Royal Institution Christmas Lectures
Alice Roberts, Aoife McLysaght: Who am I?
You share 99.4% of your genes with your neighbour, 98.7% with a chimp, and even 44% with a fruit fly – yet you are also entirely unique – there is nobody else quite like you. In this year’s CHRISTMAS LECTURES, Professor Alice Roberts, and genetics expert Aoife McLysaght, take us on a journey to answer this most fundamental question: Who Am I?
Where to Watch Royal Institution Christmas Lectures • Alice Roberts, Aoife McLysaght: Who am I?
3 Episodes
- What Makes Me Human?
E2What Makes Me Human?Professor Alice Roberts explores the story of human evolution, revealing how a humble African ape became a successful global species. With daring parkour athletes and life-size primate animatronics, Alice explores the greatest leaps in our evolution by conjuring fire and re-enacting how we spread across the globe. - What Makes Me, Me?
E3What Makes Me, Me?Are you genetically destined to despise brussels sprouts? We’re all human, but why are we all so different? With the help of a line-up of dogs and many sets of twins, Prof Alice Roberts explores what makes each of us totally unique. Alice is joined by geneticist Prof Aoife McLysaght to find out how much of this difference is down to our genes or our environment, revealing why we see colours differently and why some people can taste chemicals others can’t. They challenge just how far you can predict a person from their genome and discuss the big ethical questions of our generation, asking where we should draw the line with genetic testing and engineering. The series culminates with a musical grand finale from the Greatest Showman, to celebrate our incredible diversity across the globe.
