Eritis sicut deus
Dec 15, 2015
Eritis sicut deus
The Serpent’s Promise
“Eritis sicut Deus: scientes bonum et malum”
‘In the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil’
John Calvin: ““By the decree of God, for the manifestation of his glory, some men and angels are predestinated unto everlasting
life, and others foreordained to everlasting death.” *
• * “It’s in the genes”.
Pelagius: Free will - “Obedience results from a decision of the mind, not the substance of the body.”*
• *It’s in the environment
St Augustine: “Original sin … whereby they are made captive under the devil's power, until they are redeemed therefrom by
… the blood of Christ”*
• *“It’s in the genes, but choose the right environment and you’ll be OK”
Life expectancy in Britain
• Of every million born, how many made it to 21 years old?
• 1601 347 827• 1701 498 791• 1801 582 317 • 1901 738 245• 2001 989 926
“Ignorance more frequently breeds confidence than does knowledge”.
Charles Darwin.
Genetics outweighs teaching, Gove adviser tells his boss
GOOGLE: sample from 38 000 hits on "scientists find gene for".
Scientists find gene for emotional memoryScientists find gene for short sleepers Scientists find gene for fearScientists find gene for depressionScientists find gene for religiosityScientists find gene for sweet toothScientists find gene for cocaine addictionScientists find gene for weight-gainScientists find gene for human languageScientists find gene for premature ejaculation
Siamese Cat
Obesity Trends* Among U.S. AdultsBRFSS, 1985
(*BMI ≥30, or ~ 30 lbs. overweight for 5’ 4” person)
No Data <10% 10%–14%
Obesity Trends* Among U.S. AdultsBRFSS, 1986
(*BMI ≥30, or ~ 30 lbs. overweight for 5’ 4” person)
No Data <10% 10%–14%
Obesity Trends* Among U.S. AdultsBRFSS, 1987
(*BMI ≥30, or ~ 30 lbs. overweight for 5’ 4” person)
No Data <10% 10%–14%
Obesity Trends* Among U.S. AdultsBRFSS, 1988
(*BMI ≥30, or ~ 30 lbs. overweight for 5’ 4” person)
No Data <10% 10%–14%
Obesity Trends* Among U.S. AdultsBRFSS, 1989
(*BMI ≥30, or ~ 30 lbs. overweight for 5’ 4” person)
No Data <10% 10%–14%
Obesity Trends* Among U.S. AdultsBRFSS, 1990
(*BMI ≥30, or ~ 30 lbs. overweight for 5’ 4” person)
No Data <10% 10%–14%
Obesity Trends* Among U.S. AdultsBRFSS, 1991
(*BMI ≥30, or ~ 30 lbs. overweight for 5’ 4” person)
No Data <10% 10%–14% 15%–19%
Obesity Trends* Among U.S. AdultsBRFSS, 1992
(*BMI ≥30, or ~ 30 lbs. overweight for 5’ 4” person)
No Data <10% 10%–14% 15%–19%
Obesity Trends* Among U.S. AdultsBRFSS, 1993
(*BMI ≥30, or ~ 30 lbs. overweight for 5’ 4” person)
No Data <10% 10%–14% 15%–19%
Obesity Trends* Among U.S. AdultsBRFSS, 1994
(*BMI ≥30, or ~ 30 lbs. overweight for 5’ 4” person)
No Data <10% 10%–14% 15%–19%
Obesity Trends* Among U.S. AdultsBRFSS, 1995
(*BMI ≥30, or ~ 30 lbs. overweight for 5’ 4” person)
No Data <10% 10%–14% 15%–19%
Obesity Trends* Among U.S. AdultsBRFSS, 1996
(*BMI ≥30, or ~ 30 lbs. overweight for 5’ 4” person)
No Data <10% 10%–14% 15%–19%
Obesity Trends* Among U.S. AdultsBRFSS, 1997
(*BMI ≥30, or ~ 30 lbs. overweight for 5’ 4” person)
No Data <10% 10%–14% 15%–19% ≥20%
Obesity Trends* Among U.S. AdultsBRFSS, 1998
(*BMI ≥30, or ~ 30 lbs. overweight for 5’ 4” person)
No Data <10% 10%–14% 15%–19% ≥20%
Obesity Trends* Among U.S. AdultsBRFSS, 1999
(*BMI ≥30, or ~ 30 lbs. overweight for 5’ 4” person)
No Data <10% 10%–14% 15%–19% ≥20%
Obesity Trends* Among U.S. AdultsBRFSS, 2000
(*BMI ≥30, or ~ 30 lbs. overweight for 5’ 4” person)
No Data <10% 10%–14% 15%–19% ≥20%
Obesity Trends* Among U.S. AdultsBRFSS, 2001
(*BMI ≥30, or ~ 30 lbs. overweight for 5’ 4” person)
No Data <10% 10%–14% 15%–19% 20%–24% ≥25%
(*BMI ≥30, or ~ 30 lbs. overweight for 5’ 4” person)
Obesity Trends* Among U.S. AdultsBRFSS, 2002
No Data <10% 10%–14% 15%–19% 20%–24% ≥25%
Obesity Trends* Among U.S. AdultsBRFSS, 2003
(*BMI ≥30, or ~ 30 lbs. overweight for 5’ 4” person)
No Data <10% 10%–14% 15%–19% 20%–24% ≥25%
Obesity Trends* Among U.S. AdultsBRFSS, 2004
(*BMI ≥30, or ~ 30 lbs. overweight for 5’ 4” person)
No Data <10% 10%–14% 15%–19% 20%–24% ≥25%
Obesity Trends* Among U.S. AdultsBRFSS, 2005
(*BMI ≥30, or ~ 30 lbs. overweight for 5’ 4” person)
No Data <10% 10%–14% 15%–19% 20%–24% 25%–29% ≥30%
Obesity Trends* Among U.S. AdultsBRFSS, 2006
(*BMI ≥30, or ~ 30 lbs. overweight for 5’ 4” person)
No Data <10% 10%–14% 15%–19% 20%–24% 25%–29% ≥30%
Obesity Trends* Among U.S. AdultsBRFSS, 2007
(*BMI ≥30, or ~ 30 lbs. overweight for 5’ 4” person)
No Data <10% 10%–14% 15%–19% 20%–24% 25%–29% ≥30%
Obesity Trends* Among U.S. AdultsBRFSS, 2008
(*BMI ≥30, or ~ 30 lbs. overweight for 5’ 4” person)
No Data <10% 10%–14% 15%–19% 20%–24% 25%–29% ≥30%
Obesity Trends* Among U.S. AdultsBRFSS, 2009
(*BMI ≥30, or ~ 30 lbs. overweight for 5’ 4” person)
No Data <10% 10%–14% 15%–19% 20%–24% 25%–29% ≥30%
Obesity Trends* Among U.S. AdultsBRFSS, 2010
(*BMI ≥30, or ~ 30 lbs. overweight for 5’ 4” person)
No Data <10% 10%–14% 15%–19% 20%–24% 25%–29% ≥30%
Relative risk of adult onset diabetes in relation to waist size (1” = 2.54cm)
Obese mouse
Leptin deficiency before and after treatment
FTO gene in mice - Fused toes, too?
Genotype and fat risk at FTO locus
Body mass index vs number of risk alleles – rare extremes weigh 10kg more or less than average
FTO gene expressed in brain
Nature 15 Feb 2015 – 97 loci associated with obesity: most of them active in the brain
The race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong. Ecclesiastes 9:11
… but time and chance happeneth to them all.”
Heritability – the proportion of total variation due to genetic variation
• Heritability depends on both nature and nurture and can be altered by changing either of them
Heritability of speed in thoroughbreds
Dry Tracks – 0.4Wet Tracks – 0.2
Ie influence of genes depends on environment
Nearctic – propagator of Myostatin T-> C mutation
Average best race distance (furlongs); C:C horses are best suited to short distance races, C:T horses are best suited to middle-distance races and T:T horses are best
suited to middle- to long-distance
Angiotensin converting enzyme ACE
Angiotensin levels and the ACE polymorphism
Annual Reviews
Ace Gene – climbers and controls; and improvement in endurance after training
Spot the athlete: Mo Farah and his car-mechanic identical twin
In each question below, find the two words that are different from the others.
Compliment, mock, unwrap, ridicule, taunt
In each question below, find the two words that are different from the others.
Compliment, mock, unwrap, ridicule, taunt
(taunt, compliment, ridicule, mock, unwrap)
Model fitting results for additive genetic (A), shared environment (C), and nonshared environment (E) components of variance for GCSE and nine predictors.
Krapohl E et al. PNAS 2014;111:15273-15278
©2014 by National Academy of Sciences
Genetics, not upbringing, main influencer in a child’s IQ, study saysPublished October 30, 2014FoxNews.com
Heritability of IQ relation to age in USA from adoption and twin studies
Age 8–10 – 0.1Age 18-21 – 0.4Age 65-70 – 0.7
Ie influence of genes depends on environment again; shared environment very important for young children, less so for
elderly (so much for the Eleven Plus exam!)
Heritability of IQ relation to family income in USA
Bottom Decile – 0.1Top Decile – 0.7
Ie influence of genes depends on environment; extreme poverty drags everyone down, whatever
their genes
Francis Galton: “It is easy to show that the criminal nature tends to be inherited.”
Monoamine oxidase role
The “alarm gene”: amygdala response to fearful face
Maoa pmism and amygdala activity in response to a fearful face
NZ study – violence, social deprivation (“risk percentile”) and MAOA activity
Steve Jones: 2007 Pan-Pacific BodyBuilding Champion
l l l l l l l l l0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
ENGLAND AND WALES; Murder rate by age. Men – red, women - green
Age (years)
Mur
ders
per
mill
ion
per
year
l l l l l l l l l0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80
1200
1000
800-
600-
400-
200-
0-
DETROIT; Murder rate by age. Men – red, women - blue
Age (years)
Mur
ders
per
mill
ion
per
year
Genetics and Justice: Home Office Report on male/female sentencing
• Men Women• Average sentence matched offences (months) 17.0 11.0• Average sentence for robbery 34.1 25.5
• Proportion given custody for shoplifting 18% 11%• Proportion given custody for actual bodily harm 31% 12%
Maoa pmism and amygdala activity in response to a fearful face
l l l l l l l l l0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
ENGLAND AND WALES; Murder rate by age. Men – red, women - blue
Age (years)
Mur
ders
per
mill
ion
per
year
l l l l l l l l l0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80
1200
1000
800-
600-
400-
200-
0-
DETROIT; Murder rate by age. Men – red, women - blue
Age (years)
Mur
ders
per
mill
ion
per
year
Genetics and Justice: Home Office Report on male/female sentencing
• Men Women• Average sentence matched offences (months) 17.0 11.0• Average sentence for robbery 34.1 25.5
• Proportion given custody for shoplifting 18% 11%• Proportion given custody for actual bodily harm 31% 12%
Galton’s regression of parent-child height
Heritability of body mass index; Blue dots – adopted children; red – biological children
Obesity Trends* Among U.S. AdultsBRFSS, 1985
(*BMI ≥30, or ~ 30 lbs. overweight for 5’ 4” person)
No Data <10% 10%–14%
Obesity Trends* Among U.S. AdultsBRFSS, 1986
(*BMI ≥30, or ~ 30 lbs. overweight for 5’ 4” person)
No Data <10% 10%–14%
Obesity Trends* Among U.S. AdultsBRFSS, 1987
(*BMI ≥30, or ~ 30 lbs. overweight for 5’ 4” person)
No Data <10% 10%–14%
Obesity Trends* Among U.S. AdultsBRFSS, 1988
(*BMI ≥30, or ~ 30 lbs. overweight for 5’ 4” person)
No Data <10% 10%–14%
Obesity Trends* Among U.S. AdultsBRFSS, 1989
(*BMI ≥30, or ~ 30 lbs. overweight for 5’ 4” person)
No Data <10% 10%–14%
Obesity Trends* Among U.S. AdultsBRFSS, 1990
(*BMI ≥30, or ~ 30 lbs. overweight for 5’ 4” person)
No Data <10% 10%–14%
Obesity Trends* Among U.S. AdultsBRFSS, 1991
(*BMI ≥30, or ~ 30 lbs. overweight for 5’ 4” person)
No Data <10% 10%–14% 15%–19%
Obesity Trends* Among U.S. AdultsBRFSS, 1992
(*BMI ≥30, or ~ 30 lbs. overweight for 5’ 4” person)
No Data <10% 10%–14% 15%–19%
Obesity Trends* Among U.S. AdultsBRFSS, 1993
(*BMI ≥30, or ~ 30 lbs. overweight for 5’ 4” person)
No Data <10% 10%–14% 15%–19%
Obesity Trends* Among U.S. AdultsBRFSS, 1994
(*BMI ≥30, or ~ 30 lbs. overweight for 5’ 4” person)
No Data <10% 10%–14% 15%–19%
Obesity Trends* Among U.S. AdultsBRFSS, 1995
(*BMI ≥30, or ~ 30 lbs. overweight for 5’ 4” person)
No Data <10% 10%–14% 15%–19%
Obesity Trends* Among U.S. AdultsBRFSS, 1996
(*BMI ≥30, or ~ 30 lbs. overweight for 5’ 4” person)
No Data <10% 10%–14% 15%–19%
Obesity Trends* Among U.S. AdultsBRFSS, 1997
(*BMI ≥30, or ~ 30 lbs. overweight for 5’ 4” person)
No Data <10% 10%–14% 15%–19% ≥20%
Obesity Trends* Among U.S. AdultsBRFSS, 1998
(*BMI ≥30, or ~ 30 lbs. overweight for 5’ 4” person)
No Data <10% 10%–14% 15%–19% ≥20%
Obesity Trends* Among U.S. AdultsBRFSS, 1999
(*BMI ≥30, or ~ 30 lbs. overweight for 5’ 4” person)
No Data <10% 10%–14% 15%–19% ≥20%
Obesity Trends* Among U.S. AdultsBRFSS, 2000
(*BMI ≥30, or ~ 30 lbs. overweight for 5’ 4” person)
No Data <10% 10%–14% 15%–19% ≥20%
Obesity Trends* Among U.S. AdultsBRFSS, 2001
(*BMI ≥30, or ~ 30 lbs. overweight for 5’ 4” person)
No Data <10% 10%–14% 15%–19% 20%–24% ≥25%
(*BMI ≥30, or ~ 30 lbs. overweight for 5’ 4” person)
Obesity Trends* Among U.S. AdultsBRFSS, 2002
No Data <10% 10%–14% 15%–19% 20%–24% ≥25%
Obesity Trends* Among U.S. AdultsBRFSS, 2003
(*BMI ≥30, or ~ 30 lbs. overweight for 5’ 4” person)
No Data <10% 10%–14% 15%–19% 20%–24% ≥25%
Obesity Trends* Among U.S. AdultsBRFSS, 2004
(*BMI ≥30, or ~ 30 lbs. overweight for 5’ 4” person)
No Data <10% 10%–14% 15%–19% 20%–24% ≥25%
Obesity Trends* Among U.S. AdultsBRFSS, 2005
(*BMI ≥30, or ~ 30 lbs. overweight for 5’ 4” person)
No Data <10% 10%–14% 15%–19% 20%–24% 25%–29% ≥30%
Obesity Trends* Among U.S. AdultsBRFSS, 2006
(*BMI ≥30, or ~ 30 lbs. overweight for 5’ 4” person)
No Data <10% 10%–14% 15%–19% 20%–24% 25%–29% ≥30%
Obesity Trends* Among U.S. AdultsBRFSS, 2007
(*BMI ≥30, or ~ 30 lbs. overweight for 5’ 4” person)
No Data <10% 10%–14% 15%–19% 20%–24% 25%–29% ≥30%
Obesity Trends* Among U.S. AdultsBRFSS, 2008
(*BMI ≥30, or ~ 30 lbs. overweight for 5’ 4” person)
No Data <10% 10%–14% 15%–19% 20%–24% 25%–29% ≥30%
Obesity Trends* Among U.S. AdultsBRFSS, 2009
(*BMI ≥30, or ~ 30 lbs. overweight for 5’ 4” person)
No Data <10% 10%–14% 15%–19% 20%–24% 25%–29% ≥30%
Obesity Trends* Among U.S. AdultsBRFSS, 2010
(*BMI ≥30, or ~ 30 lbs. overweight for 5’ 4” person)
No Data <10% 10%–14% 15%–19% 20%–24% 25%–29% ≥30%
Relative risk of adult onset diabetes in relation to waist size (1” = 2.54cm)
Obese mouse
Leptin deficiency before and after treatment
FTO gene in mice - Fused toes, too?
Genotype and fat risk at FTO locus
FTO gene expressed in brain