Can Epigenetic Inheritance Be Real? episode artwork

EPISODE · Jun 23, 2026 · 5 MIN

Can Epigenetic Inheritance Be Real?

from Be Smart. · host Joe Hanson

Viewers like you help make PBS (Thank you 😃) . Support your local PBS Member Station here: https://to.pbs.org/PBSDSDonate Epigenetic inheritance is really weird, but is it real? Tweet this ⇒ http://bit.ly/OKTBSepi Share on FB ⇒ http://bit.ly/OKTBSepiFB ↓ More info and sources below ↓ Crash Course Physics with Dr. Shini Somara: https://www.youtube.com/user/crashcourse Want more on epigenetic inheritance? Start here: Univ. of Utah’s Learn Genetics: http://learn.genetics.utah.edu/content/epigenetics/inheritance/ Virginia Hughes - “Epigenetics: The Sins of the Father” http://www.nature.com/news/epigenetics-the-sins-of-the-father-1.14816 Dig deeper: Szyf, Moshe. "Nongenetic inheritance and transgenerational epigenetics."Trends in molecular medicine 21.2 (2015): 134-144. Sharma, Abhay. "Transgenerational epigenetic inheritance requires a much deeper analysis." Trends in molecular medicine 21.5 (2015): 269-270. Heard, Edith, and Robert A. Martienssen. "Transgenerational epigenetic inheritance: myths and mechanisms." Cell 157.1 (2014): 95-109. Rando, Oliver J. "Daddy issues: paternal effects on phenotype." Cell 151.4 (2012): 702-708. Jablonka, Eva, and Gal Raz. "Transgenerational epigenetic inheritance: prevalence, mechanisms, and implications for the study of heredity and evolution." The Quarterly review of biology 84.2 (2009): 131-176. Heijmans, Bastiaan T., et al. "Persistent epigenetic differences associated with prenatal exposure to famine in humans." Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 105.44 (2008): 17046-17049. Pembrey, Marcus, et al. "Human transgenerational responses to early-life experience: potential impact on development, health and biomedical research." Journal of medical genetics (2014): jmedgenet-2014. Have an idea for an episode or an amazing science question you want answered? Leave a comment or check us out at the links below! Like us on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/itsokaytobesmart Follow on Twitter: http://twitter.com/okaytobesmart http://twitter.com/jtotheizzoe Follow on Tumblr: http://www.itsokaytobesmart.com Follow on Instagram: http://instagram.com/jtotheizzoe Follow on Snapchat: YoDrJoe ----------------- It’s Okay To Be Smart is written and hosted by Joe Hanson, Ph.D. Follow me on Twitter: @jtotheizzoe Produced by PBS Digital Studios: http://www.youtube.com/user/pbsdigitalstudios Music via APM Stock images from Shutterstock http://www.shutterstock.com Stock footage from Videoblocks (unless otherwise noted) http://www.videoblocks.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Viewers like you help make PBS (Thank you 😃) . Support your local PBS Member Station here: https://to.pbs.org/PBSDSDonate Epigenetic inheritance is really weird, but is it real? Tweet this ⇒ http://bit.ly/OKTBSepi Share on FB ⇒ http://bit.ly/OKTBSepiFB ↓ More info and sources below ↓ Crash Course Physics with Dr. Shini Somara: https://www.youtube.com/user/crashcourse Want more on epigenetic inheritance? Start here: Univ. of Utah’s Learn Genetics: http://learn.genetics.utah.edu/content/epigenetics/inheritance/ Virginia Hughes - “Epigenetics: The Sins of the Father” http://www.nature.com/news/epigenetics-the-sins-of-the-father-1.14816 Dig deeper: Szyf, Moshe. "Nongenetic inheritance and transgenerational epigenetics."Trends in molecular medicine 21.2 (2015): 134-144. Sharma, Abhay. "Transgenerational epigenetic inheritance requires a much deeper analysis." Trends in molecular medicine 21.5 (2015): 269-270. Heard, Edith, and Robert A. Martienssen. "Transgenerational epigenetic inheritance: myths and mechanisms." Cell 157.1 (2014): 95-109. Rando, Oliver J. "Daddy issues: paternal effects on phenotype." Cell 151.4 (2012): 702-708. Jablonka, Eva, and Gal Raz. "Transgenerational epigenetic inheritance: prevalence, mechanisms, and implications for the study of heredity and evolution." The Quarterly review of biology 84.2 (2009): 131-176. Heijmans, Bastiaan T., et al. "Persistent epigenetic differences associated with prenatal exposure to famine in humans." Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 105.44 (2008): 17046-17049. Pembrey, Marcus, et al. "Human transgenerational responses to early-life experience: potential impact on development, health and biomedical research." Journal of medical genetics (2014): jmedgenet-2014. Have an idea for an episode or an amazing science question you want answered? Leave a comment or check us out at the links below! Like us on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/itsokaytobesmart Follow on Twitter: http://twitter.com/okaytobesmart http://twitter.com/jtotheizzoe Follow on Tumblr: http://www.itsokaytobesmart.com Follow on Instagram: http://instagram.com/jtotheizzoe Follow on Snapchat: YoDrJoe ----------------- It’s Okay To Be Smart is written and hosted by Joe Hanson, Ph.D. Follow me on Twitter: @jtotheizzoe Produced by PBS Digital Studios: http://www.youtube.com/user/pbsdigitalstudios Music via APM Stock images from Shutterstock http://www.shutterstock.com Stock footage from Videoblocks (unless otherwise noted) http://www.videoblocks.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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Can Epigenetic Inheritance Be Real?

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This episode is 5 minutes long.

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This episode was published on June 23, 2026.

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Viewers like you help make PBS (Thank you 😃) . Support your local PBS Member Station here: https://to.pbs.org/PBSDSDonate Epigenetic inheritance is really weird, but is it real? Tweet this ⇒ http://bit.ly/OKTBSepi Share on FB ⇒...

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