My Friend, Gregor Mendel
Holding a genetic anomaly in their hands
I brought in three rabbits to Metro School today. The plan is to discuss genetics and epigenetics with students in the Sustainability in Nature program. We discussed how we imagined Greg Mendel discovered how the pea flowers could pass on color instructions via some mysterious mechanism.
Oops! We Went Too Far Back In Time!
We were exploring epigenetic effects in nature and the way that part of DNA synthesis and gene expression occurs nearly instantaneously. Some theorist believe that its possible quantum entanglement and quantum tunneling are involved in the process. So, I deduced that we could slip out of the fourth dimension and into the fifth dimension — outside spacetime — where ALL points in time and space were accessible. I also did not have access to the internet, and I missed Gregor Mendel’s existence by 300 years. I have to eat crow and remind students we need to do our research and check all of our sources. Being wrong is OK, we are human. Staying wrong is unacceptable.
More Acquaintances Than Friends…
The fact that there is a photograph (Daguerrotype) of Gregor Mendel PROVES that he did NOT live in 1480 Bruges, but rather 1850 Brno, Austria. I hate being wrong. I hate staying wrong even more. So, The genetics and the possible relationship between Beth and Gregor Mendel was just fan fiction. But the science was sound!
Quantum Tunneling in DNA nucleation
And What About Beth The Laundress?
Left: Beth in the 15th Century. Right: Beth in the 19th Century.
The story of Beth the laundress had to be re-imagined as well. Beth was Gregor’s friend in the town who, in our fan-fiction, helped Gregor Mendel better understand the mechanism of genetic inheritance that was allowing pea flowers spread their color from red to white to pink. The students were told that Beth washed an expensive purple tunic with commoner white muslin and the muslin inherited the purple coloring. Not true, but is is great fan-fiction. It really did help the students see the relationship between intention, action, and impact and better understanding how genes are passed and expressed.
