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| (Photo by Diacritica) |
Nevertheless, scientists are seeking to throw more and more of a spotlight upon God’s rolls. Where the dice eventually land may be anyone’s guess, but where they first bounce might be somewhat predictable. For
example, research is now pointing to the existence of “nice genes.” These aren’t Levis or Wranglers, but rather genetic predispositions towards kindness.
According to the journal Psychological
Science, researchers at universities in Buffalo, New York and Irvine, California have found some correlation between DNA and “nice” social behavior. This is not a direct correlation between a specific gene and a good-hearted nature, but rather one factor within a web of complex connections.
The genes that were studied are receptor ones that bind the hormones oxytocin and vasopressin (both of which “are thought to effect how people behave toward each other”). A
total of 711 people provided saliva samples for DNA analysis, and answered survey questions indicating their feelings toward the world and their behaviors toward other people. Study results showed that “people who think the world is a threatening
place were less likely to help others – unless they had versions of the receptor genes that are generally
associated with niceness.”
Researcher Michael Poulin commented: We have
found a gene that makes a
contribution [to “niceness”], but I think there’s
something cool about the fact that it only makes a contribution
in the presence of certain feelings people have about the
world around them. These “certain feelings” may be the “wild
cards” in God’s deck, the ones that create a holy balance between strict determinism and the dreams that stuff is made of.
Resources
http://www.psychologicalscience.org/index.php/news/releases/niceness-is-at-least-partly-in-the-genes.html
http://www.hawking.org.uk/does-god-play-dice.html
Copyright May 31, 2012 by Linda Van Slyke All Rights Reserved
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