Study: Memories Can Be Passed Between Generations

The Takeaway | Dec 3, 2013

Researchers at the Emory University School of Medicine recently released a study which argues that memories can be passed on through DNA.

The researchers trained mice to be afraid of a smell similar to cherry blossom. Those mice had children and grandchildren, and both generations shared the distaste for the cherry blossom smell. 

If the study's conclusions are in fact correct, it’s the latest piece in a growing body of evidence for transgenerational epigenetic inheritance: The idea that our environment can influence our genetic makeup, and we can pass that on to our kids.

David Shenk is the author of "The Genius in All of Us," and he explores how our environment can impact our genetic make-up, and how these traits may be passed on.

Click here to read a chapter of Shenk's book, entitled "How to Improve Your Genes."

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