What Twins Separated At Birth Teach Us About Human Genetics - Nancy Segal

Nancy Segal is a professor at California State University, an author and one of the most prominent twin-study researchers on the planet.
What makes you the person you are? Is it your genetics or your environment? When twins are either accidentally or purposefully separated at birth, it presents a fascinating view into this debate, shedding light on the influence of both traits and environments on the outcomes we get in life.
Expect to learn the craziest similarities between twins who have been raised apart, how it's possible to have a pair of twins born at the same time to two different fathers, what happens when twins meet for the first time, what you can learn from triplets that you can’t learn from twins, just how big of an impact genes and environment are on the traits we see in people, how important of a role chance plays in our lives and much more...
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#twins #genetics #behaviour
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00:00 How Evolutionary Psychology Explains Twins
04:51 Unique Connections Between Identical Twins
08:22 The Rare Occurrence of ‘Half Twins’
16:22 How Do Twins Know They’re Twins?
21:02 When Separated Twins Are Both Gay
25:00 Craziest Similarities Between Separated Twins
35:19 Do Twins Also Share Illnesses?
43:25 The Ethics of Separating Twins at Birth
48:31 Why Do So Many People Have an Issue with Behavioural Genetics?
52:57 How Much Can Rearing Change a Child?
1:04:14 The Family Dynamic of Bi-Racial Twins
1:07:03 Common Criticisms of Twin Studies
1:11:34 ‘Tell Me Who I Am’ on Netflix
1:14:10 Where to Find Nancy
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Get in touch in the comments below or head to...
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[@ChrisWillx]

Hello you beauties. Access all episodes 10 hours earlier than KZbin by Subscribing on Spotify - spoti.fi/2LSimPn or Apple Podcasts - apple.co/2MNqIgw. Here’s the timestamps: 00:00 How Evolutionary Psychology Explains Twins 04:51 Unique Connections Between Identical Twins 08:22 The Rare Occurrence of ‘Half Twins’ 16:22 How Do Twins Know They’re Twins? 21:02 When Separated Twins Are Both Gay 25:00 Craziest Similarities Between Separated Twins 35:19 Do Twins Also Share Illnesses? 43:25 The Ethics of Separating Twins at Birth 48:31 Why Do So Many People Have an Issue with Behavioural Genetics? 52:57 How Much Can Rearing Change a Child? 1:04:14 The Family Dynamic of Bi-Racial Twins 1:07:03 Common Criticisms of Twin Studies 1:11:34 ‘Tell Me Who I Am’ on Netflix 1:14:10 Where to Find Nancy

[@kevint985]

1:04:56 Well this rings a bell for me😅 I'm "black" & my wife is quite white😂 (erm I meamt right😂😅) But my boys are both "caramel" toned. Like Worthers originals😅. But carry on...

[@kevint985]

1:07:07 and irony strikes again. The point concerning; if one child resembles you more than the other, do you love them more than the other? And indeed well argumented/ better described by our dear Dr. Great convo!

[@timetravellingbunny3952]

Totally off-topic -- Have you considered a conversation with Stephen Fry, current MCC President. He has wonderful stories about cricket, and certainly much more. I just watched "The Final Word with Stephen Fry" and thought of Chris. I am Californian and know nothing of cricket, but was fascinated.

[@KnottyCeltic]

Please do a KZbin tab just for book recommendations. Books you have read and books your guests have written. You mention so many great books but it's very difficult to go back and find them. Have you read much Malcolm Gladwell? Could you do a short with him or have him as a guest?

[@timetravellingbunny3952]

@@KnottyCeltic asks about "book recommendations" On Chris' About page there is a link to his reading list.

[@alannapeebles1625]

I have identical triplet boys. This was so interesting. My boys don't like looking alike and insist they don't. They have called each other 'fat' or 'ugly' when fighting. It's hilarious to me that they don't get that their insults are basically towards themselves. haha

[@nyetzdyec3391]

The greater the similarities, the more important the tiniest differences become.

[@Martin_Edmondson]

@@nyetzdyec3391 Yes (and I say this as a twin) they are probably sick of people treating them as they are identical people. (I am not meaning their parents but rather the world at large.) The differences between them are important to them. They are individuals.

[@resir9807]

That's hilarious😂😂😂😂 "You son of a bitch!" cries the mother to her son

[@zimzob]

⁠@@nyetzdyec3391reminds me of reading about a civil war in Central African Republic between two ethnic groups-one was Christian, the other , Muslim- that were so closely related, outsiders couldn’t tell them apart, but they happened to also have slightly different crease in their ear lobes, which each of them could clearly see in the other

[@nyetzdyec3391]

@@zimzob Relevant to the subject of the video... psychology... BRAINS... An intrinsic part of being sentient is the ability to categorize... GROUP things. It's a basic requirement for intelligence. Just some very basic examples to explain that... "safe to eat" "dangerous/deadly to eat." "danger", "safe/okay (Ie - not an enemy)" The smarter "it" becomes, the more categories it is able to process... and the finer the distinctions... like adding "neutral" to the "safe" and "not safe" categories. Also, the ability to add "friend" as another category. Point being... continually "finer" distinctions. Next point being, that we can achieve MLK Jr's "dream" of judging each other on the contents of our character, but we'll never overcome the instinct to "categorize" people... it's too necessary to both survival and basic intelligence. So, the NEXT point... is that we NEED a different criteria. Fortunately, we already HAVE that... We can choose to say, "I don't GAF what color your skin is... because you are, like me, an American (etc.)... and thus a part of my 'tribe'." UNfortunately, we also have people trying to destroy that uniting alternative perspective. I would point out that AH (small mustache, 1930's, Germany) "hacked" this to EXclude a group... actually 2 major groups... with Very Bad Results. At a little earlier time, the second of those groups had done the same thing to their own peasant farmers... with VBR's. In 1950's, another place did the same thing to their own peasant farmers, also with VBR's. Also in 1930's, another place did the same thing to their future enemy (12/7/1941)... with VBR's, including civilians "pretending to be lemmings" on a certain nearby island circa 1944.

[@Sheyshel]

My friend's father cheated on his mom and had many children outside his marriage. After college, my friend found the love of his life and got engaged to her. She didn't grow up with her father and had little contact with him, but one day, she was finally able to introduce him to her fiancé... and yes, they are half siblings. They didn't end their relationship right away, but they eventually broke up. And she remains till this day the love of his life.

[@ARR409]

Man that’s so rough. Feel bad for the guy and the girl. And what’s crazy is that it’s the father’s fault that his son and daughter had to go through that because he was unfaithful to his son’s mother.

[@thaneknight]

Probably pretty common in the past. As people lived in more isolated groups.

[@mikeeinstein1]

That's why God invented vasectomies.

[@freedomsglory1]

@@thaneknightI’d actually say that’s not true. Single mothers were not as common and in more small towns a promiscuous person would be outed pretty quickly. And the cost for being promiscuous man or woman would cause social isolating. And in a small communities that could mean death. No jobs, no social trust from the community and loss of social groups.

[@sienkiewiczmonika1161]

@@mikeeinstein1 God is against vasectomy.

[@hopebell2659]

I’m an identical twin and this was fascinating and so true how much we are alike down to our voices. I did a science study on twins in 4th grade and after researching twins separated at birth, I truly believe much of who we are is nature/genetics

[@Grim-Crusader]

How is it possible that in selective breeding of plants and animals over hundreds of years, DNA is the most important factor for physical and behavioral outcomes, but for humans, it is a taboo subject? Are we avoiding science for the sake of feelings? I think we are...

[@meagiesmuse2334]

@Grim-Crusader - I also think that admitting that genetics is the major factor in who we become would reopen the dangerous subject of eugenics, which is a moral field of landmines.

[@n4049]

About the rare "half twins" case of the two gay fathers- I'm not sure its fair to deem the authorities acts as a result of "prejudice". When you take in consideration the fact that human trafficking does exist, unfortunately, (and you better be aware of that in states borders)and also this rare situation most people never even knew was possible, you can definitely understand why questions were asked at the border. Also its not some human rights violation to ask about "blood lines".They know about all of us, citizen's, "blood line". The fact is two man can not produce a baby... I not saying it's wrong or something, I'm saying i can definitely understand why the authorities had troubles understanding this odd situation.

[@AtheismF7W]

abnormal is abnormal.

[@MatthewQuigley]

It’s even simpler if you follow the laws of nature: men cannot get married

[@onagoodday5557]

I am saying it is wrong, it is deeply wrong, deeply to the core of mothers wrong. It is a disgusting industry of scientists and researchers. Well done for speaking up and thinking for yourself.

[@alex-jg2tw]

I think it is weird that this woman dedicated her life to study about the importance of genetics and the biological impact on the relationships between people and then completely disregards it when it comes to the surrogacy part of the conversation.

[@joelrubio42]

Agree, not everything is political, or discriminatory. I work in immigration and these questions are routine when there is a possibility of child trafficking. Some good information, but you can definitely see her political biases throughout the conversation.

[@Elyfairy]

I’m an identical twin and one of six children. The twin bond is completely different. She is my everything. Even though we have lived far apart for over a decade, it feels like she’s with me 24/7. I don’t know how to explain it.

[@TTFN55]

I have twin sisters and so did my grandmother. When my twins were really young Granny gave me 'the talk' about twins. Very valuable. It served me well.

[@honzo1078]

I once had a girlfriend who was an identical twin. She and her sister were impossible to distinguish from each other physically, but they had very different personalities. One was very outgoing, assertive, and in some realms, dominant; the other was very introverted and passive. I was attracted to the outgoing one, but before I knew them well enough to see these differences, I became the boyfriend of the quiet one. This was, I learned, a deliberate move by the assertive one- she picked me as a good match for her sister and handed me off before I knew what was what. We were a good match for awhile, but, being teenagers, not for long. I have heard that it is not uncommon for identical twins raised together to have similar polarizations.

[@pattieprophet7987]

I was a twin ' my twin died as a young child ' i have always felt lost absent from people

[@Cocoisagordonsetter]

For one thing you lost the person who was your other since being in utero. A twin probably doesn't have to try much to have friends. It could be a bit of a handicap ultimately. Condolences.

[@freesk8]

The answer to the nature vs nurture question is almost always "both." That said, it is surprising but true that there is a genetic component to personality. We are not born tabula rasa. Cool video! Thanks! :)

[@TTFN55]

That's what my mom always said.

[@hob976]

Chris, if you haven't had Jonathon Haidt on your show, you've been slipping one of the most interesting researchers on Earth. In fact, The Happiness Hypothesis might be one of the most page-for-page interesting books I've ever read. In particular, the stuff he shares about "twin studies" blew me away.

[@alphacause]

I totally concur. If there is ever an antidote to the enfeebling effect of modern culture, it is the ideas expressed by Jonathon Haidt.

[@Humanaut.]

​@@alphacauseHaidt but also Rogan, Willink, Peterson, Goggins, Fridman, Saad, Taleb, this channel and several others. There is a plethora of positive figures and voices if one is willing to look for and listen to them.

[@Sm0keyNick]

Haidt is right up his alley. Would be a great guest.

[@njkf]

Haidt would be awesome.

[@MrMurph73]

THIS. Haidt is a must

[@alphacause]

The more that we delve into the nature vs. nurture debate, especially in light of genetic discoveries and well controlled studies like the separated twin studies cited here by Dr. Segal, the more that it is becoming clear that nature (i.e. genetic predisposition) maybe the overriding factor for so many things, from behavior to intelligence. Its becoming increasingly apparent that, as much as we would like to think we are blank slates, who can be molded and shaped by our environment, the facts point to much of our outcomes being predetermined by what we inherit. It is a sobering thought that we may not be able to change people's outcomes, just through changing society, as much as we would like to think.

[@ryanholsapple5179]

Well said

[@alphacause]

@@ryanholsapple5179 Thank you.

[@RichardEnglander]

Yep, blank slateism is bollocks, from smarts to personality these things have significant genetic drivers. The Woke hate this reality 🤷🏻‍♂️

[@captainbeastazoid7084]

Yeah, 100% right on. I've realized as I've gotten older than I've inherited alot of behaviorial traits from my parents. And I often wonder how much I can really change them. I think a person has a certain amount of control over their behavior and destiny. But probably not as much as we'd like to think. I think 50% or more of our personality and life path is probably predetermined by genetics.

[@rico14]

I think it’s a very uncomfortable truth, because it means a lot of inequality it just innate. I’ve always accepted this though, because I’ve always been an eccentric person even as a kid. I didn’t try to be weird I just was lol

[@rosecady6821]

I'm an identical twin and we fought from day 1. The only reason we don't now is because I hold my tongue & keep things from escalating.

[@petraliverani1247]

I'm an identical twin and we've always argued. The only reason we argue less now is that we've learnt to avoid certain subjects and since I've been living with my sister the last couple of years I tend to stay in my room.

[@MeMe-zq7qd]

One thing that I’ve always found interesting is when identical twins don’t share a medical condition or a neurodiversity. I used to work with kids with autism and their families and one family I worked for had identical twins. One identical twin had level 3 autism/ was completely non-verbal and the other one was neurotypical. It always shocked me how one could have autism while the other didn’t when they share the same DNA and were exposed to the same things in utero.

[@KnottyCeltic]

Identical twins and mental illness is a good study. We had identical twin young men who developed first mental breaks (first psychotic experience) with Schizophrenia, 3 months apart. One was a pilot and experienced his first break while in the air. He was a commercial pilot.

[@ikac.a.9494]

Maybe something they were both subjected to whilst infants that their bodies reacted differently to, caused one to become autistic and the other one not.

[@petraliverani1247]

That really is interesting ... and no suggestions why one had it and the other didn't?

[@KnottyCeltic]

Except that identical twins don't have identical DNA and the more science advances the deeper we can look at DNA and see the differences in what we call "identical twins". Once the fertilized egg splits into two, the way the DNA is folded can end up different in each individual and that can continue to happen all along the development of the fetuses. That's why the most obvious difference in identical twins is that they have close looking but definitely not identical fingerprints.

[@KnottyCeltic]

@@petraliverani1247 the reason is that what we call "identical twins" are not actually identical in their DNA. Even identicals have different fingerprints, can develop different diseases and disorders, one can be taller than the other, they rarely weigh the same etc. etc. They are only identical so far as we know at the time the egg completely splits. After that, mistakes can happen as each separate part of the egg develops.

[@alphacause]

Thank you so much, Chris, for platforming pioneering individuals who pursue knowledge despite the social taboos around such pursuits. The nature verses nurture question, and how studying separated twins can illuminate the discussion, is one of the most important questions we can delve into when trying to understand disparities in human performance and behavior. We should not let the potential misuse of such knowledge hamper us from ascertaining the true answer.

[@goodlookinouthomie1757]

I don't mean to pick nits, but how are two boys with different dads born 4 months apert twins? It's about as true as any story the media cover I guess.

[@sandercypher6516]

I went to the comments to see if I was crazy that’s not twins

[@GaryMalcolm]

She meant 4 minutes.

[@goodlookinouthomie1757]

@@GaryMalcolm Oh that makes more sense. Does she mean the two guys had their embryos implanted in the same woman at the same time then?

[@sarahalderman3126]

@@goodlookinouthomie1757yes

[@paulawhite5699]

I’m obsessed with twin studies - thanks for this, Chris!!

[@Crazybionicleman123]

Thank you so much for such an interesting discussion.

[@6teezkid]

It’s not homophobia. It’s the fact that once you get involved in any way with bureaucracy, you.are.screwed.

[@KnottyCeltic]

Excellent interview, thank you.

[@boden8138]

You’re not just made up of your parents, you’re made up of millions of people that came before you. You’ve been here for a very very long time. You’re just in your current body. Your “afterlife” is called children. Take care everyone, much love. ☯️🙏

[@2FingerTuesday]

I love this channel and I have very young twins, so this is especially interesting to me.

[@Casual_Henry]

Wow, Chris does it again!

[@JohnPalermo-wp5df]

I'm glad I landed on this video. Very very interesting!

[@ericdraven3654]

Very informative and interesting. Cheers from Spain.

[@rhodabean]

She is a fantastic guest, thanks Chris!

[@leelybuckwheatjr]

This channel has interesting interviewees, and the host has the background knowledge and listening skills to ask interesting questions

[@TheZGALa]

Fascinating stuff. Thank you both! I grew up unaware of two half brothers (not twins, different mom from me), and one of them has almost identical handwriting to mine...and when I got to spend a day with my father, around age 30, I was startled to find we stand alike...we are also both musically inclined, though I knew that about him, so it was less interesting. Sometimes I wonder if I am a chimera or have conflicting genetic material (I have had automimmune issues, aka "long covid" since before puberty ;) ).

[@bluest1524]

Great lady, thanks for sharing this.

[@virtualalias]

30:50 - As a James Allen who is from a beach town in Florida (Panama City), I approve this message.

[@metaversenft]

Key interesting things for me were: 1) Identical twins have been found to grieve more for the loss of their twin than any other relative, even their own children. This supports the theory that we feel greater kinship with those most genetically similar. 2) When identical twins meet for the first time after being separated, some have become romantic/sexual partners. This may relate to a concept called "genetic sexual attraction." However, identical twins raised together rarely become romantic partners.

[@onagoodday5557]

No, she said she could not confirm that they grieve more that for their own children.

[@Cocoisagordonsetter]

@@BOZ_11 Grief to me is all about circumstances too. Like if a child dies, it's tragic. When my father in law died at an advanced age, well that's life. He lived a pretty long one.

[@patiyer4134]

Dr Segal’s work is fascinating. “Twinsters” is also great to watch. On KZbin.

[@Cocoisagordonsetter]

Not a twins thing, but I walk daily. I recently walked by a bench next to the old folks home and as I was approaching the two figures were sitting like statues in EXACTLY the same unique way. I walked by and asked are you two related? The younger one (fifties maybe) said yes: father and son. I said: cause you are holding yourselves in exactly the same way. Never saw the pair before or since. I walk there almost every day.

[@PvtSchlock]

20:30 many ancient cultures had taboos against seeing one's reflection. The tale of Narcissus isn't just a story. We see it in the 1800s with photography as well.

[@Niall001]

The problem with twin studies is that some people ignore the commonalities between separated twins. Take for example two twins who were separated at birth in London. One grows up in North London with a middle class family. The other grows up in the Home Counties with a middle class family. They'll grow up with similar healthcare, similar educations, similar djets and their adopted parents with likely have similar approaches to patenting (and receive similar parenting advice). It's hardly shocking that these children would be similar given the similarities in their genetics, healthcare, education, diet & parenting. Now imagine if one of those twins was instead adopted in Zimbabwe by a working class family. Here is a far more interesting example because while genetics remain the same, education, healthcare, diet & parenting would differ far more. The conclusions that some people make about the strength of genetic determinism based on twin studies where environmental factors are highly similar for both twins has always perplexed me.

[@mike2510]

Trump didn’t issue bans on Muslim immigration, unless you think North Korea and Venezuela are Muslim. Five predominantly Muslim countries were impacted as well.

[@kingvegetakinggoku2008]

He changed it up, at first he said ban all muslims

[@dougmorrow746]

Concerning the closeness felt by identical vs. fraternal twins be related to body odor? Odor is a subtle marker that could be identified without conscious awareness, and the similarity between the identical odors could be a part of the trigger

[@scy22]

Nature or Nurture? We know that genetic predisposition is a real thing, but we also know that children are indeed blank slates for the most part. Given identical clones raised in disparate environments, you'll find that they could very well end up being vastly different people, despite having the same genetics. I don't know how many studies she's done, or how unbiased Nacy Segal is, but there are plenty of data out there suggesting this. While some genetic markers will predispose a person to various personality disorders, we know that these disorders can be manifested, or avoided, by the experiences a child is subject to while growing up. We find that parents simply do not take enough responsibility, be it good or bad. I do agree with most of what she said as a whole, especially letting a child find their own way. It's vital that the parents provide a safe, happy, healthy scaffolding though, to allow for the child to flourish.

[@ethanmorgan4980]

Chris, your hypothetical research on mixed race children reminds me of my family. I'm mixed African-American and Caucasian and married a Caucasian. Our son is blue/grey-eyed with dirty blonde hair and fair skin. His younger sister is brown-eyed, brown hair, brown skin. When my son was born, my beliefs about the futility of dividing society by "race" became more pronounced. And again when my daughter was born. I teach Philosophy at a high school, and there have been many occasions when my son has sparked critical thinking and questioning in my students around race, its definition, and its value.

[@AshAndCream]

God damn this was a fascinating listen.

[@CowboyHatsAndKuchen]

My mother in law is a twin. I have 2 mothers in law...

[@Digital-Sparks]

"Twins" born 4 months apart, sounds kinda not like twins

[@hellouser5498]

They identify as twins. Pls respect

[@sportysbusiness]

She meant 4 minutes!

[@sarahalderman3126]

4 minutes not months…

[@kurtismotif]

Fascinating, I was adopted at birth and have my own independent evolutionary history apart from any familly. My first best friends were twins and my second and third best friends were also twins. I didnt shoot for it, I was 4 years then 9 years old no idea I was adopted yet, then moved and was in a different high school and my 3 set of best friends were twins. It always fascinated me. I often wonder... people in my city have told me theres another me around. I often wonder. They say hes a great guy. People have come up to me and think Im him more than once. Im 52 now so I have learned how to not let it overwhelm me. I always like about twins how they are 100% certain who they are they are the brother or sister of this other person, they can see it. I have never seen anyone who I look like Im related to. Maybe that was the catalyst subconsciously.

[@onagoodday5557]

I love adoptees and acknowledge the confusion and isolation of the experience. You folks hold so much wisdom about the complexity of the nature nuture debates. So much respect for the difficult hand you have been given.

[@SamStone1964]

Have you considered DNA testing to find blood relatives?

[@kurtismotif]

I have lifetime friends, lots of them. I call them my brothers and sisters. Im a bonafide crewmember of the USS Ranger they make movies about us. I earned my history in both places. One is a testimony of my whole life. The other goes back to legends of the revolution. Legends aren't born they're made. Yes I did look up those mediocre people... They weren't very impressive. I prefer my choices. They are.

[@zzzcocopepe]

I love that she is a scientist with a soul. I absolutely hate how so many scientists are soulless and unkind

[@ShonjiPowerOf2]

I would love to see some of these twin films! Im a twin and we are certainly identical but where cpuld we have the test done? If we are the same would it show different epigenetics? Great shows now to gp look up!

[@onagoodday5557]

...and who is dealing with the horrendous lifetime distress of the mothers who have only just begun their grief, that is a grief that comes from their core, from the deepest part of their uterus where human life arrives (ie not a ball sack that swings in the wind producing uncountable numbers of sperm). Segal says, 'all you see is a beautiful family' of the gay family. Exactly, the trauma of loss for surrogate mothers is completely unseen. It is just another industry. Big money for researchers, big on data and doing unspeakable psychological harm to mothers and children, as usual. I am in no way against gay relationships, I have zero problem with people finding love. I think it's fantastic that we have made social gains for our lesbian and gay communities. BUT, I am completely against unnatural childbirths, birth trauma and removing babies from their mothers and, actually their fathers too. It is a birth right to know ones parents. Science that distorts this is sick. If someone is gay and feels a desire to be a parent, then they are not gay, they are delusional.

[@FishFloraFowl]

My paternal grandmother was a fraternal twin raised apart. She had little in common with her twin, both female.

[@Demosophist]

My great grandparents were second cousins, but didn't know it when they married. My great grandmother's parents were killed when she was an infant and she was raised by an unrelated family and even took their family name. She then moved 2,000 miles from Arkansas to Washington state, where she met my great grandfather whose family had moved there earlier in the century, from the same county. They had been married for some years and had produced a number of children before finding out that they were related.

[@NoctLightCloud]

I agree with everything. I'm an identical twin, as well, and me and my sister looked so similar as kids that on some photos, even we can't tell who is who😂 Who knows, maybe I was initially given her name and someone at some point mixed us up😂 Anyways, I agree with the similarity thing in people. I can't feel close to people who look and act VERY differently from me. It's why you'll never see a girl from Romanian countryside fancy a boy from Egypt, or a boy from Uganda fancy a girl from Indonesia. It just doesn't work that way. I myself find people with my hair colour and eye colour the most beautiful😂

[@sarahmurphy-nf4yl]

But that's not teu bcos just have long relationships with people kind far away countries who looked jotting like me and so had my brother snd nephew.

[@delavan9141]

Actually, for most people, at the attraction level, the opposite is true.

[@NoctLightCloud]

@@delavan9141 I disagree.

[@searose6192]

I would like to see more research on polar twins (75% identical).

[@lucasleisner3607]

Curious Question: why is it that Identical twins are more like to get a divorce than fraternal twins? I am an Identical Twin myself (so I am super curious). Is it because Identical Twins use the other twins as a comparison. Meaning If the other twins is a in a healthy relationship it is easier for the other one to realize that he/she is in a toxic (marriage/relationship)? Which makes it easier to get a divorce? On the otherside Fraternal twins have a lesser bond between each other so they don't necessarily see themself in their twin which makes it harder to compare/measure how toxic their relationship is that they are in? Sorry for the long text but super curios and would love to know more :). If there is a study on that would be amazing to get pointed towards that direction :D

[@DamianSzajnowski]

14:00 I'd make a clause there that the necessary reason for any phobia, ism ir discrimination to be warranted, your different treatment of them would have to be based on that fact or difference from the "norm" only. Some people will argue two men or women parents might have a problem teaching children masculine and feminine values in balance, which I find to be a reasonable argument, not necessarily homophobia. Similarly, if you have bad experiences with people of a specific skin colour having mugged you a few times in the past, you might avoid them at night or have a fearful response. Is that racism? Hardly. You are generalising your experience in a logical way to keep you safe. Bad experience with other sex. You now refrain from some if the intersexual situations or dating. Is that sexism? I don't think so, although it may feel that way to some. In my mind, being not based in reality but in untrue beliefs is necessary for discrimination to arise. The line is muddy though, especially since what is safe and logical for you might feel discriminating towards others and often subjective and subconscious opinions shape our reality.

[@peterwiles1299]

It has been found that identical twins are not necessarily genetically identical. Subtle differences have been found in most cases.

[@kwazooplayingguardsman5615]

ofcourse.

[@elmeric7086]

Awesome

[@casualcounsellor]

Could some of the explanations to these wild coincidence be mystical (e.g. telepathy, shared consciouness)?

[@mikepaulus4766]

I've had lengthy close friendship with identical twins. At first I couldn't tell them apart, but before long they looked quite different to me. I could tell them apart over the phone etc.

[@RMBlake007]

I love this channel for exactly this reason....great interviewer and great interviewee with an intellectually stimulating and informative subject matter. This was fascinating....TYou!!

[@JohnVito]

We are all in a simulation

[@itzybitzyspyder]

As an orphan, i always ask about a love interest's family. I'm not fathering a two-headed child.

[@oongieboongie]

You might

[@debbielondon1809]

How can someone how so aware of the connection created by genetics be so blasé about surrogacy (which is necessary for gay couples)? Just a question?

[@sarahalderman3126]

Lack of basic intelligence, logic, reason, common sense… take your pick 😉

[@akaemzett]

@@sarahalderman3126Also, tribal affiliation to her liberal friends who would condemn her for problematising artificial babies.

[@sarahalderman3126]

@@akaemzett I guess, though it’s probably just tribal affiliation. Most of these people don’t even have a basic understanding of what they themselves “believe”.

[@philodonoghue3062]

I wonder if she has drawn on the Dunedin* Longitudinal Study (New Zealand) which has followed 1000 children through life since 1972. It’s been a source for maybe thousands of research papers.

[@Mysterx1440]

The beer can thing is easily understood by a beer drinker, it allows you to hold a can without clutching it

[@squaretriangle9208]

I'm fascinated by her wig

[@talibabdulhaqq7513]

At 13:26, not seeing the "concealed Islamophobia" angle, here, unless Andrew or Elad were Muslims (maybe the book brings this out, but I'm skeptical given their names, one derived from Greek and one Hebrew). Is there more information perhaps?

[@CONEHEADDK]

Sorry Nancy - DT didn't that ban - get your claims right.!

[@thaneknight]

Does this support waiting on gender transition until people are older? As socialization is a bigger influence when younger and becomes more a part of a person as they age.Could making the choice before a certain age lead to regret and have irreversible consequences?

[@wtice4632]

Only monsters and perverts support child transition.

[@Kids-hg7ju]

Yes

[@philodonoghue3062]

I would always wanted to meet my great grandparents - Irish immigrants to here in New Zealand in the 1870s

[@hazratuddin8309]

Father of two newborns identical twins is here.

[@faithburns8379]

What about parents and children? My adopted daughter as it turns out has many same likes and dislikes as her birth mother, found this out after meeting her at age 19

[@RockyWarhol]

Consistently fascinating content. Fantastic interviewer. I was more than a little skeptical at first because of your unfortunate face and the depressing inevitable slide into RedTube audience capture. The pod is good as ever and the integrity hasn't budged. Proof of concept. It can be done.

[@sarahalderman3126]

@@vaportrails7943seems they’re speaking of the guest’s “unfortunate” face…

[@sunmoonstars3879]

Andre I’m guessing your face is so ‘unfortunate’ you choose to use a picture of a dog as your profile pic?

[@delavan9141]

None of what you wrote makes any sense to me. "Unfortunate face?" what the H are you talking about?

[@sarahalderman3126]

@@delavan9141 probably “unfortunate FACT”

[@gunnarpallgisson9645]

Does anyone know of any behavioural genetics books that relate to child rearing?

[@b-m605]

"twins raised appart" makes you think of well twins who didn't know eachother whilethey were growing up and therefore any similarity is genetic. If so, you have been deceived. Twins raised appart always knew each other and efforts were made to maintain their relationship. The separation actually increased the behavioral similarity because twins raised together go through a drive to differentiate from their twin. Meanwhile twins who are raised appart actually immitate characteristics of their twin as a way of holding on to the connection. to be clear these twins were raised in different homes, but met with each other during vacations through out their childhoods. this fact is minimized to promote a narrative which appeals to some researchers.

[@seraeggobutterworth5247]

Which twins are you referring to? The ones in the Minnesota study are a mix of siblings who had some degree of contact while growing up and others who had none. The twins and triplets she mentioned from the study related to the _Three Identical Strangers_ documentary had no contact as children and their adoptive parents didn’t even know they were raising a twin/triplet.

[@b-m605]

@seraeggobutterworth5247 I was referring to the Minnesota study, which was deceptive about contact between the twins before meeting for the "1st time" as adults. Something that is likely still not widely known. I'm unaware of the documentary. It makes sense that a documentary would be more honest than peer reviewed research. I would check before accepting anything. "As soon you put a person in front of a camera, they become an actor."

[@conniekaler]

I don’t find her evidence very convincing myself especially as she admitted in the beginning that she already thought that genetics influence behaviour more than the environment before she started the research.

[@chiquitafeldberg8259]

Their astrological sign is the same also.

[@StateFlow-ns4mg]

👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

[@ridesharegold6659]

34:44 - gender dysmorphia is not genetic? how'd Chris let that one go?

[@jivekiwi]

Haha, watching this makes me wonder because I met some guys once whom it took me quite a while to convince that I wasn't one of their closest friends and my mother is quite the broken person who obviously has some hidden demons.. I don't know her well though. Apparently he even had long hair like I had at the time, sounded like me and dressed in the hippy type manner that I did. Probably nothing but you have me thinking now, they were really baffled and were convinced I was having them on.

[@AfricanTransplant39]

This doesn't only happen to cross-cultural or gay couples. My sister and brother-in-law had their first child in Thailand. The consulate therebwas ridiculous. They had to pay for the birth certificate to be translated into English. They had to PROVE that their child was theirs...when he was clearly very pale and matched both of their colourings. It was ridiculous.

[@stevenbergom3415]

I wonder if Nancy's every watched Orphan Black?

[@buldrux217]

Weird thing to nitpick but why don't you say Peace anymore at the end of the video?

[@zzzcocopepe]

And the thing about dating or sexual relations. Among gay men, it's very common to find that they look alike. And from that we've noticed that heterosexual relations also have a lot of similar features. It's just that we never noticed before because of gender dimorphism. But if you take away the gender differences, you'll find that a lot of hetero Partners have very similar facial features. You could turn this into something negative and say that it means that we are narcissistic. But I think you could also turn it positive and just say that we find people who we have familiarity with. And there's also the theory that people with similar features think similarly. So, it may be that men and women with similar features, get along better

[@Ochtone]

Quick test whether I’m shadow banned 😂 I write carefully considered comments but never get responses. I wonder whether Chris has deemed me one of the negs and silenced me 😅

[@sarahalderman3126]

I see your comment..:

[@ij9375]

😅

[@markplimsoll]

I'm looking for the one I just wrote... maybe he has a bot that revognizes real science and deletes it. 😮

[@_xBrokenxDreamsx_]

genes determine the differences between the species so it makes sense they also determine the differences within a species. nature is essentially everything (that's fundamental/important) because nature is really the sum total of the environment over millions of years of evolution. society/government programs aren't going to change human nature in one lifetime.

[@jayvincent1865]

Religion is too easy to rebuke. The more scientists and engineers we have increases quality of life for everyone.

[@rosecady6821]

How can the boys be twins when they're 4 months apart?!

[@jayvincent1865]

The scientific fact is, Humans won't be around long enough to figure out where life arose from. The information needed to solve that problem is expanding beyond our view at speeds multiplying exponentially every nanosecond.

[@A.I.-]

Do you really have a choice, when you are governed by your predispositions?

[@nyetzdyec3391]

Every time you do something because you NEED to do it, instead of wanting to do it, you prove that you DO have a choice. The "want" would be influenced by your predisposition... but the "need" is influenced by something else... like life itself. Choosing to eat your second favorite meal instead your first favorite is a choice... not matter how much genetic predisposition influenced which meals are your favorites.

[@VTLille]

« Children will tell parents what’s best for them… » Yes, like playing video games all day and eating only pizza.

[@chowder130]

On a scale of 1 to 10, how incestuous is a threesome with twins? Is it better or worse than a threesome with clones? Are those options better or worse than a threesome with identical androids? Humanity will be grappling with these questions at large within this decade.

[@sarahalderman3126]

Nothing really to grapple with unless your a pervert.🤦🏼‍♀️

[@chowder130]

@@sarahalderman3126 Thus, an issue for all of humanity.

[@Elyfairy]

I’m an identical twin and whenever men find out they get creepy and fantasy about it. I would never ever touch my sister in a sexual way. It’s absolutely incest

[@ralphzyx2018]

Chris, Do you realize what this proves? A) Prejudice is genetic. B) Prejudice is unavoidable

[@TheSpokenWizard]

How many twins separated at birth have they really studied? These studies are highly questionable.

[@seraeggobutterworth5247]

In the US, I’m only aware of one study that looked at the issue in a planned, systematic way. That’s the one led by psychiatrists Peter Neubauer and Viola Bernard, which (mostly) ran during the 1960s and 70s. The triplets from the _Three Identical Strangers_ documentary were among the participants, along with 10 or 11 (I think) sets of twins. You couldn’t conduct the same study now, at least not in the US, due to ethical guidelines, but I’d be surprised if similar research wasn’t happening in some other countries with less regard to human rights,

[@kwazooplayingguardsman5615]

that gay story was horrendous, surrogacy, the ruination of U.S law regarding birth right citizenship, etc, etc.

[@sarahalderman3126]

Yeah the left just wants to destroy, demoralize, and pervert all that is good. Its just who they are.

[@resikin]

20:35 What is this guy saying does he not know of mirrors or reflections?? 😂😂😂

[@DarkTrafalga]

I'm a black father and my children have a white mother. I can tell that Chris is incorrect in believing that my genes are automatically dominant. Our 5 year old son is fairly light skinned (lighter than his two siblings) and his hair color is much closer to dirty blonde although he does have more coarse hair more like mine. Our 7 year old daughter is slightly darker skinned but she has curly European textured brunette hair. Strangely enough (or possibly not) our son prefers his mother much more and our daughter prefers me much more.

[@AtheismF7W]

Wait till they are full adults and see how they turn out (appearance)

[@DarkTrafalga]

I'm curious as well. My son still has hazel colored eyes. I figured those would've changed by now.

[@lynoxberry1507]

It is a fact that is so well-known now that it isn't even debated, that sons are closer to their mothers when they're growing up, and daughters are closer to their fathers. That's just the way it is.

[@DarkTrafalga]

@@lynoxberry1507 Any idea why that is?

[@lynoxberry1507]

@DarkTrafalga I haven't a clue. I'm sure some psychologist somewhere would have studied it, but right now it's just something I've 'known' and witnessed in my 71 years on the planet.

[@ThomasAndersonPhD]

22:50 "Every parent carries a lethal recessive" Uh... what??

[@sarahalderman3126]

Children who share one parent have an increased risk of carrying the SAME lethal recessive gene. Basically you need both recessive genes for it to “activate”, only one will have little to no effect. However having both can be “lethal”. So if two half siblings have a baby each baby they have together will have a 25% chance of having both recessive genes (thus the defect), 50% chance they will have one recessive gene, and 25% chance of neither. This is simplified excessively but it gets the basics down.

[@markplimsoll]

Very silly statement by Chris. Would make pregnancy a 50/50 crapshoot? 😅😅😅

[@sarahalderman3126]

@@markplimsoll when you’re sleeping with your sister or half sister IT IS!

[@sarahalderman3126]

I guess I should add he is speaking about biological siblings having children with each other, not rando parents…

[@markplimsoll]

@@sarahalderman3126 He is mistaken. I think you posted the following info... Did you not understand it? Two siblings are 50% related, so for any given bad recessive gene there is a 1 in 4 chance that the offspring have the same copy as each other. That doesn't sound lethal, does it? The parents may have NO dangerous lethal recessive genes. Maybe just blue eyes....

[@GooSoldier]

Cmon, Chris, why it`s not the guest on the preview? It`s always the gest on the preview, why this time just a random pretty girl

[@ClownPrince997]

I am a bi-racial identical twin, it gives you an interesting perspective on life. You don’t fall for the racism PSY OP that is going on, anytime skin color is mentioned I simply laugh, the concept is so ridiculous I can’t even entertain it. You learn that there is actually only one universal mind that our brains download information from, we are actually all the same being and this idea that we are separate is simply an illusion created by the ego.

[@TheMightyWalk]

im black and never felt for it. you have to be really stupid to believe in it

[@Advisory_Vessel]

I see what you are saying. I think your conclusions are off and you're in the right direction. We come from the same source, so race in itself is goofy because we are one in the same in that sense. We think similarly, not same. That is why you will see that most who fight are fighting for the same thing, just from different angles. Food for thought

[@ClownPrince997]

@@Advisory_Vessel agreed

[@wtice4632]

What is the universal mind?

[@ClownPrince997]

@@wtice4632 it refers to “a single, unified consciousness out of which all other consciousness arises-yours included.” There’s an amazing book that does a great job explaining this titled “One Mind” by Larry Dossey, you would love it. It’s fascinating.

[@jayvincent1865]

It's like expecting an earthworm to be capable of understanding calculus..

[@aaronjwallace501]

I blame quantum entanglement!

[@middle-agedmacdonald2965]

Does this explain a bit about racism? My beer drinking, uneducated analysis, is that genetically similar people are more prone to be attracted to work with similar genetics. I'm guessing this is a spectrum type effect and to a lesser, but still present degree????? I don't mean to be a racist or anything, but it just seems to highlight it in her findings? Feel free to crap all over my opinion. Do your worst if you feel the need, but it's just a genuine thought from someone very confused as to how to get everyone working together better.

[@middle-agedmacdonald2965]

@@vaportrails7943 but her findings kind of suggest that "nurture", as you call culture and environment, is almost negligible in comparison to "nature" aka DNA. So my take on it is, nature is the decider. People with closer DNA are more attracted to one another. The closer the DNA, the more the attraction? Look, I raise chickens of different breeds that all live together. From what I have seen, it's not just birds of a feather that stick together, it's that birds with the closest DNA stick to subgroups that stick together as a whole. It's obvious, I just wasn't expecting a podcast on twins to make me a racist a-hole, which is not my intent. I feel bad, lol.

[@middle-agedmacdonald2965]

@@vaportrails7943 I'll listen to it again. From what I remember, DNA is the key.

[@captainbeastazoid7084]

In-group preference is 100% real and is a deep-seated instinct for most people. And no, it shouldn't be controversial to state what is obvious.