In this episode I chat with Professor Eric Turkheimer at the University of Virginia about why the fact that "everything is heritable" doesn't actually mean very much; why the concept of "heritability" itself might just be the most misunderstood term in science; how the field of behavior genetics continues to struggle to disentangle its research priorities and methodological assumptions from the segregationist and eugenic ideologies that shaped its early development; and why humans have a “genetic essentialism” cognitive bias that primes us to oversimplify very complex realities of human nature.

"Understanding the Nature-Nurture Debate" by Professor Turkheimer: https://amzn.to/4l5Q6K0

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https:/collective.jenhowk.com

In this episode, I explain my concerns and criticisms of the claim that "everything is genetic." I explain both why I once found the hereditarian literature very persuasive, as well as the philosophical and epistemological reasons I am no longer willing to agree that the case can be considered closed. I've listed a few resources that might be useful for further reading below. Of course I don't agree with every single thing each of these authors argues either—and some of them even contradict one another on various details. But as a whole, they have greatly informed my thinking on this subject and many others.

On behavioral genetics and biology: Eric Turkheimer, "Understanding the Nature-Nurture Debate" https://amzn.to/4l5Q6K0

Evelyn Fox Keller, "The Century of the Gene" https://amzn.to/3TxKFb6

Denis Noble, "The Music of Life" https://amzn.to/4leUnuU

David Moore, "The Developing Genome" https://amzn.to/4nbGeQP

Aaron Panofsky, “Misbehaving Science: Controversy and the Development of Behavioral Genetics” https://amzn.to/4k0vJNo

Philip Ball, "How Life Works: A User's Guide to the New Biology" https://amzn.to/442walX

Books not specifically about genetics but which have contributed enormously to my general philosophy of science and causality (and the weirdness of the universe):

Iain McGilchrist, "The Master and His Emissary" https://amzn.to/4n8G6Bx

Bernardo Kastrup, "Analytical Idealism" https://amzn.to/3I3NNsI

Don Hoffman, "The Case Against Reality" https://amzn.to/4jUjCBz

Robert Rosen, "Life Itself" https://amzn.to/44aDWsD

Lewis Mumford, "The Myth of the Machine" https://amzn.to/4n8GVu7

Paul Feyerabend, "Against Method" https://amzn.to/4nbIMhX

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This week I sat down with Joshua Slocum, co-host of the "Disaffected" podcast. I reached out to him to discuss the convergence of "Cluster B" pathology and the flattering mimicry of AI, as documented in one of his recent episodes (linked below.) We wound up discussing all kinds of things, including a bit of the AI question as well as the heritability (or lack thereof) of homosexuality, the consequences of our obnoxious Marxist youth, what compels us to "do the work" when our parents wouldn't, and why telling ourselves the truth about the past and who we really are is the most important thing we can do for our own healing. Plus he graces us several times with "the voice."

Disaffected on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@DisaffectedPodcast

"Out of Alignment" episode about AI: https://youtu.be/MjGCsk11sqw

For more information or to reach out to Josh: https://joshuaslocum.net/

For more about me or to book a consultation, visit my website: www.jenhowk.com

Join the Collective Unconscious: https://collective.jenhowk.com

In this episode of Face of the Deep, I talk a bit about my own difficult relationship with my mom, and reflect on some themes that have come up in my groups and with clients recently about mother-daughter ruptures and how we can think about them and potentially heal them.

If you'd like to join my community for more conversations like this, you can find more information at https://collective.jenhowk.com

Join the Collective Unconscious: https://collective.jenhowk.com

In this episode I sit down with the brilliant Lisa Marchiano, an award-winning author, podcaster, and certified Jungian analyst. I found Lisa through the depth-psychology podcast “This Jungian Life,” from which I have learned so much, and I look forward to listening to each week. I also wanted to talk to Lisa specifically because of how her work draws on the wisdom of fairy tales to help women connect more deeply with themselves—a theme that is at the center of her amazing new book, “The Vital Spark: Reclaim Your Outlaw Energies and Find Your Feminine Fire.” In this conversation we discuss not only how to tap into the wisdom of fairy tales, but also the unlikely overlap between evolutionary psychology and Jungian psychology, intrinsic traits vs. environmental factors, how to begin shadow work, the fate of western civilization, and all kinds of other things.

To learn more or connect with Lisa, visit her website at https://www.lisamarchiano.com

Preorder her new book "Dream Wise" (with Deborah Stewart anad Joseph Lee): https://www.dreamwisebook.com

This Jungian Life podcast: https://www.thisjungianlife.com

Join "The Collective Unconscious," my membership community, for virtual groups, courses, early access to my podcast, and more: https://collective.jenhowk.com

In this episode, I sit down with clinical psychologist Dr. Jay Joseph to discuss the issue of genetic research in IQ, personality, and psychiatric disorders—particularly in the context of the thirtieth anniversary of the publication of "The Bell Curve." While twin studies are exalted by behavioral geneticists as the gold standard research that definitively settles the so-called nature-nurture debate, our conversation explores a variety of problems with such claims. Dr. Joseph offers a strong critique of twin study methodologies and assumptions, and urges a very serious and thoughtful reconsideration of many of the field’s findings in light of psychology’s replication crisis. We discuss the so-called “missing heritability problem” posed by more modern methods of evaluating the genetic influence on IQ and personality, the relationship between ongoing genetic research and big pharma, and why he believes the findings of “The Bell Curve” fail to hold up under scrutiny thirty years later.

Jay Joseph, Psy.D. is a clinical psychologist practicing in the San Francisco Bay Area. He has written critically about genetic research in the social and behavioral sciences continuously since the late 1990s, and is critical of medical models of human psychological distress and dysfunction. He is the author of four books, most recently Schizophrenia and Genetics: The End of an Illusion (2023). A complete list of his books, book chapters, and peer-reviewed articles can be found on his website: www.jayjoseph.net. Many of his online articles can be found on the Mad in America website: www.madinamerica.com

The Bell Curve at 30: A Closer Look at the Within- and Between-Group IQ Genetic Evidence: https://osf.io/preprints/psyarxiv/jz7ku 5:30: Revisiting problematic assumptions and methodologies in twin studies, focusing on critiques of "The Bell Curve" on its thirtieth anniversary.

10:30: Examining the impact of environmental factors on twins raised in different families and the challenges of teasing out effects in twin studies.

15:52: Controversy surrounding the genetic component of IQ, particularly in relation to ethnic differences and media attention.

21:05: Misuse of genetic research to maintain power and wealth, hindering education system in the US.

26:54: Controversy surrounds the measurement of intelligence by IQ tests, with genetic assumptions challenged.

32:45: Challenges in twin studies due to lack of statistical significance in IQ correlations.

37:36: Issues with research publication pressure and ideological bias in psychology and political science.

42:35: Challenges in genetic research methods impacting heritability estimates.

48:00: Genetic influence in psychiatric disorders and intelligence research questioned.

53:06: Challenges in academic research due to biases, silo mentality, and lack of acknowledgment of conflicts of interest.

58:08: Exploring societal influences on mental health research and the limitations of focusing solely on biological factors.

1:03:31: Challenges with twin studies and their implications on genetic influences.

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My ebooks: https://jenhowk.gumroad.com

Join my membership community (courses, group coaching, 1:1 connections and messaging, and more): https://collective.jenhowk.com

You can order my e-book "Truth Be Told" directly for immediate download at https://jenhowk.gumroad.com/l/truthbetold

To order the audio book, you can do so via https://jenhowk.gumroad.com/l/truthbetoldaudio

For more information or to join my mailing list, please visit: https://www.jenhowk.com

My ebooks: https://jenhowk.gumroad.com

Join my membership community (courses, group coaching, 1:1 connections and messaging, and more): https://collective.jenhowk.com

This is an excerpt of my new e-book, "Truth Be Told." For more information about Iain McGilchrist, you can visit his website here: https://channelmcgilchrist.com

My advisor Steve Hanson's book on ideological clarity can be found here: https://tinyurl.com/2mx35dub

To pre-order my e-book for electronic delivery when it is released July 1, you can visit: https://gumroad.com/l/truthbetold

For more updates and information and to join my mailing list to stay in the loop, visit www.jenhowk.com

My ebooks: https://jenhowk.gumroad.com Join my membership community (courses, group coaching, 1:1 connections and messaging, and more): https://collective.jenhowk.com