DNA and Its Human: A Brief History of DNA Identification

On the possibility of identifying a person by their genetic material. The author describes DNA research methods and those who stood at their origins: Sir Alec Jeffreys, who invented DNA fingerprinting; the eccentric Kary Mullis, who managed to multiply a single DNA molecule into significant quantities; and other heroes of the “scientific detective stories.”

The detective line is continued by an account of searching for criminals using DNA analysis—from the Jack the Ripper era to modern maniacs and terrorists. Equally fascinating are historical investigations: who was Rurik—Slav or Scandinavian? How many descendants did Genghis Khan leave behind? Was the Duke of Monmouth the son of the King of England? Why do specialists trust the accuracy of identifying the remains of Nicholas II and his family (and why do non-specialists doubt it)? In conclusion, the listener will learn why it’s impossible to invent biological weapons against a specific ethnic group, whether it’s possible to reconstruct appearance from DNA, and whether it’s dangerous to post your genome on the internet.