Genetic science has evolved substantially from Gregor Mendel’s early experiements with peas to current research on how humans might one day re-grow severed or damaged limbs.  This program brings together scientists and historians to examine the history of genetic science.

Recorded in partnership with The Field Museum, Gregor Mendel’s story is remarkable: A 19th-century friar and high school science teacher, he designed a brilliant experiment with ordinary peas that revealed the laws of heredity. His work was ignored for thirty years only to be rediscovered after his death and launch the science of modern genetics. 

This dramatic story and the power of genetics to tell us about the natural world are presented in the fascinating Gregor Mendel: Planting the Seeds of Genetics at The Field Museum. Original manuscripts, photographs, and scientific instruments evoke the world of scientists in the 1800s and early 1900s. You’ll see most of the remaining artifacts from the life of this great scientist. Trace Mendel’s influence on the rise of genetics and meet modern Mendel scientists on the cutting edge of the field today.

Recorded Wednesday, March 14, 2007 at The Field Museum.