Results from a genome-wide association study involving more than 45,000 volunteers suggest that the degree of empathy we feel toward our fellow man is at least partly down to our genes
Source: Human Empathy Linked with Genetic Variation | GEN
Oh my! Empathy is a really cool idea and I would love to babel a bit about this article but I could go on for days. Suffice it to say that there are good things and bad things in the article or any science article.
A good thing is the high number of subjects. Two bad things are that the data is self-reported and the results could all be entirely connected to a gene that plays a role in our openness toward others and would make maybe some percentage of the population more genetically inclined to self report intimate details about themselves. Also I want to reiterate here _all_ diseases, and behaviors are based on our DNA. Even something like empathy. Because empathy is connected to spindle cell in our brain. If spindle cells become damaged then you will have an empathy defect. And all diseases will tie back to a gene or group of genes and will have a genetic component
A second problem is that apparently the authors missed the idea that hormones and endocrine systems are actually gene products themselves and thus you can’t say it’s not genetic but it could be hormonal or endocrine. Not possible! And as I just pointed out it’s also not possible to say it’s not genetic laughing.
But seriously, you think that maybe that an insecticide that is designed to be toxic towards insect nerve cells just might affect complex interactions with our own brain nerve cells?
Best