I remember being fascinated by the content of the talk and I couldn't help feeling glad that I'm doing a Genetics degree at the University of Leicester. It highlighted the importance of genetic research for us as a society because he spoke about instances in which our genes may have the power to determine, to some extent, who we really are. Today I was quite surprised to see a couple of familiar faces on the BBC's programme, "The Big Questions" (although I shouldn't have been really, it was in Leicester today) and Professor Kyriacou, from our university, was one of them! The question he was principally involved in was of teaching "creationism" in schools. Although, personally, I wasn't taken by Campbell's loaded questions and many of the guests invited, any debate is good debate if you use your own intellect and reasoning to recognise the fallacies of the worst arguments and appreciate the best. Therefore, you can see the discussion here on iPlayer: http://www.bbc.co.uk/program.... - Zainab Chaudhary

Thanks for posting that Zainab. It's a pride to see one of our lecturers on an expert panel. I have actually just watched it in full, and our Leicester professor (I presume the person who gave us a lecture on Genes and behaviour in MB1031) seems to have been criticized about a point which I discussed with some of the physiology students after that lecture. He gave us a lecture which focussed on the effect of genes on sexual behaviour. Although he didn't bluntly say this, the lecture indirectly proposed or supported the notion that homosexuality is inherent and is genetic. That is not a problem. The problem is that he never showed us any scientific evidence which suggested the opposite, and that pretty much subjected us (the students) to his views (the lecturer). In this debate, he was told to provide students with both sides of the argument, and leave them to decide which is right. That should apply to both scientific and moral disciplines. Although I may disagree with Prof Bambos, I have great respect for him and wish to see him as our lecturer in subsequent years through our Medical Genetics course. - Abdulkhaliq Alsaadi

Abdulkhaliq i agree with that we as students should be shown scientific evidence both for and against a point made (in this case homosexuality) or it should at least be mentioned so we can go and check it up in our own time if there is not enough time in the lecture. There will nearly always be opposing views in science and the I think that the important thing is knowing what they are even if one does not agree with them. - Maryam

You're welcome! Thought hearing Professor Kyriacou speak might interest anyone who'd been in the lecture. I can't really remember that lecture very well but the view i got was "genes and environment are both important, but don't underestimate genes". You're right Maryam, although I don't neccessarily think there are many opposing views in science (there's only supposed to be one right answer in one particular instance?), it is important to keep an open mind in pursuit of knowledge. - Zainab Chaudhary

@Abdulkhaliq. A lecture is not a debate. We are taught by experts who give views that are supported by evidence. I wonder if you would have had such an issue if you had been in the lecture I had recently about what is ‘thought’ to happen in the process of blood clotting. - Roisin Thomas

@Roisin I'm not sure it's that black or white. Much scientific knowledge is hypothetical rather than "fact", although it is rarely presented as such in lectures. - Dr Alan Cann

@Dr Cann That's what I was trying to say. We are taught things that are 'thought' to be the case based on the view of the expert giving the lecture. Their views are supported by scientific evidence. I didn't say that evidence = fact. - Roisin Thomas

@Roisin: I am aware that it is supported by science of some kind. Likewise however, the opposing side of the argument is supported by scientific evidence. My point is that we should be taught and shown both sides of the story, and not only one. This may be unimportant for topics such as blood clotting, but it is imperative for sensitive issues like homosexuality, which has broad ethical and moral implications. - Abdulkhaliq Alsaadi

What moral implications? - Roisin Thomas

Ethics is the study of morals. The way in which societies moderate human behaviour by giving or removing the rights of an individual in response to certain actions is based loosely on 'morals'. If any aspect of this behaviour is shown to be more reliant on genes than environment or vice versa, it would alter the way in which we, as humans, make judgements based on these. An implication of this is in law-making in countries in the world. - Zainab Chaudhary