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Ideology in Your DNA? Not Quite.

Started by washingtonindependent · 9 months ago

In a story today on a new scientific study, the Los Angeles Times states, “Die-hard liberals and conservatives aren’t made; they’re born. It’s literally in their DNA.”
A phone interview with the head researcher of the study shows th ... Continue reading »

2 comments

  • Grant Smith

    9 months ago

    More like "not necessarily." Sounds to me like the researcher wanted to say whatever causes the difference is unknown, which isn't surprising, because that wasn't what was being studied. You wouldn't know that from the LA times article, but you wouldn't know it from this article either. The thing that one should be able to take away from this study is that there is a relationship between at least one specific behavioral characteristic and political affiliation. Whether or not these findings will be replicated remains to be discovered. The cause of this behavioral characteristic would have to be discovered through an entirely different experiment. What doesn't remain to be discovered though, is your opinion regarding the role genes play on behavior.
    reply
  • Josiah Rowe

    9 months ago

    The notion that we're born with political leanings is nothing new. 126 years ago, Gilbert and Sullivan had a guard outside the Houses of Parliament reflect,

    "I often think it comical
    (Tra la la la, tra la la la)
    That nature always doth contrive
    (Tra la la la, la)
    That ev'ry boy and ev'ry gal
    That's born into this world alive
    Is either a little Liberal
    Or else a little Conservative."
    reply

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