The Prospects of Behavioral Genetics: Bad Genes Behind Crimes, Precision Education And Loosing Free Will?
Can the “warrior gene” explain aggressive and violent
acts so that lawyers base their defenses on that in courts? Can genetics
determine whether your marriage will be a long-lasting companionship? What
about alcoholism, depression or autism? To what extent are we the product of
our environment or the expression of our genes? While the nature versus nurture
debate has been ongoing for centuries, the recent advances in genetics and
genomics seem to shift the balance towards inheritance rather than the effect
of our surroundings. We looked around whether it is justified, especially when
it comes to its use in legal disputes.
The accused are innocent, lock up their insides
Do you remember the episode from House M.D when he tricked the team
and the hospital into treating a death row inmate? It turned out that the patient had adrenal gland
tumor, which released adrenaline at random intervals resulting in a violent rage. At some point, House even
suggested that the fourth victim might have been killed during such an eruption
of anger. At the end of the episode, his fellow doctor, Foreman argued that he would
testify at the patient’s appeal, while House believed many other people with a
similar condition managed to control their rage,
thus biology could not absolve a murderer.
Turning to reality, let’s look at Bradley Waldroup’s case. He shot his wife’s friend eight times and attacked
his wife with a machete. The woman survived, the man didn’t. Waldroup admitte...
Source: The Medical Futurist - Category: Information Technology Authors: nora Tags: Bioethics Future of Medicine Genomics bioethical crime DNA dna testing genes genetics Innovation legal philosophy technology Source Type: blogs
More News: Academia | Alcoholism | Autism | Biology | Biotechnology | Boys | Brain | Child Abuse | Child Development | Children | China Health | Depression | Education | Environmental Health | Eyes | Forensic Medicine | Fruit | Genetics | Hormones | Information Technology | Legislation | Medical Law | Men | Molecular Biology | Neurology | Neuroscience | Nicotine | Physiology | Psychology | Science | Sexual Abuse | Study | UK Health | Universities & Medical Training