Feb 10
Math/Stats Colloquium: Jedidiah Carlson, Macalester College
Tue, February 10, 2026
• 4:00pm
- 5:00pm (1h) • Leighton 305
Title: "All Science for War": How Far-Right Extremists Weaponize Genetics Research
Abstract: In recent years, there has been a resurgence of research papers that claim to establish evidence of strong genetic influences on human behavior and socioeconomic outcomes. This body of work has emboldened far-right extremist groups and helped lay the ideological groundwork for both stochastic and state-sponsored violence against marginalized communities. In this talk, I deconstruct how such studies perpetuate narratives of genetic determinism by employing statistical models that exploit the inextricable confounding between genetic and non-genetic causes (e.g., inherited wealth). Then, using metaresearch and scientometric techniques, I show how far-right extremist propaganda networks consume and weaponize these research papers. I conclude with a discussion of how the scientific community might respond to and counteract these distortions of scientific truth.
*Carleton community only.
Event Contact: Sue Jandro