{"id":81184,"date":"2022-11-06T20:14:00","date_gmt":"2022-11-07T00:14:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/?p=81184"},"modified":"2022-11-10T17:08:58","modified_gmt":"2022-11-10T21:08:58","slug":"somatic-mutation-theory-of-cancer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/somatic-mutation-theory-of-cancer\/","title":{"rendered":"The Problem With the Somatic Mutation Theory of Cancer"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

What is the somatic mutation theory of cancer? What is the main shortcoming of this theory? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The somatic mutation theory of carcinogenesis has been at the forefront of cancer research during the 20th century. However, this theory can\u2019t explain why cancer is so common, or why there are so many different types of cancer that all share the same characteristics. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dr. Jason Fung explains the flaws of the somatic mutation model. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

The Somatic Mutation Theory of Cancer<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Somatic mutations are changes in the DNA of somatic cells, which are any cells other than gametes (sperm and eggs). The fact that these mutations don\u2019t affect gametes is important because it means cancer can\u2019t be inherited\u2014for example, a person with lung cancer won\u2019t produce a child with lung cancer. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

German biologist Theodor Boveri developed an early version of the somatic mutation theory of cancer in his book The Origin of Malignant Tumors<\/em>, published in 1914. In this book, Boveri observed that the human body must have mechanisms both to promote cell growth and to restrict it. Without such mechanisms, numerous normal processes would be impossible\u2014for example, growing from a child to an adult and having that growth stop once you reach maturity. Therefore, Boveri reasoned, mutations to the genes that control cell growth could cause malignant tumors to form. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cancer researchers in the 1970s discovered several genes like those Boveri had hypothesized, and many more have been found since. Cancer almost always involves mutations to these growth-promoting genes (now called oncogenes<\/em>) and growth-restricting genes (called tumor suppressor genes<\/em>). In short, malignant tumors form because mutated oncogenes promote growth too much, and mutated tumor suppressor genes are unable to prevent that growth.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Genetic Risk Factors for Cancer<\/strong>

In saying that the vast majority of <\/em>cancer results from somatic mutations, this theory understates the impact that genetics can have on cancer rates. Fung touches on this topic, saying that genetics account for approximately 5% of all cancers, but that\u2019s on the low end of usual estimates. 

Other sources indicate that germline mutations<\/em>\u2014changes to the DNA of sperm and egg cells, which will be passed on to offspring\u2014could account for as many as 20% of all cancers<\/a>. More common estimates put the number somewhere in the 5 to 10% range<\/a>, depending on the specific mutations and cancer types being studied.  

Knowing what genetic risk factors you carry is important because it allows you to more effectively manage those risks. For example, smoking is (of course) harmful no matter what genes you have, but if you\u2019ve got a family history of lung cancer then it could be especially dangerous for you. <\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Environmental Factors: Carcinogens<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

A key point<\/a> of the somatic mutation theory is that cancer can\u2019t be directly passed down to offspring (although various genes do make certain types of cancer more likely). But if bad genes don\u2019t cause cancer, what does? Fung tells us that cancer is almost always the result of environmental factors called <\/strong>carcinogens<\/em><\/strong>\u2014literally, \u201ctumor creators.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The list of known carcinogens is enormous and constantly growing. Some of the best-known carcinogens include tobacco, asbestos, and radiation (such as x-rays or UV radiation from the sun). Others include soot and wood dust, certain drugs, and even some pathogens such as the Rous sarcoma virus and human papillomavirus (HPV). The common thread between all of these carcinogens is that they damage or destroy cells. Sometimes the body fixes that damage incorrectly, causing slight changes in the genetic material\u2014in other words, mutations. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Many of these mutations are harmless, and your body\u2019s natural defenses usually identify and destroy any mutations that arise. However, over time and with repeated damage to the cells, it becomes more likely that at least one of those mutated cells will turn cancerous. In short, every time the body has to repair itself (for any reason), there\u2019s a very small chance that those repairs will produce malignant cells. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The good news, according to Fung, is that knowledge of carcinogens is the best weapon we have in the fight against cancer<\/a>, as well as the easiest one to use. After all, it hardly matters what specific cancer-causing mutations UV radiation produces, or how to treat the disease those mutations cause, if we just wear sunscreen to make sure that damage doesn\u2019t happen in the first place. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fatal Flaws of the Somatic Mutation Model<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Fung says that the somatic mutation theory, while technically accurate, still fails to explain what cancer really is. <\/strong>It\u2019s like trying to understand how a tree grows by cataloging every leaf on it\u2014we\u2019d learn a lot about individual leaves, but very little about how and why the tree itself grows. More to the point of cancer research, we wouldn\u2019t learn anything about how to stop or reverse the tree\u2019s growth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Indeed, despite scientists mapping hundreds of cancer genomes, finding countless cancer-related mutations, and promising personalized treatment that targeted each patient\u2019s specific form of cancer, a 2018 study found that less than five percent of cancer patients benefited from treatments targeting specific mutations. In other words, decades of research and billions of dollars in funding had failed to produce results. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

(Shortform note: As a counterpoint to Fung\u2019s pessimism here, in The Emperor of All Maladies<\/em><\/a>, physician Siddhartha Mukherjee tells us that cancer death rates in the US decreased by an unprecedented 15%<\/a> between 1999 and 2005. By 2018, they had decreased by 30%. So, while attempts to develop personalized and targeted treatments mostly failed, the knowledge that researchers gained during that time had an enormous impact on the fight against cancer.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In addition to failing as a basis for treatment, Fung says that Model 2 also fails as an explanation of cancer. The odds of numerous specific mutations\u2014uncontrolled growth, hiding from the immune system, leeching the body\u2019s nutrients, and so on\u2014all arising in a single cell are incredibly low. Therefore, random chance can\u2019t explain why cancer is so prevalent among modern-day humans. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

(Shortform note: If it\u2019s statistically impossible for random mutations<\/a> alone to cause cancer, why did it take so long for researchers to reject the somatic mutation theory? In The Structure of Scientific Revolutions<\/em><\/a>, <\/em>Thomas Kuhn explains that anomalies\u2014scientific observations that the current paradigm fails to explain\u2014are often ignored since scientists are hesitant to reject old, established knowledge<\/a>. In this case, some argue that scientists have in the past ignored or misinterpreted data<\/a> that contradicts the somatic mutation theory. This includes a study that found that nearly all of the same somatic mutations occur in people with and without <\/em>cancer<\/a>, casting doubt on the assumption that these mutations are the primary cause of the disease.)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

What is the somatic mutation theory of cancer? What is the main shortcoming of this theory? The somatic mutation theory of carcinogenesis has been at the forefront of cancer research during the 20th century. However, this theory can\u2019t explain why cancer is so common, or why there are so many different types of cancer that all share the same characteristics.  Dr. Jason Fung explains the flaws of the somatic mutation model.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":76495,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[16,160],"tags":[769],"class_list":["post-81184","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-health","category-science","tag-the-cancer-code","","tg-column-two"],"yoast_head":"\nThe Problem With the Somatic Mutation Theory of Cancer - Shortform Books<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"According to Dr. Jason Fung, the somatic mutation theory, while technically accurate, fails as a basis for treatment. Here's why.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/somatic-mutation-theory-of-cancer\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"The Problem With the Somatic Mutation Theory of Cancer\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"According to Dr. Jason Fung, the somatic mutation theory, while technically accurate, fails as a basis for treatment. Here's why.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/somatic-mutation-theory-of-cancer\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Shortform Books\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2022-11-07T00:14:00+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2022-11-10T21:08:58+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/s3.amazonaws.com\/wordpress.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/genetics-DNA-genes.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1920\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1080\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Darya Sinusoid\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Darya Sinusoid\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"5 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/somatic-mutation-theory-of-cancer\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/somatic-mutation-theory-of-cancer\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Darya Sinusoid\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/0421cce75bc249b11e2517b3a91f9c46\"},\"headline\":\"The Problem With the Somatic Mutation Theory of Cancer\",\"datePublished\":\"2022-11-07T00:14:00+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2022-11-10T21:08:58+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/somatic-mutation-theory-of-cancer\/\"},\"wordCount\":1134,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/somatic-mutation-theory-of-cancer\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/genetics-DNA-genes.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"The Cancer Code\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Health\",\"Science\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/somatic-mutation-theory-of-cancer\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/somatic-mutation-theory-of-cancer\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/somatic-mutation-theory-of-cancer\/\",\"name\":\"The Problem With the Somatic Mutation Theory of Cancer - Shortform Books\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/somatic-mutation-theory-of-cancer\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/somatic-mutation-theory-of-cancer\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/genetics-DNA-genes.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2022-11-07T00:14:00+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2022-11-10T21:08:58+00:00\",\"description\":\"According to Dr. Jason Fung, the somatic mutation theory, while technically accurate, fails as a basis for treatment. Here's why.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/somatic-mutation-theory-of-cancer\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/somatic-mutation-theory-of-cancer\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/somatic-mutation-theory-of-cancer\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/genetics-DNA-genes.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/genetics-DNA-genes.jpg\",\"width\":1920,\"height\":1080},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/somatic-mutation-theory-of-cancer\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"The Problem With the Somatic Mutation Theory of Cancer\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/\",\"name\":\"Shortform Books\",\"description\":\"The World's Best Book Summaries\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Shortform Books\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/logo-equilateral-with-text-no-bg.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/logo-equilateral-with-text-no-bg.png\",\"width\":500,\"height\":74,\"caption\":\"Shortform Books\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\"}},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/0421cce75bc249b11e2517b3a91f9c46\",\"name\":\"Darya Sinusoid\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/Untitled-design-1.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/Untitled-design-1.png\",\"caption\":\"Darya Sinusoid\"},\"description\":\"Darya\u2019s love for reading started with fantasy novels (The LOTR trilogy is still her all-time-favorite). Growing up, however, she found herself transitioning to non-fiction, psychological, and self-help books. She has a degree in Psychology and a deep passion for the subject. She likes reading research-informed books that distill the workings of the human brain\/mind\/consciousness and thinking of ways to apply the insights to her own life. Some of her favorites include Thinking, Fast and Slow, How We Decide, and The Wisdom of the Enneagram.\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/author\/darya\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"The Problem With the Somatic Mutation Theory of Cancer - Shortform Books","description":"According to Dr. Jason Fung, the somatic mutation theory, while technically accurate, fails as a basis for treatment. Here's why.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/somatic-mutation-theory-of-cancer\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"The Problem With the Somatic Mutation Theory of Cancer","og_description":"According to Dr. Jason Fung, the somatic mutation theory, while technically accurate, fails as a basis for treatment. Here's why.","og_url":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/somatic-mutation-theory-of-cancer\/","og_site_name":"Shortform Books","article_published_time":"2022-11-07T00:14:00+00:00","article_modified_time":"2022-11-10T21:08:58+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1920,"height":1080,"url":"https:\/\/s3.amazonaws.com\/wordpress.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/genetics-DNA-genes.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Darya Sinusoid","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Darya Sinusoid","Est. reading time":"5 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/somatic-mutation-theory-of-cancer\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/somatic-mutation-theory-of-cancer\/"},"author":{"name":"Darya Sinusoid","@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/0421cce75bc249b11e2517b3a91f9c46"},"headline":"The Problem With the Somatic Mutation Theory of Cancer","datePublished":"2022-11-07T00:14:00+00:00","dateModified":"2022-11-10T21:08:58+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/somatic-mutation-theory-of-cancer\/"},"wordCount":1134,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/somatic-mutation-theory-of-cancer\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/genetics-DNA-genes.jpg","keywords":["The Cancer Code"],"articleSection":["Health","Science"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/somatic-mutation-theory-of-cancer\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/somatic-mutation-theory-of-cancer\/","url":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/somatic-mutation-theory-of-cancer\/","name":"The Problem With the Somatic Mutation Theory of Cancer - Shortform Books","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/somatic-mutation-theory-of-cancer\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/somatic-mutation-theory-of-cancer\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/genetics-DNA-genes.jpg","datePublished":"2022-11-07T00:14:00+00:00","dateModified":"2022-11-10T21:08:58+00:00","description":"According to Dr. Jason Fung, the somatic mutation theory, while technically accurate, fails as a basis for treatment. Here's why.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/somatic-mutation-theory-of-cancer\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/somatic-mutation-theory-of-cancer\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/somatic-mutation-theory-of-cancer\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/genetics-DNA-genes.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/genetics-DNA-genes.jpg","width":1920,"height":1080},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/somatic-mutation-theory-of-cancer\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"The Problem With the Somatic Mutation Theory of Cancer"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/","name":"Shortform Books","description":"The World's Best Book Summaries","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#organization","name":"Shortform Books","url":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/logo-equilateral-with-text-no-bg.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/logo-equilateral-with-text-no-bg.png","width":500,"height":74,"caption":"Shortform Books"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"}},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/0421cce75bc249b11e2517b3a91f9c46","name":"Darya Sinusoid","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/Untitled-design-1.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/Untitled-design-1.png","caption":"Darya Sinusoid"},"description":"Darya\u2019s love for reading started with fantasy novels (The LOTR trilogy is still her all-time-favorite). Growing up, however, she found herself transitioning to non-fiction, psychological, and self-help books. She has a degree in Psychology and a deep passion for the subject. She likes reading research-informed books that distill the workings of the human brain\/mind\/consciousness and thinking of ways to apply the insights to her own life. Some of her favorites include Thinking, Fast and Slow, How We Decide, and The Wisdom of the Enneagram.","url":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/author\/darya\/"}]}},"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/genetics-DNA-genes.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/81184","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=81184"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/81184\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":82831,"href":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/81184\/revisions\/82831"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/76495"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=81184"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=81184"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=81184"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}