What is the science behind X-Men?

The original X-Men movie brought the Marvel comics to life for the first time in 2000. And years before the completion of the human genome project or the discovery of CRISPR, this film already opened up interesting questions about genetics when we reflect back 20 years later! In this episode we discuss the science behind X-Men and the politics and ethics of classifying individuals as mutants versus normal. 

SOURCES: // 

Genetic changes happening during puberty: https://www.nature.com/articles/ng.3841

Genetics behind X-men: 

http://www.wiringthebrain.com/2016/03/the-surprising-real-genetics-behind-x.html

We’re all mutants: 

https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/guest-blog/we-re-all-x-men-as-far-as-genetic-mutations-go/

X-men as species: https://archive.nerdist.com/the-genetics-needed-to-make-x-men/

Kinds of mutations: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK22011/

Fixing DNA mistakes: https://www.nature.com/scitable/topicpage/dna-replication-and-causes-of-mutation-409/

Mutation number: https://www.livescience.com/33347-mutants-average-human-60-genetic-mutations.html

Crispr-X-men:

https://www.synthego.com/blog/could-crispr-make-x-men-a-realistic-possibility

Radiation and cancer therapy: 

https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/radiation-therapy/about/pac-20385162