Ingenious: The milkshake and the cyclops gene
The Documentary Podcast
BBC
4.3 • 2.7K Ratings
🗓️ 29 July 2020
⏱️ 28 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
The Milkshake Gene - (LCTL) - More than 90% of people in some parts of the world are unable to properly digest milk, cheese and other dairy products. Most other animals are also unable to drink milk once they leave babyhood behind. So why did some of us evolve the ability to tuck into cheese, butter and cream with a vengeance? The answer lies in the history of human evolution and the early days of farming. The Cyclops Gene - (SHH) Building a baby is a complicated business, with thousands of genes to be turned on or off at exactly the right time and in the right place. One of them is Sonic Hedgehog – named after the computer game character – which has its genetic fingers in all kinds of developmental processes. Sonic Hedgehog helps to decide how many bits you have, where they go, and whether you’re symmetrical, so it’s not surprising that any mistakes can have potentially devastating consequences.
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Hello and welcome to Ingenius on the BBC World Service, the program exploring the weird |
| 0:05.4 | and wonderful world of our genes. |
| 0:08.0 | I'm Dr Catani and I'll be delving into the stories and a bit of the science behind two of the most fascinating human genes. |
| 0:16.0 | I hope you're ready with a cherry on top because today we're getting all shook up. up. The milkshake gene. |
| 0:27.0 | My milkshake brings all the boys to the yard and their life is better than yours. It's impossible for me to imagine life without dairy foods. I like a decent flat white. I like a decent flat white. I love salted caramel ice cream and I'm a firm believer in the adage that cheese is |
| 0:46.3 | milks leap toward immortality. Gorgonzola, |
| 0:50.5 | parmesan, matzoretta, pepper cramer, Danish bimber, Czech sheep's milk. |
| 0:56.0 | Today, the global dairy industry pumps out more than 800 million tons of milk every year. |
| 1:02.0 | And while there are arguments to be made |
| 1:05.0 | against consuming milk products due to the impacts of modern industrial dairy farming, |
| 1:10.1 | it's an important source of nutrition for many. |
| 1:13.0 | But it turns out those of us who reach adulthood still being able to drink it |
| 1:19.0 | are, at least genetically speaking, the odd ones. |
| 1:22.0 | To find out why we need to go back 10,000. genetically speaking, the odd ones. |
| 1:22.7 | To find out why, we need to go back 10,000 years. |
| 1:26.0 | What are you doing, man? |
| 1:28.0 | These words are teeming with wildlife. |
| 1:30.0 | You're not going to catch anything just standing there. |
| 1:32.0 | Come on, let's get hunting. |
| 1:33.0 | Whoa! |
| 1:34.0 | No thanks. |
| 1:36.0 | I'm not a hunter. |
... |
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