3826 - Lysenko and the rise of pseudoscience in the Soviet Union, 1929-1965: a cautionary tale (Paul Tribble)
Course Description
Instructor: Paul Tribble
This 90-minute presentation will examine the extraordinary rise of Trofim Lysenko, whose scientifically discredited theories of heredity came to dominate Soviet biology under Joseph Stalin from the 1930s through the 1960s. We will explore how political ideology, personal ambition, suppression of dissent, and government power transformed pseudoscience into official doctrine—with devastating consequences for Soviet genetics, agriculture, and scientists who dared to challenge it. Finally, we will consider what the Lysenko affair can teach us today about the continuing danger of allowing political beliefs, ideology, or misinformation to override scientific evidence, including its relevance to contemporary debates in the United States.
Bio: Paul Tribble’s career was in public health, where he worked for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for 23 years. He is interested in the current challenges pertaining to maintaining science-based health interventions and recommendations in a world of misinformation via social media