# Did we get evolution completely wrong? | Richard Dawkins vs Denis Noble

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nrJ6jDZRESQ
Recap page: https://rapidrecap.app/video/nrJ6jDZRESQ
Generated: 2025-11-06T16:08:41.587+00:00

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## Quick Overview

Biologist Denis Noble argues against Richard Dawkins's view that the inheritance of acquired characteristics (Lamarckism) is irrelevant, pointing to recent experimental evidence showing that epigenetic changes, induced by environmental stress or diet, can be passed down through the germ line, affecting gene expression in subsequent generations, which directly challenges strict Darwinian inheritance.

**Key Points:**
- Denis Noble asserts that organisms effectively choose genes partly through social choices that allow survival, contrasting with pure Darwinian selection.
- Noble cites experiments from 2016 and 2018 showing that environmental factors (like stress or diet) cause epigenetic changes that can be inherited across generations via the germ line.
- The mechanism involves extracellular vesicles carrying information (like fluorescent molecules) from the parent body to the germ line, influencing gene expression in offspring.
- Richard Dawkins initially dismissed Lamarckism, but Noble points out that Dawkins's own work, like 'The Selfish Gene' (1976, republished 2014), has been re-evaluated concerning these inherited epigenetic effects.
- Noble highlights that the changes induced by environmental stress (like starvation or viral infection) are passed to the next generation's germ line, directly affecting gene expression.
- The key difference discussed is that Lamarckism, as currently understood through epigenetics, involves changes that can be inherited, unlike purely genetic mutations.
- The discussion centers on whether these acquired epigenetic changes are significant enough to matter across evolutionary timescales, with Noble arguing they are demonstrable.

![Screenshot at 1:00: Denis Noble passionately making a point about epigenetic inheritance while Richard Dawkins listens intently, setting up the central argument against strict neo-Darwinism regarding acquired traits.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/nrJ6jDZRESQ/00-01-00.png)

**Context:** The video features a panel discussion involving biologist Denis Noble and evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins, moderated by a third person. The core debate revolves around the concept of Lamarckism—the idea that characteristics acquired during an organism's lifetime can be inherited by its offspring—which traditional Darwinian evolution generally rejects. Noble champions recent evidence suggesting that certain environmentally induced epigenetic changes are indeed heritable through the germ line, potentially offering a mechanism for faster, non-genetic inheritance.

## Detailed Analysis

The discussion centers on the validity of Lamarckian inheritance, specifically through epigenetic mechanisms, challenging the purely Darwinian view of inheritance through the germ line only. Denis Noble argues that recent evidence, particularly from experiments conducted in 2016 and 2018 (citing work done at NYU and by Waddington), demonstrates that environmentally induced changes, like those caused by stress or diet, can be passed down epigenetically. Noble explains that extracellular vesicles carry information across the cell membrane and into the nucleus, influencing gene expression in future generations. He explicitly mentions that these changes, such as those affecting immune responses or gene expression in liver/muscle cells, can be inherited by the germ line, which challenges the classical Darwinian view that only DNA sequence changes are inherited. Richard Dawkins initially suggested that Lamarckism was irrelevant, but Noble notes that even Dawkins's own work acknowledges the potential for such effects, although Dawkins remains skeptical about their broad evolutionary significance, suggesting that the effects are often temporary or not properly inherited across many generations. The exchange concludes with an acknowledgment that while the mechanisms are understood (like those affecting the immune system or muscle development), the long-term significance and correct evolutionary interpretation of these epigenetic inheritance findings remain points of contention.

### Lamarckism vs. Darwinism

- Organisms effectively choose genes partly through social choices; Dawkins's initial dismissal of Lamarckism is challenged by modern epigenetic evidence.

### Experimental Evidence

- Experiments from 2016 and 2018 (NYU, Waddington) show that environmental stress (like viral infection) causes epigenetic changes passed via extracellular vesicles to the germ line.

### Mechanism of Inheritance

- Epigenetic changes, such as altered gene expression in liver or muscle cells, or immune responses, can be inherited across generations.

### Waddington's Influence

- Waddington's work on developmental plasticity and inheritance of acquired characteristics is cited as being relevant, although Dawkins suggests it was misinterpreted as selection rather than adaptation.

### Implications for Evolution

- Noble argues that if these epigenetic changes are inherited over many generations, it implies a form of inheritance beyond strict DNA sequence mutation, forcing evolutionary biology to catch up.

![Screenshot at 0:00: The panel, featuring Denis Noble \(left\), a moderator \(center\), and Richard Dawkins \(right\), gathered on stage for the discussion.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/nrJ6jDZRESQ/00-00-00.png)
![Screenshot at 0:22: Richard Dawkins actively gesturing while discussing the perfection of Darwinian selection in relation to social choices.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/nrJ6jDZRESQ/00-00-22.png)
![Screenshot at 1:06: A graphic overlay identifies Denis Noble as a Biologist during his explanation.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/nrJ6jDZRESQ/00-01-06.png)
![Screenshot at 1:55: Denis Noble elaborating on the mechanism of how environmental stress can lead to inherited changes.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/nrJ6jDZRESQ/00-01-55.png)
![Screenshot at 3:38: Denis Noble emphatically pointing while contrasting Darwinian selection with Lamarckian inheritance.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/nrJ6jDZRESQ/00-03-38.png)
![Screenshot at 4:14: Denis Noble using hand gestures to illustrate the scale and mechanism of epigenetic change transmission.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/nrJ6jDZRESQ/00-04-14.png)
![Screenshot at 5:55: Richard Dawkins appearing thoughtful while the moderator reads from notes.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/nrJ6jDZRESQ/00-05-55.png)
![Screenshot at 11:12: Denis Noble detailing the experiments conducted by C.H. Waddington on fruit flies showing induced changes.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/nrJ6jDZRESQ/00-11-12.png)
![Screenshot at 13:00: Richard Dawkins humorously agreeing with the point about Lamarck's influence, referencing the '6th edition' of Darwin.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/nrJ6jDZRESQ/00-13-00.png)