Science + Science Writing: Going there: Tackling genetics and racism

As ancestry and genetic testing services proliferate — a total of 26 million people have taken such tests in the past year, according to data compiled by MIT Technology Review — the public's understanding of race, heredity and DNA remains muddled. The history of the study of heredity is intertwined with racist pseudoscience, and present-day research can get hijacked by white supremacists looking to further their cause. What role do scientists and journalists have in actively combating misinformation on genetics and race? How do science writers report on the science while also clarifying how race is different from heredity? This Q-and-A with scientists and science writers will offer journalists a guide to handling these complex issues.

Social media hashtag: #RaceandGenetics