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Think outside the cauldron: How can science explain the magical world of Harry Potter? In her series of beloved books, author J.K. Rowling sets up an enchanting shadow community of witches and wizards who can perform almost any task using magic. The basic rules of physics don’t seem to apply, as they can defy gravity with flying brooms, change mass by assuming an animal form, and travel nearly as fast as light by the magical mode of apparition. Even basic chemistry is no match for a witch as she whips up a potion or elixir.
There is a basic biological principal, however, that remains intact: The ability to use magic is a genetically determined trait. Eric Spana, an assistant professor in the practice of biology at Duke University, uses the powers of science to explain the legacy of the wizarding gene.
Using genetics and genomic explanations drawn from science, he examines the pattern by which magical characteristics are passed on in the world of the novels, in the process answering questions such as why Hermione Granger became a witch and Argus Filch didn’t become a wizard. Even if an owl failed to deliver a letter on your 11th birthday, Spana offers some hope: You might be a witch or wizard nonetheless.
No genetics knowledge is necessary, and the scientific content is appropriate for students age 13 and older. So if you’re a Harry Potter fan (or know someone who is), this entertaining and informative program might be just your goblet of Gillywater.
Spana regularly uses science fiction and fantasy culture in his courses at Duke to teach the tenets of genetics, genomics, and developmental and molecular biology.
