online learning: https://www.premierunbelievable.com/training • Support us: https://www.premierunbelievable.com/geolink/donate

Transcript

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0:00.0	The Bible is God's big story. But where do you begin? Explore the Bible one step at a time with the Bible course new edition.
0:10.2	Taught by Andrew Ollerton, it's an eight-part course featuring Bible experts and personal stories.
0:16.3	With videos, guidebook and digital hub, it will help you feel more confident in understanding the Bible,
0:22.6	connecting with God's Word and applying it to your daily life.
0:26.8	Search the Bible Course New Edition now.
0:31.6	Hello and welcome to Unbelievable with me, your host, Andy Kind.
0:35.6	It's a road show. We're at Aylesbury High School here in Aylesbury. And I've been joined by two esteemed gentlemen guests. We have Dr. Simon Walker-Samuel. To my right and on my left, Dr. Dennis Alexander. And today we are debating the question of, are we slaves to our genes? I just want to establish some credentials, first of all. So,
0:57.0	Simon, could you, in the space of 20 seconds, give us a little backstory? Yeah, of course. So I'm
1:03.6	professor of biophysics at University College London. I run the Centre for Computational Medicine.
1:09.2	My background is in physics though,
1:11.1	but applied to medicine and biology now.
1:13.9	But I call myself a humanist.
1:15.6	So I did a lot of work for Humanists UK.
1:17.3	I'm a trustee there.
1:18.3	I do school speaking.
1:19.7	I sit on a sacri, which sets the R.E curriculum for Croydon.
1:23.6	So that's my quick in a nutshell background.
1:26.8	Fantastic. And Dennis, same for you. Yes, I'm a biochemist
1:30.8	by background and I started out in life doing a PhD at the Institute of Psychiatry. But I sense
1:37.2	the call of God go and help in science in the Middle East for 15 years. So I did that for 15 years and
1:42.8	then came back, ended up
1:44.6	at a research institute in Cambridge and I'm now retired.
	...

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