Giant genome study finds tiny links between genetics and schooling

California.gov

Everyone wants an easy answer to the big questions about genetics—is there a gay gene? A gene for autism? What about for motherhood or for murder?

In nearly every case, the answer is no; instead, genetic traits are often determined by many small mutations across the genome that interact with the environment and peoples’ experiences. Finding these genetic differences and interpreting their effects is incredibly difficult. The studies that identify them, called genome-wide association studies, entail searching the entire genome of many individuals for areas that consistently correlate with specific traits.

Casting such a wide net necessitates a large sample size, since hundreds of thousands of genetic markers are being tested. Until recently, the most extensive genome-wide association study in the social sciences involved about 10,000 individuals. A new study detailed in this week's Science examines the genomes of about 100,000 people across fifteen countries in order to identify genetic markers related to a person’s educational accomplishments.