We work out to become stronger; we learn to possess new knowledge; we practice to get better at sports. Throughout life, we experience, fail and learn; some memories may be traumatic, others euphoric. Our journey through life is unique, and many of our memories may stay with us to the grave—or so common sense has us believe. What if there was a world where our muscles gained while working out, topics learned at school and even our memories could be passed down to our children? What if that world could be the one we’re living in today? 

Transgenerational memories seem as if they go against established science and common sense. How could an acquired trait such as knowledge be passed down genetically? To begin, the widely accepted theory of Darwinism, developed by the naturalist Charles Darwin in 1859, is a beautifully simple explanation to the complex topic of the evolution of species. It states, in short, that genes passed onto offspring have a chance to mutate; the beneficial mutations will be more likely to be passed on, while the harmful ones will be phased out due to competition. Darwinism provides the basis for natural selection and evolution as we know it today. However, Darwinism opposes the theory of genetic memory, as only genes can be passed down, not acquired traits. 

Finally, after learning the basics of Darwinism, let’s take a look into the controversial and tragic history of genetic memory. Originating from 1809, Jean Baptiste Lamarck, a French naturalist, came up with the idea that acquired traits modify organs, and these modifications are then passed on. Unlike Darwin, who believed evolution was down to luck, Lamarck claimed that organisms mutate systematically to strive towards perfection. However, Lamarck’s theory was disproved later in 1930 due to a lack of evidence, and, as the trend goes, superseded by Darwinism. After Lamarck, the next notable scientist to bring up the idea of transgenerational biology, a man by the name of Paul Krammerer, was ridiculed due to his theory to the point where he ended his life. Again, Darwinism trampled the opposing theory. 

The next notable step in transgenerational memory came at the hands of the Nazis. In 1944, the Nazis cut off supplies to the Netherlands, leaving the people to starve. By the time the war was over in 1945, over 20,000 people had died of starvation. However, the effects on the Dutch did not end at the death tolls and were passed onto the next generation. From the 2013 research of Dr. Lumey, an epidemiologist at Columbia University, it was shown that the children who were conceived during the famine grew up to be heavier than average and showed higher rates for obesity, diabetes and schizophrenia. After going through the death records of all Dutch people born during the time of the famine, it was found that they had a staggering 10% increase in mortality after the age of 68. Again, we face the same question: how can the experiences and acquired traits of the parent transfer to their offspring? 

In order to get a better understanding, we will have to move away from the complex structures that are humans and focus our attention onto worms. Specifically the C-elegans, chosen for their simplicity and short lifespans. From the works of Dr. Oded Rechavi, it was found that the worms can indeed pass on acquired traits, not only her genes. One of the factors that makes C-elegans almost impervious to disease is their ability to combat viruses and pass on the same antivirus to their offspring. The antivirus was passed on in the form of RNAs, a close cousin of DNA, which works to turn on and off specific genes. Moving back to the case of the Dutch Famine, Dr. Rechavi also starved the much simpler worms. It was discovered that in the worms that were starved, small RNAs were produced to regulate the nutrition related genes. Interestingly, the same RNAs were passed down to the worms’ offspring, even though they were not exposed to starvation. The offspring of the starved worms also showed higher resistance to famine and regulated nutrition better. The end conclusion was that, in C-elegans, they can transfer acquired traits through RNAs. The experiment regarding starving the worms may also give an explanation to the curious Dutch Famine case. It could be argued that humans are a much more sophisticated organism than C-elegans; however, many things discovered in simple organisms were also later found to be true in humans. To add on, there have been other promising studies conducted to research transgenerational memories. For example, a study conducted on rats shows overwhelming evidence pointing towards the passing down of fear. 

Transgenerational memories may affect worms, rats and possibly in humans in the case of the Dutch Famine; however, what consequences does this have? To make the point clear, discovering the existence of transgenerational memories does not suddenly have an effect on us directly, as it would have been present since the dawn of time. This does not mean that the consequences would be anywhere near monumental. First and foremost, the cornerstones of biology would be shaken; the third law specifically: “all living organisms arose in an evolutionary process”. Furthermore all the laws built on Darwin’s theories will need to be viewed with skepticism. Transgenerational memories might also be the key to many breakthroughs that will reshape how we see the body’s workings. 

Before you get your hopes up about transgenerational memory, however, understand that this field is quite undeveloped and filled with controversy. Even with proof, the scientific community is overall skeptical, and there are still many unknowns about the theory. The possibility that our actions today could alter our future generation’s genes is still astonishing; maybe it will make you think before you make some decisions.