Genetics, Votes, and Colin Firth
Unsung Science
CBS News
4.9 • 1.1K Ratings
🗓️ 10 November 2023
⏱️ 41 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
The U.S. has fallen into polarized, partisan, political bickering. Online, liberals and conservatives seem to despise each other. But nobody seems to stop to ask: How did we get our liberal and conservative views in the first place? We formed our opinions by carefully weighing the issues and thoughtfully choosing a stance, right? Well, no; turns out over half of our political leanings are determined, incredibly, by our genes. In this episode: How we figured that out, and what it means for our future.
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Maybe you've noticed, this country has fallen into polarized, partisan political bickering. |
| 0:09.0 | But where did we get our rigid political views in the first place? Well obviously by carefully |
| 0:15.3 | studying the data on each issue and thoughtfully choosing our positions |
| 0:19.2 | accordingly, right? Not what? |
| 0:21.8 | Most of the studies seem to indicate that about 60% of the difference between you and me and anybody else in their political ideology comes from genetic or heritable factors. |
| 0:35.0 | That's right, you're a liberal or a conservative in the same way you're a redhead or a brunette. |
| 0:40.0 | So wait, are all our debates, speeches, and channels of persuasion pointless? |
| 0:45.0 | Is it impossible ever to change anyone's mind? |
| 0:48.0 | I'm David Pogue, and this is Unsung Science. FBI agent Robert Hanson sold secrets to the Kremlin. |
| 1:03.0 | He violated everything that my FBI stood for. |
| 1:06.2 | Hanson was the most damaging spy in FBI history, |
| 1:08.9 | and his betrayal didn't end there. |
| 1:11.1 | Do I hate him? |
| 1:11.9 | No, I don't hate anyone, but his motive. I would love to know what his |
| 1:16.4 | true motive so I can get that out of me. How did he do it? Why? Follow Agent of Betrayal to |
| 1:22.2 | double life of Robert Hanson wherever you get your podcast. |
| 1:25.1 | You can listen ad free on the Amazon Music or Wonder App. |
| 1:28.9 | Season 2, episode 23, genetics, votes, and Colin Firth. |
| 1:35.0 | Every country around the world has political parties that are fundamentally either conservative or liberal. |
| 1:43.0 | In the U.S. we call them Republicans and Democrats. |
| 1:46.0 | Other countries call their parties different things, |
| 1:49.0 | but underlying all of it, they're essentially conservative or liberal. and just so we're clear on what |
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