Can Genes Determine Complex Behavior?

Can Genes Determine Complex Behavior?

“You’re just like your father” or “the spitting image of your mother” — we often hear these phrases when people notice familiar gestures, habits, or the way we argue.

When it comes to height, blood type, or eye color, things seem clear. But when it comes to personality, we like to believe that we are the authors of ourselves — not simply copies of our parents.

But how free are we from heredity?

Can talent for mathematics, personality traits, or a tendency toward aggression be inherited?

Where does the influence of genes end in this biological blueprint — and where does our own identity begin?

On May 5 (Tuesday) at 19:30, biologist Simkha Borman will explain how the chemistry of DNA transforms into our emotions, and why searching for a “genius gene” is just as hopeless as searching for an “autism gene.”