Weblinks for Nature and nuture

The development of the human brain

A summary of some of the research that shows how early experiences affect brain development, from zero to three.

Videos of infant brain development are part of the excellent set of resources in The Secret Life of the Brain.

A summary of current understanding of how the adolescent brain develops, from the Society for neuroscience.

Genetics, the Human Genome project

Activities and information on basic genetics from GENIE at the University of Leicester

The Human Genome Project Information site has information on the science and some of the wider issues. http://www.ornl.gov/sci/techresources/Human_Genome/home.shtml

An explanation of SNPs from the Genetic science learning centre at the University of Utah

Individual differences and the relative contributions of nature and nurture

Explanation of genetic variation and disease and how the variations are detected in the laboratory using genome-wide association studies, from Nature scitable resources

A set of articles on different research into nature and nurture funded by the Wellcome Trust.

A survey of recent developments in genome-wide association studies and of the debates on how useful they will turn out to be on Scienceblogs.

Animations and information on epigenetics from the Genetic science learning centre at the University of Utah

Information on behavioural genetics with links to research publications. http://www.ornl.gov/sci/techresources/Human_Genome/elsi/behavior.shtml

Social implications of different views of nature nurture

Big picture from Wellcome on thinking, including a court case on responsibility for murder

The Nuffield Council on Bioethics published a report entitled Genetics and Human Behaviour: the ethical context in 2002. The report discusses many issues relevant to this topic, including legal responsibility and some of the limitations of current knowledge.

Gene Watch is a quarterly magazine that critically analyses current issues in genetics, including genetic determinism.

The role of the media

An article describing research that shows how the single word gene is used in media stories to convey five different concepts. Oslo scientists have found the media gene.

General resources

Neuroscience - Science Of The Brain: An Introduction for Young Students published by the British Neuroscience Association
http://www.bna.org.uk/publications/brain_sci.html

A further set of web links from National Human Genome Research Institute, US NIH.
http://www.genome.gov/10000464

Add to this list
This is a short list which will be added to as we find more resources. Please tell Maja Melendez if you find any that you want to share.

Last updated: 17 November 2009