[ExI] Physics versus psychology

[spike]

Well, I'll be damned.  Three days after I opined thus:

> From: spike [mailto:spike66 at att.net] 
> ...
> ...It is sufficiently clear to me that there is 
> a strong connection between genes and behavior, although the 
> specific mechanism is not understood.  Like a lot of things, 
> there is more than one gene responsible.  If we discover for 
> instance that genes strongly influence one's political view 
> (I think they do) then most political debate becomes largely 
> pointless...

this shows up:

http://www.foxnews.com/scitech/2010/10/28/researchers-liberal-gene-genetics-
politics/?test=latestnews

Quoted from the article:

Researchers Find the 'Liberal Gene'

Don't hold liberals responsible for their opinion -- they can't help
themselves.

A new study has concluded that ideology is not just a social thing; it's
built into the DNA, borne along by a gene called DRD4. Tagged "the liberal
gene," DRD4 is the first specific bit of human DNA that predisposes people
to certain political views, the study's authors claim...

I liked this:

This isn't a typical gene association study," he said. "There's a
combination of genes and environment that matter."

{8^D

I like it.  The article has the ring of truth to it.  For a long time I have
pondered why it is that my brother and I are so opposite on everything
political, yet we have always gotten along fine.  Back in the late 60s and
early 70s, there was a show called 60 Minutes.  Now of course it has lost
its credibility because of its association with disgraced "newscaster" Dan
Rather, but back then they had a segment at the end called
Point-counterpoint, with Jack Kilpatrick and Shana Alexander.  For reasons
we never understood, my brother was always in perfect agreement with Shana,
and I was nearly always on board with Jack.  We had very similar influences
all along, lived in similar times, only 14 months difference in our ages,
even had pretty much all the same friends.  All I can think of is he
inherited the DRD4 gene and I didn't.

spike