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Anyone who has sat through a high school biology lecture on genetics understands the basics of dominant and recessive alleles, which explain, among other things, how two brown-eyed parents can have a blue-eyed baby.
When you start talking magical ability, however, things become more complicated.
That was the topic of one panel at Future Con, a convention “where science meets science fiction,” held this past weekend. In “Harry Potter and the Genetics of Wizarding,” Duke University professor Eric Spana discussed the intricacies of wizard DNA.
Fans of “Harry Potter” know that, while two magical parents will likely have magical children, that’s not always the case. Occasionally, an all-magic union will result in a squib, or non-magic, child (think of poor Argus Filch, tasked with cleaning all of Hogwarts without so much as a wand to help him out). On the flip side, Hermione Granger — one of the finest witches of all time, IMO — was born to two muggle parents. Throughout the series, we learn that students like Seamus Finnigan had one magical and one muggle parent. So how the heck is magical ability passed on?
According to a summary of the panel from Live Science, Spana debated whether magical ability was a recessive trait (much like the Weasley family’s red hair), meaning it’s possible for an individual to carry the gene and potentially pass that gene onto offspring without expressing its traits. He ultimately decided it wasn’t, though — thanks to one Rubeus Hagrid.
You see, Hagrid was born to a giant mother and a wizard father. This meant Hagrid was born a wizard with only one copy of wizarding DNA in his blood (giants are non-magical). Thus, Spana concluded, magical ability must be a dominant trait.
If that’s the case, how did Spana explain children like Hermione, who are the first in her family line with magical powers? A good, old-fashioned genetic mutation, possibly occurring in a sperm or egg cell, or after the egg is fertilized. (Yeah, don’t you wish you’d remembered more from AP Biology now?) As for squibs, Spana posited that parents could carry a mutation of the wizarding gene and pass it on to their child.
Science, man. It’s pretty magical.
From June 1 to 30, HuffPost is celebrating the 20th anniversary of the very first “Harry Potter” book by reminiscing about all things Hogwarts. Accio childhood memories.
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On the first day of summer, “Game of Thrones” is here to give you chills.
With less than a month until the Season 7 premiere, HBO has dropped a second trailer for the beloved series.
Set to the ethereal “Light of the Seven” tune that accompanied Cersei’s (Lena Headey) path of destruction in Season 6′s violent finale, the trailer reminds us of the only thing Westeros has ever truly had to fear: the White Walkers and their army of the dead.
In a voiceover, Jon Snow (Kit Harington) delivers that timely lecture: “For centuries, our families fought together against their common enemy, despite their differences ― together. We need to do the same if we’re going to survive, because the enemy is real. It’s always been real.”
Things are about to get very real, indeed: We see Dany (Emilia Clarke) arriving at King’s Landing, Jon fighting in the North, Bran (Isaac Hempstead Wright) using his sight, Sansa (Sophie Turner) looking pretty cold and Jaime (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau) going to town with a lance. Oh, and fire. A lot of fire.
In the end, Sansa offers a tormentingly vague hint about the legacy of the Stark clan: “When the snows fall, and the white winds blow, the lone wolf dies, but the pack survives.”
Fingers/paws/tails crossed for you, Sansa.
“Game of Thrones” returns July 16 to HBO.
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Ashley Graham is a pro at workin’ it in her lingerie, so it makes sense she would share her skills with the rest of us.
The model recently partnered with Glamour to coach four girls on modeling their lingerie and ― at the same time ― overcome their various insecurities and struggles with their bodies.
Over the course of the 8-minute video, the girls shared their powerful stories about recovering from an eating disorder, battling skin conditions, scars and more. Graham encouraged the women to open up about what they liked about their bodies and just say “screw you” to the body parts they struggled with.
After dancing and coaching the new models, Graham went over the photos with the women and told them just how beautiful they looked.
“It’s not every day that I see a girl like me in this kind of lingerie,” one of the girls said to Graham.
“Yeah because they don’t put us out there like that,” Graham answered.
Near the end of the video, the model broke down in tears talking about the amazing experience.
“People just think that body image and the body revolution is a ‘trend’ and a ‘fad,’ and, you guys, it’s not,” Graham said through the tears. “It goes from big girls to little girls. It goes from Spanish girls to black girls. It goes from white girls to young girls. It’s everybody in between.”
She added, “If we keep having this conversation, if we keep talking about the things that society has said are ugly, the things that we don’t see in media, that is what is gonna change. That’s how we make a statement. That’s how we rule out all the things that are here right now and make a new normal.”
Amen to that.
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If you’re struggling with an eating disorder, call the National Eating Disorder Association hotline at 1-800-931-2237.
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At gay pride marches around the country this month, there will be celebrations of marriage, a national right that, at just two years old, feels freshly exuberant to many lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Americans.
But while questions of marriage are largely settled, same-sex couples who choose to have children still face a patchwork of laws around the country that define who is and who can be a parent. This introduces a rash of complications about where L.G.B.T.Q. couples may want to live and how they form their families, an array of uncertainties straight couples do not have to think about.
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Father John Misty has spoken out about his struggle with depression and drug use before. Earlier this year, he talked with the New York Times about seeing a therapist and self-medicating. And in a recent interview with Rolling Stone, he candidly explained how he deals (and doesn’t deal) with the disorder.
But in a new New Yorker profile, the indie rocker, whose real name is Josh Tillman, opened up about a particularly painful element of living with the mental health condition.
“It’s hard to talk about,” he told writer Nick Paumgarten. “I get this thought where there’s someone out there whose real depression I’m doing a disservice to.”
Not feeling like your depression is “real” or “as bad” as other people’s is a common issue for many people with the mental illness. Especially if you’re famous and admired in your field.
After all, Tillman is coming off a period of professional success: He recently released new music, played on “Saturday Night Live,” marking his biggest appearance yet, and has writing credits on Beyonce’s “Lemonade” album. Everything on the outside seems fine ― or your life appears put together ― so there’s no reason to be depressed, right?
But the idea that one’s depression isn’t “enough: to speak up about is damaging and couldn’t be further from the truth. And it’s these kind of negative, inaccurate stereotypes that often prevent people from seeking treatment.
Depression is so much more complex than just being emotional. An estimated 300 million people worldwide are affected by the disorder. The cause of it can vary: Genetics, other contributing health issues, lifestyle habits and environmental factors can all play a role. The condition can also cause changes in appetite, headaches, a loss of motivation and sleep disturbances. In other words, depression doesn’t just happen because the person is “sad.”
Research overwhelmingly shows that depression can be managed with effective medical care. Therapy, medication or a combination of both have been shown to help people live full and productive lives with a mental health condition.
Tillman’s honest account of how he felt about dealing with depression shines a critical light on how stigma often leads to self-shame. His public awareness about this symptom of the disorder could also encourage others to speak up about their own experiences. Experts say celebrities who openly talk about their mental health issues in the media can help reduce stigma.
Bottom line: The more people talk about it ― even if they feel it isn’t real or valid ― the more likely the negative stereotypes surrounding the disorder will be eradicated.
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