Genetics, Health and Behavior

While genetics research has great promise for easing the human condition, the perils of oversimplified quick fixes is just as great. This text attempts to bring a fresh perspective to the issue of genetic research.

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Headlines blare that scientists have found "the gene" for problems high on the public agenda: breast cancer, alcoholism, obesity and dozens more. But, the qualifiers, exceptions and cautions are sometimes ignored. While the genetics research has great promise for easing the human condition, the perils of oversimplified quick fixes is just as great. This text attempts to bring a fresh perspective to the issue of genetic research. Case studies illustrate the state of the science of genetic research on behaviour, the difficulty of understanding the complex ways that genetics and environmental influences interact, and the scientific and social opportunities that spring from this line of research.