[ExI] baldness correlates with...

[Gary Miller]

I've not heard it suggested on the list before but...

The believed cause of male balding is a hormone known as 5?-reductase,
produced in the hair follicles, which changes the male sex hormone
testosterone into dihydrotestosterone (or DHT). This hormone binds to
receptors on the follicles, preventing them from ever leaving telogen (their
normal dormant growth phase). Surprisingly, only the follicles on top of the
head are affected; DHT causes some facial and body hair to grow. Thus we
have the apparent "migration" of hair from the scalp to other places. 

Since male balding (androgenic alopecia) has been linked to heart disease.
http://www.hno.harvard.edu/gazette/2000/01.27/bald.html and so has high
testosterone levels baldness should probably be considered a risk factor for
heart disease.

One interesting study back in May of this year suggests that the scalp can
be tricked back into an embryonic state and regenerate new hair follicles.

http://www.netscape.com/viewstory/2007/05/16/new-finding-may-remedy-human-ba
ldness/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnews.xinhuanet.com%2Fenglish%2F2007-05%2F17%2Fconte
nt_6111519.htm&frame=true

Another thought is as I sit here partially bald at my computer is that all
that excess testosterone may explain a lot of the aggressiveness that rears
its head on this chat list on an almost daily basis.  

-----Original Message-----
From: extropy-chat-bounces at lists.extropy.org
[mailto:extropy-chat-bounces at lists.extropy.org] On Behalf Of spike
Sent: Sunday, September 09, 2007 1:48 AM
To: 'ExI chat list'
Subject: [ExI] baldness correlates with...


Today the Singularity Summit in San Francisco, as I sat in the back row, I
noticed something striking.  No, not that it looked like Second Life except
with far fewer women.  Well, that too, but I noticed that a high proportion
of the men there were bald, higher than the general population once age is
taken into account.

Tomorrow, summiteers, please try to verify or refute.  Taking age into
account, one can estimate if a man is more bald than average for his age, or
less.  Apparently, baldness correlates positively with interest in the
singularity.  

If I want to push the data a bit harder, I would claim that the singularity
crowd is very brainy.  Therefore today's observation would suggest that
baldness correlates positively with brainy.

What say ye?  Has this been suggested before?

spike






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