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12-21-2007, 02:32 PM
| | |  Scientists believe that Harry Potter had wizard genes
We all know our genes play a big part in who we are - how we look, certain characteristics we have, etc. Now, a deeper look has been conducted into wizardry, and Sreeram Ramagopalan, Dr. Marian Knight, Proffesor George Ebers, and Dr. Julian Knight, have concluded that "magic shows strong evidence of heritability."
As they published in the British Medical Journal, they're strong believers in the theory that there is great evidence that magical abilities are passed down through the generations. The way that we acquire pairs of genes, one copy from each our parents, can influence sorcery: if magical ability depends on just one copy of a version of a gene it is said to be dominant, and two, it is recessive.
Dr. Knight, a Wellcome Trust Senior Research Fellow, thinks that Deathly Hallows demonstrated more than what most realized about wizard genes. Quote:
"Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows provides a lot of valuable information about magical families that strongly suggests a role for genetic factors. For example, magic exists in at least seven generations of the Black family and at least three generations in others. We also see twins - the Patil and Weasley twins - with the same magical abilities."
There are apparently three things that can be passed down throughout wizard genes: being a parseltongue, a seer, or a metamorphmagus.
On the subject of squibs, those without magic who were born into a magical family, they only had the following to say: Quote:
"Given the recent publication of the final part of the Harry Potter series we feel that we are now in a much better position to address the heritability of magic."
Source: The Telegraph  | |
12-21-2007, 02:42 PM
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#2 (permalink)
| | Streeler
Join Date: Jul 2007
Posts: 247
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...Wow everything relates to Harry Potter somehow!
First to post!!!
Last edited by Abbie0312; 12-21-2007 at 02:43 PM.
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12-21-2007, 03:30 PM
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#3 (permalink)
| | Romanian Longhorn
Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Neverland
Posts: 39,693
Hogwarts RPG Name:
Margaret Jacqueline Atkinson Morris
Fifth Year | Potter’s Princess A+ FangGirl
Well, that was kind of explicit in the books *shruggs*
__________________ I gotta go back to the muggle world,
they're gonna try and tell me this wasn't, that none of this happened,
but you know what? It was real. It did happen.
We spent time here. We made friends here. That's a part of us.
Cause Hogwarts is bigger than any of us, of any of it's founders,
and it's going to be around long after we're gone.
Maybe we'll see our kids come here one day.
That's the thing about Hogwarts.
No matter how long you're away from it, there's always a way back. | |
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12-21-2007, 03:37 PM
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#4 (permalink)
| | Chizpurfle
Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Wherever
Posts: 10,475
Hogwarts RPG Name:
Christian Lestat Black
Fifth Year
Ministry RPG Name:
Bethany Marie Dumont
Magical Law Enforcement |
Ok, and their point is? That's not anything a Potter fan wouldn't know.
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12-21-2007, 03:49 PM
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#5 (permalink)
| Formerly: Asrai   Mooncalf
Join Date: Mar 2006
Posts: 7,835
Hogwarts RPG Name:
Roma Galda
Sixth Year
Ministry RPG Name:
Elijah Wright
Department of Mysteries | Bassoons galore!
Quote:
Originally Posted by HermioneGyrl2251  Ok, and their point is? That's not anything a Potter fan wouldn't know. You have to remember too, though, that as Harry Potter fans, we know this based on what we read - these guys are actually trying to prove it through medicine.
I think it's crazy that they're theorizing on all of this, much less posting articles in the British Medical Journal on it ... kinda cool, though. 
__________________ Zoe loves Caitlin the MOST! *glomps*  Jess loves and misses Cait more than youuuu!! <33 | |
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12-21-2007, 03:58 PM
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#6 (permalink)
| | Chizpurfle
Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Wherever
Posts: 10,475
Hogwarts RPG Name:
Christian Lestat Black
Fifth Year
Ministry RPG Name:
Bethany Marie Dumont
Magical Law Enforcement |
I'll admit that it's cool, a little wierd, but cool.
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12-21-2007, 04:52 PM
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#7 (permalink)
| | Kneazle
Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: England.
Posts: 22,372
| I'M A GLEEK! | | Rupert & McAvoy ♥ I'm a Cutie Patootie
I thought we already knew this? They just made it sound more scientific and smart. 
__________________ 
'Your girlfriend is not more important
than the whole universe!'
'SHE IS TO ME!' | |
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12-21-2007, 04:57 PM
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#8 (permalink)
| | Puffskein
Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Noble House of Black
Posts: 1,034
Hogwarts RPG Name:
Alexandra Stuart Black
Ministry RPG Name:
Stacy Emma Ross
Magical Transportation |
You learn something new every day..
__________________ ~I'm Curry the House Elf~   | |
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12-21-2007, 04:59 PM
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#9 (permalink)
| | Re'em
Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Cloud 9,000
Posts: 19,633
Hogwarts RPG Name:
Phineas Fischer
Fourth Year | *snortles* MAMA!Shroom
Well, no kidding.
Harry Potter's great, we all know this. But it is, after all, fictional. A medical journal investigating magical genetics, while interesting, sort of fuels the fire of Christian fundamentalists. They say, like, "Harry Potter would be stoned for being a wizard blah blah". And they're right. He probably would...if he were real (and for that matter, if it were even common in modern society, which it isn't). And he's like, not. It's just dangerous territory. Next thing you know they'll be trying to figure out where Muggle-borns get their magic from! | |
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12-21-2007, 05:24 PM
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#10 (permalink)
| | Pygmy Puff
Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: In a pineapple. <3
Posts: 18,309
Hogwarts RPG Name:
Emerson Gray.
Fourth Year | G1GGL3R! *giggles* My GarBear
Umm, not too sure about this... | |
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12-21-2007, 06:01 PM
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#11 (permalink)
| | Ashwinder
Join Date: May 2004 Location: USA
Posts: 13,555
| Ultimate Potterite Original original
We already know that magic is inherited in the Wizarding world of Harry Potter. But are they really talking about reality and magic? Because, I do believe in magic and all, but it's a bit strange... | |
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12-21-2007, 06:50 PM
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#12 (permalink)
| | Jobberknoll
Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Mexico.
Posts: 4,063
Hogwarts RPG Name:
Ginny
First Year |
Something new about the discovery of America, the invention of black floss and warm water?
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12-21-2007, 07:52 PM
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#13 (permalink)
| | Moke
Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: New Orleaaanss!
Posts: 8,554
Hogwarts RPG Name:
Katelyn Quillio
Fifth Year | Aquila Pacis
I thought we already knew this..*shrugs* at least scientist think HP is something to theorize about...*raises eyebrow*
__________________
*ish confused* ha! | |
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12-21-2007, 08:07 PM
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#14 (permalink)
|  Pepper Pirate
Fang & Fluffy's DogwalkerGnome
Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Granny's house.
Posts: 293
Hogwarts RPG Name:
Arabella Redstone
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Hmm...these are proffesional scientists, correct? Shouldn't they be spending their time researching something more important, like a cure for cancer, global warming, things like that? Harry Potter is fictional. I don't think it takes a scientist to figure that out.
__________________ From the Purple Ladybug to the Green Pepper
Happy Seventeen!
Thanks Marie!! <3 | |
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12-21-2007, 08:15 PM
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#15 (permalink)
| | Puffskein
Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: The U.S. of A.
Posts: 2,091
Hogwarts RPG Name:
Kim Granger
Fourth Year
Ministry RPG Name:
Sofia M. Mainella
Magical Transportation |
I don't think we should be paying for scientists to be researching things like this. Harry Potter is fictional, even though many of us wish it wasn't, but I think looking for how to prevent global warming would be a better use of time.
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12-21-2007, 08:30 PM
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#16 (permalink)
| Formerly: hrmy_lvr_4evr  Love DetectiveJobberknoll
Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Pigfarts?
Posts: 4,210
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Sixth Year
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Magical Creatures | Fiyero ♥ | RED VINES! | FOR NARNIAAAAAAAAAAA | "Always." ♥| SupermegafoxyAWESOMEhot!
Wish I had wizard genes.
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12-21-2007, 08:34 PM
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#17 (permalink)
| | Mackled Malaclaw
Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Maryland
Posts: 11,247
Ministry RPG Name:
Jermey Jackston
| Book Club Babe
This is a waste of scientific knowledge on something that is fictional
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12-21-2007, 08:39 PM
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#18 (permalink)
| | Chizpurfle
Join Date: Dec 2005
Posts: 10,113
Hogwarts RPG Name:
Sinead Murphy
First Year
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Daisy Kiera Fields
 x1
| Feathery Thingywhatsit | BookSnake
This is cool, but I'm not sure there is really anything scientific about Harry's genes. It's in Jo's head, not in a genetic pool. | |
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12-21-2007, 08:42 PM
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#19 (permalink)
|  Dumbledore's GargoyleMooncalf
Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Small-Town, USA
Posts: 6,682
| Foreign Intrigue
Must they analyze EVERYTHING? I really think it's quite pointless. Like analyzing imagination.
__________________
what's the worst thing that could happen? you've got to take the chance.
everyone will tell you not to/but no one understands.
D o n' t D i e W o n d e r i n g
silly little charmer/with that sparkle in your eye
seize your hope and kiss them all goodbye. | |
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12-21-2007, 08:52 PM
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#20 (permalink)
| | Swedish Short-Snout
Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Wangdoodleland.
Posts: 31,294
| Russian Dancing Snake-Twin | Jam Pony Rider | Has Snuffed It!
Some people think too much.
However aren't they wrong? I mean little Teddy Lupin inherited Tonks' Metamorphagus genes, didn't he? And they're saying it isn't possible.
Weird, weird people.
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12-21-2007, 09:31 PM
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#21 (permalink)
| | Horklump
Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Washington
Posts: 39
Hogwarts RPG Name:
Threeaquila
Fourth |
interesting but what about werewolf genes like remuses son (the names escapes me now)
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12-21-2007, 09:50 PM
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#22 (permalink)
| | Chizpurfle
Join Date: May 2005 Location: Cyberspace.
Posts: 10,451
| Kitty Momma Rachel's Brain Twin
Or perhaps its a sort of energy, as in my opinion, the magic in HP is kind of similar to telekinesis/energy only channeled oftenmost through use of a wand - and even the magic in Eragon is slightly similar to it too and for the very same reason. And I think this idea could be backed up as when one reads over the bit when Harry is learning to produce the partonus charm, we learn that one's energy depletes as the magic draws from the caster's strength/stamina. So, I don't think JK meant magic to have much to do with genes at all, though I'm sure that if this was actually in the real world that genes would probably play a part, I just don't think they would be as totally vital to it as these fellows are tying to imply. For instance, why could Mrs. Figg be a Squib and then years and years later suddenly develop magical abilities (if even uncontrolled/untrained)? Genes don't just switch on and off like that... Anyway lol.
Quote:
interesting but what about werewolf genes like remuses son (the names escapes me now)
Personally, if it were real, I think that it would be classified as type of mutation. Like how people can catch colds, flus and viruses (or kind of like how people can catch hepatitis through contact with someone else's blood who has it etc).
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12-21-2007, 11:47 PM
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#23 (permalink)
| George's Ear Jarvey
Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Southampton/England
Posts: 562
Hogwarts RPG Name:
Narisa Carter
First Year |
HaHa That to me just states the obvious lol But it is kind of cool....weird...but cool XD
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12-22-2007, 03:09 AM
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#24 (permalink)
|  DIMC & DMGSDiricawl
Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Pride Rock
Posts: 26,771
Diagon Alley Employee:
Maia Denton
Daily Prophet Reporter  x5 x2
| Yay, Hamlet! • Cathopper • Disney Fanatic • I was normal once...
Scientific, but brilliant 
__________________
_______________________________You may hate me, but it ain't no lie: bye bye bye. | |
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12-22-2007, 04:11 AM
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#25 (permalink)
| | Puffskein
Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Kent
Posts: 1,284
Hogwarts RPG Name:
unsorted
|  Emma Enthusiast
nice to see such a prestigious uni like Oxford involved in such a research.cool.they do think HP is serious stuff.unlike many who alwiz think hp is 4 kids.d-uh.  | |
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