MuggleNet Academia Lesson 50: “Harry Potter and the Genetics of Wizardry”

MuggleNet Academia is a comprehensive insight into the literary thematic elements and scholastic endeavors that author J.K. Rowling has provided in her writings of the Harry Potter and Cormoran Strike series.

We look through the entire Harry Potter series for various elements in alchemy, literary components, composition attributes, as well as available classes at Universities and Colleges around the world, and various unique studies that are being implemented today. We also dissect the Cormoran Strike mystery detective series as the books are being released, helping readers understand and appreciate the writings of the modern-day Dickens, J.K. Rowling.

Once again, the MuggleNet Academia team of host Keith Hawk, managing editor for MuggleNet, and co-host John Granger, the Hogwarts Professor, brings our fans the latest in academic discussions within the Hogwarts saga.

Science in Harry Potter? You’re kidding, right? Harry’s adventures are set in a magical world that is the antithesis of the Muggle realm’s dependence on science and engineering; magic by definition is the suspension of the laws of nature, and, as science is the exploration of those laws, the worlds should not meet, even in the potions laboratory of Professor Snape. Except in one field, namely, genetics. Witches and wizards, pure-blood, half-bloods, mudbloods, and even squibs are all subject to and products of the vagaries of chromosomes and genetic coding like all the rest of us and as this is no small part of the larger meaning of the Hogwarts Saga – the prejudice of purebloods to muggleborns – getting the genetics right is an important thing.

Joining us today to talk about this is Dr. Eric Spana, an Assistant Professor in the Practice of Biology at Duke, who is an expert on the subject and Priyanka Nadar, founder of the Harry Potter Alliance chapter at Mary Baldwin University who has her Masters in Engineering Sciences from Dartmouth.

We hope you enjoy the show. Thank you for listening.