Scientific genetics holds at once the promise of eradicating disease and the threat of altering the very essence of what it means to be human. The Gene: An Intimate History traces the dizzying evolution of this new science as researchers race to identify treatments for genetic diseases, such as cancer and sickle cell anemia, and to perfect tools for rewriting DNA.
Ken Burns Presents The Gene: An Intimate History The Gene: An Intimate History is a four-hour documentary from Ken Burns and Barak Goodman, adapted from the award-winning book of the same name by Dr. Siddhartha Mukherjee. The series tells the story of the rapid evolution of genetic science from Gregor Mendel’s groundbreaking experiment in the 19th century to CRISPR, and the hope that newfound powers to alter DNA with pinpoint precision will transform the treatment of some of the world’s most complex and challenging diseases. The series also tackles the daunting ethical challenges that these technologies pose for humankind. Art credit: pbs.org/thegene
Producer: Barak Goodman
Executive Producer: Ken Burns, Dr. Siddhartha Mukherjee, Dalton Delan, Tom Chiodo, John F. Wilson, Anne Harrington
Production Company: Ark Media Productions; WETA; Florentine Films
Production Year: 2020
Copyright Year: 2020
Rating: TV-14
Narrator: David Costabile
Writers: Geoffrey C. Ward, Barak Goodman, David Blistein
Number of Discs: 2
Length: 240 minutes
Subtitled: Y
Subtitle Languages: English (SDH)
Audio Format: Stereo
Aspect Ratio: 16x9 Widescreen