Selfish Jerks Are Genetically Predisposed to Cancer, Heart Disease

Happiness has long been linked to healthiness, but according to a new study, our genes can tell the difference between the kind of happiness derived from giving back to the community and the kind derived from being Charles Montgomery Burns—and they reward or punish us accordingly.
SCOTUS Avoids Dystopian Nightmare and Says Your Genes Belong to You
This morning, the Supreme Court unanimously (cute!) ruled that human genes are not patentable. The Court heard oral arguments in the case back in April, with the ACLU arguing strongly against Myriad Genetics’s right to patent two genes that put women at a greater risk of developing breast or ovarian cancer—BRCA1 and…
If You Have Red Hair Then You're Related to Carrot Top, Says Science
Every single person who carries one of the variants of the red-hair gene is a "direct descendant" of the first person who had it, according to a DNA lab in Scotland that has launched a campaign to de-stigmatize being ginger. But it remains unclear how publicizing that redheads are biologically linked to Carrot Top…
Is the Sensitivity Gene a Real Thing?
Some exciting new research has recently hit the scene suggesting that some human beings might be in possession of a special gene that makes them more sensitive than others. No, this does not mean that Jennifer Aniston was right when she said that Brad Pitt was missing a "sensitivity chip." It has nothing to do with…
Wanting to Be Thin May Have More to Do With Genetics Than Media Images
According to some new research that makes excellent scientific use of the well-documented psychic superpowers demonstrated by identical and, to a lesser, Jean Grey-to-Phoenix extent, fraternal twins, the urge to lose weight in young women might have a lot more to do with genetics and individual experiences than…
Being an Animal Person Is Part Inherited, Part Not Being Menaced by Animals as a Child
Maybe you were raised in a house full of prowling, meowing, under-bed lurking cats, and find that, as a mature, taxpaying adult, you simply can't live without a cat or two or six or, fine, a baker's dozen, just so that if the cats ever have to vote on something, they won't experience democratic gridlock and just move…
Prenatal Genetic Testing: Another Arena in Which Men are Now Unnecessary
In the past, parents-to-be concerned with the genetic state of their gestating offspring had to test both the mother's and father's blood in order to determine what traits the child would likely inherit. But this method of genetic testing often leads to some socially awkward situations, as it's estimated that the…
Scientists Find the Genes That Determine Breast Size
Good news for those of you who are dying to know how you ended up with the breasts you did: A new study has found seven genetic markers that are linked with breast size in women. It has long been known that breast size was in part passed down through families, but this research is the first to locate the specific…
Some Bees Are Natural Thrill-Seekers
Some people love taking risks, while others prefer to curl up on the couch with a good book — and it turns out the same is true of bees! Except they can't read. And they don't have couches. But they do appear to have "personality." Scientists found that certain bees are really into scouting — they look for food and…
Obesity Linked To Sense Of Smell And Appetite Gene
Two new studies show underlying biological differences between obese people and thinner folks — obesity may be linked to a gene that affects appetite, and, more surprisingly, to a person's sense of smell.
Sweaty T-Shirts: "A Great Idea On Which To Base A Dating Service"
Inspired by the "sweaty T-shirt experiment," in which women found the sweat of genetically dissimilar men especially sexy, ScientificMatch.com will match singles based on DNA samples. Unfortunately the sample will come from a cheek swab, not sweat. [Washington Post]
How We're Already Killing Our Grandkids
According to this week's Time cover story, the new thing in science is epigenetics, which is basically the study of how having a cigarette will destroy your unborn children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.
Baby Blues
Shorties But Goodies
Good news for the shorties out there! Scientists have discovered a gene, which is associated with short stature in women, that is also linked to living a long life. The gene, called IGF1R, has been nicknamed the "Methuselah mutation," by Scientific American and was studied in Ashkenazi Jews aged 95-108 at the…
