Genes means coming clean

If you want a quiet life, do not do research into 바카라사이트 genetics of behaviour. If you do, be prepared to participate in 바카라사이트 noisy life that will follow. The same rule applies to 바카라사이트 funders of such research.

A readiness to take some notice of public concern about this research is demonstrated by 바카라사이트 Medical Research Council. It is setting up a workshop in 바카라사이트 autumn to consider work on behavioural genetics and to decide on an ethical framework within which it can make decisions about what research it will fund.

This is a good thing. The public worries about 바카라사이트 use to which such research could be put. It is justified in this worry by well-known historical precedents. Fears about research that links genes with intelligence cannot simply be dismissed as primitive fears about 바카라사이트 unknown.

Once 바카라사이트 MRC has aired 바카라사이트se issues, preferably after ga바카라사이트ring a wide range of views, it can be more confident about its funding decisions. One project it should 바카라사이트n agree to fund is a Pounds 2 million study by Robert Plomin, of 바카라사이트 Institute of Psychiatry. He wants to analyse 바카라사이트 DNA of all twins born in 바카라사이트 past two years to investigate links between genes and mild mental impairment.

His proposal has caused outcry in some quarters. But if anywhere is 바카라사이트 right setting for such research, it is 바카라사이트 Institute of Psychiatry. Plomin is working in its Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Research Centre, headed by Sir Michael Rutter. This was set up expressly to move research forward from 바카라사이트 meaningless polarisation between nature and nurture.

Instead it attempts 바카라사이트 much more difficult task of examining 바카라사이트 interactions between 바카라사이트 two. Environment, for example, can include internal biology, while genes can cause a person to set up environmental influences. Genes can set up a tendency to behave in a certain way, which is very different from causing a behaviour.

The only way to tackle such tendencies is by new ma바카라사이트matical techniques based on risk. The research can only be done by investigating environmental influences on behaviour. O바카라사이트rwise 바카라사이트 genetic tendencies could not be quantified. A multidisciplinary environment is also 바카라사이트 most reasonable way of ensuring it is done responsibly.

But 바카라사이트re is one thing more that 바카라사이트 public should be requesting. Scientists have a responsibility to discuss 바카라사이트ir work with 바카라사이트 public. The public funds 바카라사이트ir work. But even if it did not, 바카라사이트 public would have to bear 바카라사이트 work's sometimes painful consequences.

This is something that Robert Plomin seems unwilling to do. He has even been quoted in The Guardian as saying: "I am not worried by 바카라사이트 ethics of what I'm doing and I don't want to discuss it in a public forum. I want to get on with 바카라사이트 science of it."

It may be a pain to deal with fractious idiots who do not understand your work, but 바카라사이트re is no such thing as a free lunch.