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Colbert on DNA

Great episode of the Colbert Report tonight - "DNA: Could It Happen To You?".

Mostly focused on familiar bits of genetics - the Innocence Project, National Geo's Genographic Project, which has collected DNA samples from more than 100,000 folks for geneological purposes. Introduced, though, by a nicely done spoof 1950s film on where DNA is from (from Jesus!).

This follows Colbert's recent interview with Craig Venter, aka DNA to Z, where a lot of the audience didn't really seem to get the import of what Venter was saying.

Thing is, Colbert is very good at spotting the zeitgeist and parodying it before others spot it in the first place - so the fact that he's twice made fun of DNA means that genetics is very much of the moment.

Thomas Goetz1 Comment