I'm also very skeptic of the way these affirmations are made. Other studies I've read boil down to epigenetic changes caused by stress, not actual DNA rewriting, otherwise it wouldn't go back to normal ever. In other words, these epigenetic changes are directly proportional to how stressful the environment remains.
The article mentions Hama, where a massacre occurred, and 40 years later the inhabitants still show epigenetic changes caused by stress. Surely the environment still being stressful is more to blame than their ancestor's genetic memory.
There's great danger of misinterpreting this kind of research to bolster ideological agendas. I've seen this misused as "my grandpa was a victim of the holocaust, so I, born into and living a comfortable and peaceful life, am also a holocaust victim and deserve respect".
The article mentions Hama, where a massacre occurred, and 40 years later the inhabitants still show epigenetic changes caused by stress. Surely the environment still being stressful is more to blame than their ancestor's genetic memory.
There's great danger of misinterpreting this kind of research to bolster ideological agendas. I've seen this misused as "my grandpa was a victim of the holocaust, so I, born into and living a comfortable and peaceful life, am also a holocaust victim and deserve respect".