Lysenkoism

Lysenkoism was a political and scientific movement in the Soviet Union led by Trofim Lysenko in the 1930s-1950s, rejecting established genetics. Lysenko promoted ideas that emphasized environmental factors shaping inheritance, such as Lamarckian inheritance, which suggested acquired traits could be passed on. His theories gained political support and led to the suppression of genetic research based on Mendelian principles. This pseudoscientific approach caused setbacks in biological science, damaged the understanding of heredity, and led to the persecution of scientists. Lysenkoism is now recognized as a dangerous example of political ideology influencing scientific truth.