Dr. Oded Rechavi: Genes & the Inheritance of Memories Across Generations | Huberman Lab Podcast

In this episode, my guest is Oded Rechavi, Ph.D., professor of neurobiology at Tel Aviv University and expert in how genes are inherited, how experiences shape genes and remarkably, how some memories of experiences can be passed via genes to offspring. We discuss his research challenging long-held tenets of genetic inheritance and the relevance of those findings to understanding key biological and psychological processes including metabolism, stress and trauma. He describes the history of the scientific exploration of the “heritability of acquired traits” and how epigenetics and RNA biology can account for some of the passage of certain experience-based memories. He discusses the importance of model organisms in scientific research and describes his work on how stressors and memories can be passed through small RNA molecules to multiple generations of offspring in ways that meaningfully affect their behavior. Nature vs. nurture is a commonly debated theme; Dr. Rechavi’s work represents a fundamental shift in our understanding of that debate, as well as genetic inheritance, brain function and evolution.

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Timestamps
00:00:00 Dr. Oded Rechavi
00:02:08 Sponsors: ROKA, HVMN, Eight Sleep
00:06:04 DNA, RNA, Protein; Somatic vs. Germ Cells
00:14:36 Lamarckian Evolution, Inheritance of Acquired Traits
00:22:54 Paul Kammerer & Toad Morphology
00:28:52 AG1 (Athletic Greens)
00:30:06 James McConnell & Memory Transfer
00:37:31 Weismann Barrier; Epigenetics
00:45:13 Epigenetic Reprogramming; Imprinted Genes
00:50:43 Nature vs. Nurture; Epigenetics & Offspring
00:59:06 Generational Epigenetic Inheritance
01:09:03 Sponsor: InsideTracker
01:10:20 Model Organisms, C. elegans
01:21:50 C. elegans & Inheritance of Acquired Traits, Small RNAs
01:26:02 RNA Interference, C. elegans & Virus Immunity
01:34:13 RNA Amplification, Multi-Generational Effects
01:38:41 Response Duration & Environment
01:47:50 Generational Memory Transmission, RNA
01:59:36 Germ Cells & Behavior; Body Cues
02:04:48 Transmission of Sexual Choice
02:11:22 Fertility & Human Disease; 3-Parent In Vitro Fertilization (IVF); RNA Testing
02:17:56 Deliberate Cold Exposure, Learning & Memory
02:29:26 Zero-Cost Support, Spotify & Apple Reviews, YouTube Feedback, Sponsors, Momentous, Social Media, Neural Network Newsletter

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[HappyEarhole]

I am native American. I got my first sewing machine when i was a teenager. I grabbed an old pillowcase and made a miniskirt with 3 orange ribbons. I didnt use a pattern, i just grabbed scissors and thread and ribbon and let it rip. Loved that thing and wore it often.

It wasnt until years later i learned the significance of the ribbon skirts in our culture. I cried for a long time. It's really powerful how these memories live through us.

Another example is Frances Bean Cobain had scratched a band name into her door jam. Years later she saw her dad Kurt had done the same thing when he was a kid.

Nature is so powerful.

[fredbucheit]

Watching this episode of Dr. Rechavi talk about the heritability of acquired traits gave me one of the greatest shocks of my life. When I was probably 6 or 8 years old I began to have a recurring dream about an airplane coming out of the sky toward me and I'm frantically running to get under or behind something to escape it. It was an occasional thing, maybe once a month or less, but not at all forgettable as I was very frightened and it would usually cause me to wake up. Over the years, the dream went away. I think sometime around the age of 18 was the last it happened. When I was about 35 years old my father and mother joined me and my wife and children on a camping trip. My father and I were walking along a road in the campground when a plane flew overhead at a very low altitude and at high speed, the noise of the plane was extreme. My father instantly dove headfirst under the closest camper. I was shocked and wondered what happened. My father then explained that the plane instantly brought back the time when he was hit by bullets coming from a plane as he was taking troops to shore on a landing craft in the invasion of north Africa on November 2 of 1942. He was hit by 3 bullets, one of which went through his lung and blew a huge hole in his back. The fellow who was standing beside him died shortly after this event. Fortunately, another soldier was able to get the boat running and took dad to a hospital ship where they did surgery and saved his life. I was born in December of I was watching this video where Dr. Huberman was interviewing Dr. Rechavi and all of a sudden I thought about my dreams and dad's experiences. I had never made the connection prior to this time. I am 79 years old and I am an extreme skeptic. I believe in nothing outside of chemistry and physics. I majored in Physics and came to believe in nothing that can not be shown to be evidence-based. I have been watching videos about Dr. Michael Levin's research on flatworms and how memories seem to be transmittable from one generation to the next in those animals. These are astonishing ideas.

[presmaker]

I'm so happy my children will inherit the knowledge I just gained from this podcast 😊

[rmparikh]

It's already incredible and astounding what topics you have covered on your podcast. Then, you go and cover a topic (inheritance of memories across generations) that I am sure most people would never *imagine* could be true. I can't wait to see what other mindblowing science-based topics you cover next. Thank you for everything that you do. You really are a gift to humanity.

[Yell]

Just discovered your site! I am 82 with no science background (I quit school at age 14). However, being self centered, genetics fascinates me. I had to stop midway your presentation, my brain getting on overload. Several factors were in play. English being my second language, the speaker's accent, plus my basic ignorance of the subject, all made it difficult to follow. I finished listening this morning. Having had my misconceptions challenged, and having the astonishing complexity of life exposed, made for an exciting experience. I was born too early and without the right environment. Instead of expressing myself with paint and brushes, I believe that I would have gone the science road. Thank you. i am looking forward to more enlightening.

[AppreciateGoodMessag]

I have been a genealogist for almost 50 years and became very interested in genetic genealogy as soon as it became a "thing." Due to life events I found myself turning toward gardening as a partial livelihood. I found it seemed I had a knack for it and know my grandfather loved gardening and I spent little time with him when he was gardening, but when I did he mentioned I would make my great-great grandfather proud. I didn't have any idea what he was talking about until thirty years after my grandfather passed. I learned through some genealogy research, my third and fourth great grandfathers worked on developing hybrids adapting plants and trees to grow in different zones within the U.S. They were the "go to" farmers for seeds and and trees in the 1830 when Missouri and Kansas were being settled. I later discovered I inherited more of their shared longer unbroken autosomal segments than four of my siblings. None of whom really showed an interest in gardening at all. I Love this episode.Two of my siblings became outstanding educators. I later discovered they share more DNA with some ancestors who were never know, but I discovered and found they were loved educators. I wonder if this DNA study could explain social attitudes in specific generational increments.

[skmrgoo]

I have one more semester left for my Bsc in biology in Tel Aviv university and I had the pleasure of having dr rechavi as my professor for biology 101 course. I have to say that he is even more impressive in class and when speaking in Hebrew. These podcasts are a treasure trove for all people including future scientists. So THANK you so much 🙏🏼

[swayzy]

It's amazing to see not only someone explain something advanced and hard to comprehend truly but do so in a 2nd language. How impressive. Seriously.

[abrileg]

2:03:55 This study was done in 2013 on Emory University School of Medicine on stressed male mice descendants. It was thought to a first mice generation to be afraid of acetophenone (similar to cherry blossoms). This was done by a first generation of male mice receiving an electrical discharge at the same time they smelled it. Two generations later, when mice descendants were submitted to the floral smell they shocked and avoided the smell. Mice inherited smell sensibility and fear response associated to it

[kayrutledge]

About 35 years ago a friend of mine was telling me she thought she had memories of her “past lives”. I threw out a hypothesis to her as follows—You know Joni, I’ve heard it said that every memory we have causes a “wrinkle” in the brain. Yet we have “wrinkles” in the brain when we are born. Since eye color, disease, etc. can be inherited, couldn’t those “wrinkles” we’re born with possibly be memories we’ve inherited from our ancestors? It left thoughts to ponder. I’ve pondered it for more than 30 years. I can’t wait to watch this podcast to see if it wanders down that path I just mentioned. I wanted to comment before viewing.

[CassidyBisher]

Wow, what an incredible episode! I was absolutely blown away by Oded Rechavi's insights into genetic inheritance and how experiences shape our genes. His research on the heritability of acquired traits challenges long-held beliefs about nature vs. nurture and sheds new light on the complex interplay between genetics and environment. The idea that memories can be passed down through generations via small RNA molecules is mind-boggling, and it opens up a whole new world of possibilities for understanding key biological processes such as metabolism, stress, and trauma. This episode has truly expanded my horizons and left me with a newfound appreciation for the wonders of science.

[AparnaJain]

I loved science growing up. As a career I chose computer science, and enjoyed it, but after started listening to your podcasts, my love for biology and chemistry are resurfacing to the point I get goosebumps thinking about the fact that I will now learn/relearn about genes when I heard the introduction to this episode. This is the kind of joy I didn't think I'd experience, especially now being in my thirties, but most importantly when I don't have to learn science to pass an exam, it's just there for pleasure and self improvement. Words cannot describe this feeling, I guess it's dopamine but I never expected so much release of it while thinking about academics! Lesson here- raise children to love learning and generate pleasure from learning, not just grades. Thank you for these incredible podcasts, Dr. Huberman.

[VanillaLeakTV]

This is a cool topic. I have a good story to tell you about inheritance. I grew up doing flooring, I was first taught by my brother from the time i turned 15 to now, and eventually I quit working for him and now I do my own thing and I specialize in hardwood and tile floors. I recently found out my mothers Grandma did floors as well, and i had no idea. My Grandpa's work is still around today, one example is the floor in the back of Oaks Park roller rink in Portland, OR. My grandfather built the wavy floor in the back of the rink, he specialized in steaming and bending hardwood floors and counters. Without realizing it my brother, his son, and myself carried on his skills and still do floors today 70 years later.

[sandrachilds]

I love that Dr. Rechavi didn't dumb down the information he had to share. One of the best, in my opinion, episodes.

[lorraineevans]

Wow! As a psych grad and a biology high school student many years ago, this podcast was riveting. I am aged 80. Vinaka from Fiji.

[brendapolar]

Blocked out 2 1/2 Hrs of my workday to listen to this important conversation. Thank you Dr. Rechavi and Dr. Huberman for your invaluable contribution to our species.

[dianedevery]

Speaking of inherited traits; I have a first cousin, 2 years younger, who lives in England. I moved to Australia when I was 6 years old and don't remember my cousin except through family stories. My brother and family visited England a few years ago, reuniting with all our English relatives. They were astounded, on spending time with this cousin, by her having many of my mannerisms. She used her hands to articulate conversations in the same manner as me, spoke with the same cadence (although with an English accent), had similiar facial expressions, walked and sat in a similiar manner. They were quite taken aback, wondering if she had been cloned 😂. Fascinating and very interesting. Thank you so much for this episode.

[susanpalavos]

I watched this podcast with a question I have long wondered. I am an old woman who all my life has loved horses. Many horse people have wondered I have talked to all wonder where we got this intense love of an animal no one else in our family had. I didn’t grow up with them or had access to them but from the moment I saw them as a tiny child I was mesmerized. I drove my city born parents crazy. I have had horses since I was a teenager to old age. It is a feeling that is intrinsic, a memory of this love of horses deep down that I have wondered about. My story is not unique. Horse people have called it the horse gene! Over the years I felt that somewhere in my ancestry there had to have been this memory of the love of horses from somewhere passed down in some way. I loved hearing about the exciting science that has opened up and is being studied! It would not surprise me or thousands of “aging horse women” online who have the same vague feeling that this is indeed a memory carried in dna.

[ricardopyrros]

This is why we need free speech in a healthy and productive society. Knowledge is a stock but also a flow.

[RonelldeKlerk-if]

It's so amazing to listen to your podcast, my mother had a stroke when she was 7 months pregnant with me she lost her speech and took 2 yrs to speak again.For years, I had a problem talking in front of people and essential tremor which becomes worse when I'm stressed. Thank you