[Unsolved Mystery] The Neuroscientist Who Defeats Genes

An unexpected discovery by a professor

Fallon is a professor at the University of California, San Francisco School of Medicine, specializing in schizophrenia, Alzheimer's disease, drug addiction, and other human behavior issues. He has achieved high academic success and often appears on television as an expert. His life seems to be going smoothly. However, in his TED talk, he dropped a bombshell: he said he almost became a serial killer!

Here's how it happened. One day, a colleague asked him to help analyze some brain scans, some of which belonged to serial killers and some to ordinary people, to see if there were any differences. Farron was shocked to discover that there were significant differences between the brains of killers and normal people. In the areas that control emotions and impulses, such as the orbitofrontal cortex and amygdala, the functions of these parts of the killer's brain were significantly abnormal. How important are these areas? They are like the "brakes" of the brain. If they malfunction, people are prone to losing control and doing terrible things.

The secret of violent genes

Fallon said that merely having brain abnormalities does not necessarily make one a killer. It also depends on genes, especially the MAOA gene, also known as the "warrior gene". Everyone has this gene, which is responsible for regulating chemicals in the brain, such as serotonin (which keeps people calm), adrenaline (which helps people cope with stress), and dopamine (which is related to happiness and desire). If the MAOA gene functions normally, these substances can be balanced, and people will not easily lose control.

However, if the MAOA gene is defective, the problem becomes significant. The brain's "brake" malfunctions, making emotions and impulses difficult to control, leading to short-temperedness and even violent tendencies. This gene variation may be related to the "anti-social behavior" commonly reported in the news.

A "cursed" family

The significance of the MAOA gene was not discovered by scientists until 1978.

At that time, a Dutch woman approached geneticist Han Brenner for help. The woman said that all the men in her family seemed to have problems: from brothers to sons, eight individuals had committed serious violent acts, some of which involved arson, sexual assault, and even murder. Upon checking her family tree, she found that this problem had persisted for five generations, with nine violent men emerging within 100 years. She was very confused and asked if the family was cursed.

Brenner studied this family for 15 years and found that the problem lies in the mutation of the MAOA gene on the X chromosome. This mutation renders them unable to control aggressive behavior, meaning the "brake" in their brain is broken. This mutation is rare among ordinary people, occurring in about one in five thousand individuals, but almost every violent male in this family possesses it.

Based on this, Brenner drew a conclusion. In 1993, Brenner published a study in the journal Science, explaining why males are more susceptible: males only have one X chromosome, and if it is defective, there is no spare tire to compensate; females have two X chromosomes, so the impact is much less.

The dark past of Fallon's family

Brenner's research drew Fallon's attention, prompting him to delve deeper into contemplating the factors that predominantly influence the behavior of murderers. Is it possible that 80% of a murderer's behavior is determined by genetics, with environment accounting for only 20%? He is confident in this theory and often shares it in his speeches.

One day, his mother suddenly said to him, "Aren't you researching violent genes? Why don't you take a look at our family history? Your cousin is Liz Borden!"

Lizzie Borden, a notorious murder suspect in the United States, is said to have killed her father and stepmother with an axe. Although she was never convicted, her reputation was tarnished. But that wasn't enough.

My mother also told Farron that, actually, your father's side of the family also has a dark past. Hundreds of years ago, someone from that side of the family became famous for killing his mother. Later, over the past century, there have been seven more murderers from that family.

Fallon was a little flustered after hearing this, as he found it hard to accept this fact. Therefore, he decided to scan the brains of his family members to see if anyone had abnormalities.

After the results came out, Fallon discovered that, sure enough, it was true. Among the numerous scans, there was one that looked particularly similar to a "killer's brain": the emotional control area function was low, and the ability to suppress impulses had almost disappeared. He thought that this should be from a relative in his family, because, after all, he and his family were relatively mild-mannered people in their daily lives. Fallon felt that he must pay close attention to this relative. However, when he saw the name, he was stunned - this scan was not from anyone else, it was his own! Not only did he have a MAOA gene mutation, but his brain also looked particularly similar to that of a serial killer!

Environment changes fate

Fallon was shocked. According to his own theory, he should have been a deviated villain long ago. How could he still be a professor and lead a normal life? He suddenly realized that there might be something wrong with his previous theory. He suddenly felt that the 20% environment he had thought of might be far more important than he had imagined. He recalled his childhood, when his parents were very gentle and always supportive of him, and the family was always filled with love, which brought him a lot of security. And this environment, like a protective net, actually prevented the violent genes from erupting.

At this time, Farron once again seriously reflected on the plight of those killers. Indeed, he found differences. Most of those killers had had miserable childhoods, either being abused or witnessing domestic violence, and some even had relatives who were killed. Their childhoods were already different from those of normal people, and they had been deeply hurt.

Fallon realized that the environment could have such a significant impact on people. Therefore, Fallon began to tell people that the influence of the environment might be even greater than that of genes. Good upbringing and family support can transform a person with a "violent gene" into a person who is useful to society.

The true personal story of Fallon has also become a classic case in the educational field, constantly reminding parents that raising children with care can truly change their destiny.

Comparison between two families

This reminds us of another classic study: the Yoxes and Edwards families. The ancestor of the Yoxes, Yox, was born in 1720 and immigrated to the United States, where he lived in a poor neighborhood in New York. He had no interest in school or religion and just wanted to live freely. However, his descendants had a miserable life: in 1874, sociologist Richard Dugdale found that among 1,200 descendants of Yox, 400 died young, 310 became beggars, 130 were in prison, 60 were thieves, 7 were murderers, and none had completed middle school.

However, looking at the Edwards family, the patriarch Jonathan Edwards was a theologian born in 1703, and the family placed great emphasis on faith and education. His descendants included 300 pastors, 100 professors, 14 university presidents, 30 judges, 60 writers, and a grandson, Aaron Burr, who became the Vice President of the United States, representing the epitome of success in life.

The vast differences between these two families have shocked countless people: genes may give you a starting point, but it is environment, education, and beliefs that determine how far you will go.

Small acts of kindness

Speaking of which, there's a little story worth sharing. An atheist gave speeches everywhere, claiming that God doesn't exist, and even challenged, "If God exists, kill me!" But nothing happened, so he said, "See, God doesn't exist." At this point, an old woman asked him, "I believe in God and feel at peace. If there's no God after death, what do I lose?" He replied, "Nothing." She then asked, "If there really is a God, and there are heaven and hell, what do you lose?" The atheist couldn't answer.

Faith and kindness can indeed provide direction to people. Especially in today's unstable society, where violent incidents occur from time to time, we don't know if there are people around us who carry "violent genes". But Farron's story tells us that love and care can change a person's path. If we show a little more kindness, even a smile or a greeting, we can make the world a little warmer. And these small actions may influence a person, making him become a better person like Farron.

Perhaps it is from these small things that the world can be changed.

Unresolved mystery, see you next time!