What large-scale genomic data reveals about consanguinity, inherited disease, and the uneasy politics of discussing biological risk.

Quillette is an Australian-based online magazine that focuses on long-form analysis and cultural commentary. It is politically non-partisan, but relies on reason, science, and humanism as its guiding values. Quillette was founded in 2015 by Australian writer Claire Lehmann. It is a platform for free thought and a space for open discussion and debate on a wide range of topics, including politics, culture, science, and technology. Quillette has gained attention for publishing articles and essays that challenge modern orthodoxy on a variety of topics, including gender and sexuality, race and identity politics, and free speech and censorship. --- Quillette's revenue comes from our readers. We are a grassroots organisation that relies on voluntary subscriptions and community membership as our primary revenue stream. Support Quillette by becoming a subscriber: https://quillette.com/#/portal/signup Or donate send us a one-off tip: https://quillette.com/#/portal/support We made our website using Ghost, a powerful app for new-media creators to publish, share, and grow a business around their content. It comes with modern tools to build a website, publish content, send newsletters & offer paid subscriptions to members. Try it here: https://ghost.org/?via=claire91

Did Ilhan Omar marry her brother? The claim has circulated online since 2016 and resurfaces with predictable regularity—most recently during the 2025 U.S. election cycle. It has been repeatedly investigated and dismissed. There is no DNA evidence, no confirmed documentation, and no substantiated proof. But the persistence of the rumour points to something deeper than partisan scandal. This video sets aside political gossip to examine a more fundamental issue: what actually happens—biologically—when humans mate with close relatives? From ancient history and royal dynasties to modern genomics and public-health data, we explore how consanguinity (cousin marriage) and endogamy shape genetic risk, disease prevalence, and population health. Drawing on advances in genomic science, including runs of homozygosity (ROH), the video explains why reduced genetic diversity increases the likelihood of recessive disorders, developmental delays, and early mortality—and why these risks appear consistently across cultures and geographies. We also address why discussing these findings has become politically sensitive in liberal democracies, even when the evidence is clear and the public-health implications are substantial. The science discussed here is drawn from peer-reviewed research and the work of biologist Francisco Ceballos, published in Quillette: https://quillette.com/2025/12/03/a-brief-history-of-inbreeding/ 00:00 ❌ The Ilhan Omar “brother marriage” claim — false and repeatedly debunked since 2016 29:00 🌍 Why fear of inbreeding predates modern politics, rooted in ancient myth and medicine 42:00 👑 How historical elites used cousin, uncle–niece, and sibling marriage to consolidate power 01:09:00 🔄 Two paths to inbreeding: accidental endogamy vs deliberate consanguinity 01:51:00 💍 Why cousin marriage persists — wealth, clan strength, and tradition 02:18:00 ⛪ Religious approaches to cousin marriage: Church bans, dispensations, and Islamic precedent 02:59:00 🧬 Homozygosity explained — how runs of homozygosity (ROH) reveal genetic kinship 03:54:00 ⚠️ Why increased homozygosity raises disease risk — and why everyone carries some 04:22:00 📉 First-cousin offspring face 5–7× higher rare-disease risk and inbreeding depression 04:52:00 🇬🇧 Bradford case study: 181% higher child mortality despite universal healthcare 05:35:00 📊 Global data: Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar show consistent genetic effects 06:04:00 🔬 Meta-analysis of 48,000 consanguineous unions: 4.4% higher pre-reproductive mortality 06:19:00 🚫 Why discussing genetic risk became taboo — NHS guidance withdrawn 07:13:00 🌐 10% of the global population descends from cousin unions — biology demands honesty 07:41:00 📚 Based on Francisco Ceballos’ Quillette essay on inbreeding, genetics, and human history ------ Quillette is an Australian-based online magazine that focuses on long-form analysis and cultural commentary. It is politically non-partisan, but relies on reason, science, and humanism as its guiding values. Quillette was founded in 2015 by Australian writer Claire Lehmann. It is a platform for free thought and a space for open discussion and debate on a wide range of topics, including politics, culture, science, and technology. Quillette has gained attention for publishing articles and essays that challenge modern orthodoxy on a variety of topics, including gender and sexuality, race and identity politics, and free speech and censorship. --- Quillette's revenue comes from our readers. We are a grassroots organisation that relies on voluntary subscriptions and community membership as our primary revenue stream. Support Quillette by becoming a subscriber: https://quillette.com/#/portal/signup Or donate send us a one-off tip: https://quillette.com/#/portal/support We made our website using Ghost, a powerful app for new-media creators to publish, share, and grow a business around their content. It comes with modern tools to build a website, publish content, send newsletters & offer paid subscriptions to members. Try it here: https://ghost.org/?via=claire91

The Third-Worldist roots of the Islamic Republic.

Any invasion of Greenland would be a logistical nightmare with no economic upside.

Quillette is an Australian-based online magazine that focuses on long-form analysis and cultural commentary. It is politically non-partisan, but relies on reason, science, and humanism as its guiding values. Quillette was founded in 2015 by Australian writer Claire Lehmann. It is a platform for free thought and a space for open discussion and debate on a wide range of topics, including politics, culture, science, and technology. Quillette has gained attention for publishing articles and essays that challenge modern orthodoxy on a variety of topics, including gender and sexuality, race and identity politics, and free speech and censorship. --- Quillette's revenue comes from our readers. We are a grassroots organisation that relies on voluntary subscriptions and community membership as our primary revenue stream. Support Quillette by becoming a subscriber: https://quillette.com/#/portal/signup Or donate send us a one-off tip: https://quillette.com/#/portal/support We made our website using Ghost, a powerful app for new-media creators to publish, share, and grow a business around their content. It comes with modern tools to build a website, publish content, send newsletters & offer paid subscriptions to members. Try it here: https://ghost.org/?via=claire91

Trump’s assault on the Federal Reserve demands a structural solution: rules-based monetary policy that protects central bank independence whilst delivering better economic results.

Nature is sexist. Technology is the equaliser.

"Everyone says, 'Nobody wants their country bombed.' But Iranians want their country bombed right now."⁠ ⁠ Shay Khatiri reveals the intense desire among Iranians for foreign intervention amidst ongoing turmoil.⁠ Watch, read or listen to more here: https://quillette.com/2026/01/20/inside-irans-deadly-protests-with-shay-khatiri-quillette-cetera-ep-61/ #IranProtests #Iran #irgcterrorists

A reply to Bruce Gilley.

When combined thoughtfully with traditional historical methods, analysis of ancient DNA can illuminate the lives, characters, and motivations of people long dead. 

This final episode brings together all the evidence—trial testimony, phone records, witness statements, post-conviction filings, and decades of advocacy—to assess the case against Adnan Syed as a whole. Andrew Hammel argues that despite shifting media narratives, the core evidence has remained stable since 1999 and continues to point to Syed’s guilt. Hammel reviews the timeline, Jay Wilds’s corroborated testimony, the cell records, the significance of the Nisha call, the location of Hae Min Lee’s car, and Syed’s changing accounts. He also addresses common innocence claims, explaining why many popular theories collapse under closer scrutiny. The chapter concludes by reflecting on how Serial and the broader true-crime ecosystem reshaped public perception, and how the case illustrates the dangers of elevating storytelling over documented fact. This video is a direct narration of Andrew Hammel’s long-form essay, published in Quillette on 22 May 2023: https://quillette.com/2023/05/22/the-wrongful-exoneration-of-adnan-syed-ii/ For more independent journalism and long-form analysis, visit Quillette.com. Andrew Hammel is an American writer, translator, and lawyer living in Germany, and the author of numerous books and essays on criminal law and policy. ----- Quillette is an Australian-based online magazine that focuses on long-form analysis and cultural commentary. It is politically non-partisan, but relies on reason, science, and humanism as its guiding values. Quillette was founded in 2015 by Australian writer Claire Lehmann. It is a platform for free thought and a space for open discussion and debate on a wide range of topics, including politics, culture, science, and technology. Quillette has gained attention for publishing articles and essays that challenge modern orthodoxy on a variety of topics, including gender and sexuality, race and identity politics, and free speech and censorship. --- Quillette's revenue comes from our readers. We are a grassroots organisation that relies on voluntary subscriptions and community membership as our primary revenue stream. Support Quillette by becoming a subscriber: https://quillette.com/#/portal/signup Or donate send us a one-off tip: https://quillette.com/#/portal/support We made our website using Ghost, a powerful app for new-media creators to publish, share, and grow a business around their content. It comes with modern tools to build a website, publish content, send newsletters & offer paid subscriptions to members. Try it here: https://ghost.org/?via=claire91

An Iranian-born political analyst breaks down the origins of Iran’s latest protest movement, the regime’s brutal response, and what a political transition could look like.

Shay Khatiri is one of the most clear-eyed analysts of Iran’s regime and its role in global geopolitics. Raised in the Islamic Republic before escaping to the U.S., he now serves as Vice President and Senior Fellow at the Yorktown Institute and writes The Russia–Iran File, a Substack dissecting the domestic and foreign policy strategies of both regimes. His work has appeared in The Wall Street Journal, National Review, The Bulwark, Providence, and Quillette. In this episode, he joins Zoe to unpack the roots of Iran’s latest deadly protests, including the regime’s use of pellet guns and hospital raids to suppress dissent. He explains why so many Iranians are calling for foreign military intervention, what a post-regime Iran might look like, and why he believes a constitutional monarchy—led by Reza Pahlavi—offers the best hope for stability. They also discuss the role of the diaspora, the rise of underground Christianity, and why the West’s inaction may extinguish Iran’s last chance at revolution. Chapters 00:00 Introduction and Context of Protests 03:38 Historical Overview of Iranian Protests 06:42 The Nature of Violence in Protests 14:15 Reza Pahlavi's Role in Opposition 19:02 Potential Outcomes of Regime Change 21:39 The State of Religion and Identity in Iran 24:53 Life for Jews in Iran 31:03 The MEK and Its Controversial Role 33:26 The Current Political Climate in Iran 43:22 Communication and Desperation in Iran 54:22 The Future of Iran and the Role of the Diaspora --- Quillette is an Australian-based online magazine that focuses on long-form analysis and cultural commentary. It is politically non-partisan, but relies on reason, science, and humanism as its guiding values. Quillette was founded in 2015 by Australian writer Claire Lehmann. It is a platform for free thought and a space for open discussion and debate on a wide range of topics, including politics, culture, science, and technology. Quillette has gained attention for publishing articles and essays that challenge modern orthodoxy on a variety of topics, including gender and sexuality, race and identity politics, and free speech and censorship. --- Quillette's revenue comes from our readers. We are a grassroots organisation that relies on voluntary subscriptions and community membership as our primary revenue stream. Support Quillette by becoming a subscriber: https://quillette.com/#/portal/signup Or donate send us a one-off tip: https://quillette.com/#/portal/support We made our website using Ghost, a powerful app for new-media creators to publish, share, and grow a business around their content. It comes with modern tools to build a website, publish content, send newsletters & offer paid subscriptions to members. Try it here: https://ghost.org/?via=claire91

Former BBC journalist Graham Majin on the dominant narratives shaping Israel–Palestine. Quillette podcast host Jonathan Kay talks to Graham Majin about the recent scandal at the BBC, and the need for reporters to prevent the ‘poison of narrative’ from corrupting their craft. More at the link in bio.

Tasmania has all the majesty of other windswept high-latitude places, but it has always been less barren, more hospitable, more generous in its beauty.

This episode examines the extraordinary 2023 decision in which Maryland’s Court of Appeals reinstated Adnan Syed’s murder conviction. Andrew Hammel explains why the court found the 2022 vacatur hearing improper, why the victim’s family was entitled to more notice, and how procedural shortcuts and thin evidentiary claims undermined the State’s motion to vacate. Hammel outlines the court’s reasoning, the legal standards at issue, and the broader implications for victims’ rights and prosecutorial discretion. He also details how the reinstatement left Syed convicted once again—pending further appeals—and why the ruling was a decisive rebuke of the narrative that led to his release. This video is a direct narration of Andrew Hammel’s long-form essay, published in Quillette on 22 May 2023: https://quillette.com/2023/05/22/the-wrongful-exoneration-of-adnan-syed-ii/ For more independent journalism and long-form analysis, visit Quillette.com. Andrew Hammel is an American writer, translator, and lawyer living in Germany. He has published numerous books, scholarly articles, and essays on criminal law and policy in the United States and elsewhere. ----- Quillette is an Australian-based online magazine that focuses on long-form analysis and cultural commentary. It is politically non-partisan, but relies on reason, science, and humanism as its guiding values. Quillette was founded in 2015 by Australian writer Claire Lehmann. It is a platform for free thought and a space for open discussion and debate on a wide range of topics, including politics, culture, science, and technology. Quillette has gained attention for publishing articles and essays that challenge modern orthodoxy on a variety of topics, including gender and sexuality, race and identity politics, and free speech and censorship. --- Quillette's revenue comes from our readers. We are a grassroots organisation that relies on voluntary subscriptions and community membership as our primary revenue stream. Support Quillette by becoming a subscriber: https://quillette.com/#/portal/signup Or donate send us a one-off tip: https://quillette.com/#/portal/support We made our website using Ghost, a powerful app for new-media creators to publish, share, and grow a business around their content. It comes with modern tools to build a website, publish content, send newsletters & offer paid subscriptions to members. Try it here: https://ghost.org/?via=claire91

China’s over-reaction to a measured remark about Taiwan made by the Japanese prime minister is an attempt to move the Overton Window.

Quillette is an Australian-based online magazine that focuses on long-form analysis and cultural commentary. It is politically non-partisan, but relies on reason, science, and humanism as its guiding values. Quillette was founded in 2015 by Australian writer Claire Lehmann. It is a platform for free thought and a space for open discussion and debate on a wide range of topics, including politics, culture, science, and technology. Quillette has gained attention for publishing articles and essays that challenge modern orthodoxy on a variety of topics, including gender and sexuality, race and identity politics, and free speech and censorship. --- Quillette's revenue comes from our readers. We are a grassroots organisation that relies on voluntary subscriptions and community membership as our primary revenue stream. Support Quillette by becoming a subscriber: https://quillette.com/#/portal/signup Or donate send us a one-off tip: https://quillette.com/#/portal/support We made our website using Ghost, a powerful app for new-media creators to publish, share, and grow a business around their content. It comes with modern tools to build a website, publish content, send newsletters & offer paid subscriptions to members. Try it here: https://ghost.org/?via=claire91

Jonathan Kay, host of the Quillette podcast, speaks with Graham Majin about the recent scandal at the BBC—and the deeper crisis facing modern journalism. Once regarded as a global benchmark for impartial reporting, the BBC now finds itself at the centre of mounting criticism over editorial bias, narrative framing, and eroding public trust. Kay and Majin explore how journalism has shifted from rigorous fact-based reporting toward story-driven narratives—and why that shift may be corrosive to the profession itself. The conversation ranges from the distinction between state and national broadcasters to the role of social media in amplifying tribalism, the legacy of the baby-boomer media class, and the collapse of shared standards of accountability. At its core is a warning: when journalists prioritise narrative over truth, they risk undermining the very legitimacy of the press. This episode asks a difficult but necessary question—can journalism recover its commitment to impartiality in an age dominated by moral storytelling and algorithmic outrage? Read Graham's piece here: https://quillette.com/2025/11/14/a-journalism-of-deception-bbc-deborah-turness-tim-davie/ 🎯 Key Takeaways The BBC was once seen as the gold standard of impartial journalism. A growing number of viewers now believe the institution is structurally broken. Journalism has shifted from reporting facts to advancing moral narratives. Narrative-driven media amplifies bias, tribalism, and public distrust. Social media rewards storytelling over accuracy, accelerating this shift. Generational dynamics have shaped today’s journalistic culture. Accountability mechanisms in media have weakened over time. The abolition of the Fairness Doctrine reshaped broadcast norms. Restoring trust requires re-anchoring journalism to truth, not narrative. ⏱️ Chapters 00:00 – Introduction 02:45 – The BBC and Its Historical Role 05:08 – State Broadcasters vs National Institutions 07:52 – What Is “Narrative” in Journalism? 10:20 – From Facts to Storytelling 13:19 – The Crisis of Impartiality 16:04 – Generational Influences on Media Culture 18:37 – BBC Scandals and Institutional Accountability 21:17 – Social Media and Narrative Amplification 24:04 – Can Journalism Recover? ------- Quillette is an Australian-based online magazine that focuses on long-form analysis and cultural commentary. It is politically non-partisan, but relies on reason, science, and humanism as its guiding values. Quillette was founded in 2015 by Australian writer Claire Lehmann. It is a platform for free thought and a space for open discussion and debate on a wide range of topics, including politics, culture, science, and technology. Quillette has gained attention for publishing articles and essays that challenge modern orthodoxy on a variety of topics, including gender and sexuality, race and identity politics, and free speech and censorship. --- Quillette's revenue comes from our readers. We are a grassroots organisation that relies on voluntary subscriptions and community membership as our primary revenue stream. Support Quillette by becoming a subscriber: https://quillette.com/#/portal/signup Or donate send us a one-off tip: https://quillette.com/#/portal/support We made our website using Ghost, a powerful app for new-media creators to publish, share, and grow a business around their content. It comes with modern tools to build a website, publish content, send newsletters & offer paid subscriptions to members. Try it here: https://ghost.org/?via=claire91

Quillette podcast host Jonathan Kay talks to Graham Majin about the recent scandal at the BBC, and the need for reporters to prevent the ‘poison of narrative’ from corrupting their craft

This episode unpacks the dramatic 2022 decision to vacate Adnan Syed’s conviction—a moment that transformed the case yet again. Andrew Hammel examines how the Baltimore State’s Attorney’s Office revisited the file, the claims about “new suspects,” the handling of DNA results, and the procedural rush that blindsided Hae Min Lee’s family. Hammel shows why the motion to vacate raised serious legal and evidentiary concerns, why its reasoning was widely criticised, and how the decision to unshackle Syed in the courtroom became one of the most controversial moves in the case’s history. This video is a direct narration of Andrew Hammel’s long-form essay, published in Quillette on 22 May 2023: https://quillette.com/2023/05/22/the-wrongful-exoneration-of-adnan-syed-ii/ For more independent journalism and long-form analysis, visit Quillette.com. Andrew Hammel is an American writer, translator, and lawyer living in Germany. He has published numerous books, scholarly articles, and essays on criminal law and policy in the United States and elsewhere. ------ Quillette is an Australian-based online magazine that focuses on long-form analysis and cultural commentary. It is politically non-partisan, but relies on reason, science, and humanism as its guiding values. Quillette was founded in 2015 by Australian writer Claire Lehmann. It is a platform for free thought and a space for open discussion and debate on a wide range of topics, including politics, culture, science, and technology. Quillette has gained attention for publishing articles and essays that challenge modern orthodoxy on a variety of topics, including gender and sexuality, race and identity politics, and free speech and censorship. --- Quillette's revenue comes from our readers. We are a grassroots organisation that relies on voluntary subscriptions and community membership as our primary revenue stream. Support Quillette by becoming a subscriber: https://quillette.com/#/portal/signup Or donate send us a one-off tip: https://quillette.com/#/portal/support We made our website using Ghost, a powerful app for new-media creators to publish, share, and grow a business around their content. It comes with modern tools to build a website, publish content, send newsletters & offer paid subscriptions to members. Try it here: https://ghost.org/?via=claire91

The quiet erosion of responsibility in an age of machine-generated prose.

This episode follows the years-long appeals battle that shaped the future of the Adnan Syed case. Andrew Hammel explains how Maryland’s courts wrestled with questions of ineffective counsel, the Asia McClain alibi, the AT&T fax disclaimer, and the broader standards for overturning a conviction. Hammel traces each major ruling—from Judge Welch’s 2016 decision, to the split appellate court opinions, to the Maryland Court of Appeals’ narrow vote that ultimately reinstated Syed’s conviction. The chapter shows how legal standards, not public sentiment, determined the outcome, and why appellate courts often take a far more sceptical view of innocence narratives than podcasts and documentaries. This video is a direct narration of Andrew Hammel’s long-form essay, published in Quillette on 22 May 2023: https://quillette.com/2023/05/22/the-wrongful-exoneration-of-adnan-syed-ii/ For more independent journalism and long-form analysis, visit Quillette.com. Andrew Hammel is an American writer, translator, and lawyer living in Germany. He has published numerous books, scholarly articles, and essays on criminal law and policy in the United States and elsewhere. ----- Quillette is an Australian-based online magazine that focuses on long-form analysis and cultural commentary. It is politically non-partisan, but relies on reason, science, and humanism as its guiding values. Quillette was founded in 2015 by Australian writer Claire Lehmann. It is a platform for free thought and a space for open discussion and debate on a wide range of topics, including politics, culture, science, and technology. Quillette has gained attention for publishing articles and essays that challenge modern orthodoxy on a variety of topics, including gender and sexuality, race and identity politics, and free speech and censorship. --- Quillette's revenue comes from our readers. We are a grassroots organisation that relies on voluntary subscriptions and community membership as our primary revenue stream. Support Quillette by becoming a subscriber: https://quillette.com/#/portal/signup Or donate send us a one-off tip: https://quillette.com/#/portal/support We made our website using Ghost, a powerful app for new-media creators to publish, share, and grow a business around their content. It comes with modern tools to build a website, publish content, send newsletters & offer paid subscriptions to members. Try it here: https://ghost.org/?via=claire91

This episode covers the high-profile 2016 post-conviction hearing that brought global media attention back to the Adnan Syed case. Andrew Hammel details how the hearing unfolded: Asia McClain’s long-awaited testimony, the challenges posed by inconsistent letters, and the State’s methodical cross-examination that questioned the reliability of her alibi claim. Hammel also explains the expert testimony on cell-tower evidence, including the debate over the AT&T fax disclaimer and why the State’s expert argued that location data remained reliable for Adnan’s phone. The hearing revealed both weaknesses in the defence’s claims and vulnerabilities in the innocence narrative that had taken hold after Serial. This video is a direct narration of Andrew Hammel’s long-form essay, published in Quillette on 22 May 2023: https://quillette.com/2023/05/22/the-wrongful-exoneration-of-adnan-syed-ii/ For more independent journalism and long-form analysis, visit Quillette.com. Andrew Hammel is an American writer, translator, and lawyer living in Germany. He has published numerous books, scholarly articles, and essays on criminal law and policy in the United States and elsewhere. ----- Quillette is an Australian-based online magazine that focuses on long-form analysis and cultural commentary. It is politically non-partisan, but relies on reason, science, and humanism as its guiding values. Quillette was founded in 2015 by Australian writer Claire Lehmann. It is a platform for free thought and a space for open discussion and debate on a wide range of topics, including politics, culture, science, and technology. Quillette has gained attention for publishing articles and essays that challenge modern orthodoxy on a variety of topics, including gender and sexuality, race and identity politics, and free speech and censorship. --- Quillette's revenue comes from our readers. We are a grassroots organisation that relies on voluntary subscriptions and community membership as our primary revenue stream. Support Quillette by becoming a subscriber: https://quillette.com/#/portal/signup Or donate send us a one-off tip: https://quillette.com/#/portal/support We made our website using Ghost, a powerful app for new-media creators to publish, share, and grow a business around their content. It comes with modern tools to build a website, publish content, send newsletters & offer paid subscriptions to members. Try it here: https://ghost.org/?via=claire91