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Great video from National Geographic.  A little slow, but a fun watch.  Talks about Dr. Brunner’s discovery of the MAO-A gene.  The gene actually works like a Serotonin mop.  Sucking it out of the system after it has sent it’s signal.  The shortened MAO-A gene doesn’t function normally and fails to absorb serotonin.  It only happens in the X chromosome, so women don’t seem to be effected.  They are protected by the second chromosome.

The video was smart to point out that the gene indicates a propensity for violence, not a guarantee.  It’s pretty clear that it was misnamed.  It’s not really ‘the warrior gene’ more like the ‘aggression’ or the ‘fly off the handle’ gene.  Brings up a good question.  Is the first degree murder harder to prove for a person with a ‘fly off the handle gene?’   Yes in my opinion it is.   This is a double edged sword though.  It should ALSO be harder to get early parole.  Good behavior mean less about your future when you can’t fully control your behavior.  Change the environment and bang.  This isn’t just conjecture, this is exactly how ‘the Hare’ works against psychopaths at parole hearings.

Great job National Geographic.  Warrior gene as the cause of psychopathy?  Totally busted.  Straight up behaviorism, also busted.  Not only that but providing hard facts that a behavior’s likelihood can be genetic.

I want to bring up something the video spelled out so I can point to it later.  The short MAOA gene does the same thing that prescription SSRIs do.  SSRI stands for Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor.  It does just what it sounds like.  It forces natural Serotonin to stay in the system.  The exact same thing the ‘Warrior Gene’ defect does.  But does it have the same effect on behavior as the warrior gene you wonder?  Yes, considering most of the recent mass shootings have been committed by people taking SSRIs!  I’d love for someone to prove me wrong, but it looks to me like prescribing SSRIs is a terrible idea.  It’s like turning on the warrior gene!