Watching Team GB competing in the taekwondo final, I mentioned to a friend that competitors wearing red guards won more bouts than those in blue guards. Inevitably, this started a discussion about what it might be that caused the difference. Was it because higher ranked competitors were given the red guards? Did it affect all […]
Read moreWe’ve known for ages that trans fats are seriously not good news health-wise. Now it is being suggested that there could be a direct link with aggressive behaviour. The link has not been established as causal, but the research methodology seems quite sound and there could be important applications – though the researchers’ picking out […]
Read moreOne of the explanations for addiction is that some individuals have a biological predisposition because they inherit a particular form of dopamine receptor gene (if you want an explanation of dopamine receptor genes see second paragraph). An interesting link has been made between these genes and evolution. The argument goes that the dispersal of our […]
Read moreIf you smash your fist into someone’s body are you being aggressive and anti-social, or are you just doing what your genes programme you to do? The idea of genes affecting behaviour isn’t new and isn’t disputed, but the use of certain genes as a mitigating factor in criminal behaviour is a contentious issue. Genes […]
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