Genomes, Ancestry, and the Sweep of History

The human genome contains about 3 billion base pairs of DNA. Not only does the genome contain the instructions needed to develop a living, breathing, human being, but it can also reveal insights about our shared history. In recent years, studies examining DNA from both living humans and ancient remains have revealed much about the history of our species including our migration from Africa to other parts of the globe, our interactions with other human species, and how related we actually are to each other.

Our featured speaker, Ryan Zhang, will discuss some of the most interesting and surprising findings from human genetics research in recent years. In addition, he will also discuss what this research shows about our ancestry, the concept of race, and our cultural and ethnic origins.

Ryan Zhang graduated with a Bachelor’s of Science degree from the University of Toronto majoring in Human Biology and minoring in History. He is currently a second-year student of the Environmental Technology Program at Georgian College and aspires to become a professional in the environmental field when he graduates. He is intensely curious and enjoys keeping fish, learning about nature, listening to history podcasts, and obsessively reading Wikipedia articles for fun.

Every week we gather to be inspired, entertained, motivated and build our secular community in Downtown Toronto. Our core values are: People are more important than beliefs. Reality is known through reason. Meaning comes from making a difference. Human hands solve human problems. Be accepting and be accepted. Check out our website: www.torontooasis.org.