• JusticeForPorygon@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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    4 days ago

    I remember reading somewhere that he did those studies because a bunch of his kids died young and he wondered if the inbreeding had something to do with it.

    • Denjin@feddit.uk
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      4 days ago

      Nah. Most of their children were entirely healthy and happy and grew to become successful adults. 2 died of ill health during infancy, which in the 1840s wasn’t uncommon. And one of them was because he had Down’s Syndrome due to the mother being 48 at the time of his birth.

      It was the death of his second daughter Annie that affected him and he blamed himself for her death of from tuberculosis, wrongly believing it was a family trip to the beach which caused her to catch a cold.

  • captainlezbian@lemmy.world
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    4 days ago

    Iirc he felt bad about it but really loved her. Which is fair, I just dont think thats how you’re supposed to act on loving your cousin

  • bigfondue@lemmy.world
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    4 days ago

    Einstein married his cousin also. These guys were pretty smart, so maybe they know something we don’t.

    • Forester@pawb.social
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      4 days ago

      Prior to the 1900s and the invention of the automobile, it was quite common. Biologically there is not a major concern if you share grandparents but not parents. The issues only start to pop up with repeated mixings when no new DNA is inserted into the mix as ressive traits will be inherited

      Not that I’m condoning it

      • bigfondue@lemmy.world
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        4 days ago

        Einstein’s second wife was his first cousin on his mother’s side and second cousin on his father’s side. That is probably not so good, although they didn’t have any kids. Einstein’s children were all from his first marriage.

        • peoplebeproblems@midwest.social
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          4 days ago

          Look I ain’t saying my cousin is hot. I ain’t saying she ain’t either.

          Man when I was 11 and she switched into her Bikini at the river… Goddamn. I ain’t seen a sight that interesting ever before that. My ma said everyone knew exactly what was going on because my jaw was dropped and I was just starin’. My Gramma apparently told my pops “well, on the bright side, looks like future great grandkids are a possibility.”

          The rest of that vacation I wouldn’t leave her side. Became her best friend. Did not get to see her in that bikini again.

          One time though I think it might’ve been at dinner that night, my brother broke a wire in his braces. ‘Course she had braces too, and came prepared with the wax to prevent the pokin’. I thought my brother was going to wad it up and do it himself.

          No, sirree, instead she delicately handles the wax and gets her long well washed and manicured fingers in his mouth gently moving through to pop that blob of wax on. My ma said everyone knew exactly what was going on because my jaw was dropped and I was just starin’.

          Anyway, yeah.

          Edit: Holy crap another memory just returned to me too. Two years later, so I woulda been 13, and she was 16? She had a kid. Damn near broke my brain.

          • TropicalDingdong@lemmy.world
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            4 days ago

            at least two of the most genius level scientists the world has ever known thought that cussy was fire. You might be missing out.