New genes and special traits

[sfmatheson]

@aleo

Deep inside me, I believe that in some ways we are created in God’s Image–that we are truly a different form of life that can have unique value. I know it is foolish to think that this can be supported scientifically, but it can’t help motivate the research in that direction.

I think your instincts are great! Thanks for humoring me as I pontificated about neuroscience. I think that might last me about a week.

[beaglelady]

Some years ago I watched this amazing video from the Royal Society: A Molecular Window into Speech and Language, a lecture by Dr. Simon E. Fisher of The Wellcome Trust Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford. Lots of good information on genetics in general and the FOXP2 gene in particular. It even has audio clips of some of the kids from the KE family, some of whom have a defective copy of the FOXP2 gene. This famous family has been studied for over 20 years, providing a wealth of information for geneticists.

We don’t readily appreciate what is involved in speech and language; after all, we all know silly people who babble away incessantly. But the underlying genetics are important for the amazing coordination required to speak.