Thulean Archives

To understand the power of the genome revolution for undermining old stereotypes about identity and building up a new basis for identity, consider how its finding of repeated mixture in human history has destroyed nearly every argument that used to be made for biologically based nationalism.

- David Reich, Who We Are and How We Got Here: Ancient DNA and the New Science of the Human Past

I asked my uncle what he thought of the ethics of opening up so many ancient graves, including of people whose religious beliefs surely would not have welcomed this treatment. His "Psak Din" - the judgment that a rabbi gives when asked a question on a topic about which there is no precedent — is that as long as the work that is being done has the potential to overcome racism and misunderstanding, then there is an argument to be made for it.

- http://genomemag.com/david-reich-interview/

The genome revolution provides us with a shared history, he adds, "If we pay proper attention, it should give us an alternative to the evils of racism and nationalism and make us realise that we are all entitled equally to equally to our human heritage

- https://www.theguardian.com/science/2018/apr/07/ever-evolving-story-humanity-david-reich-interview-neanderthals-denisovans-genome