Social media algorithms, artificial intelligence and our own heredity are some of the factors that transcend our awareness. This raises an ancient question: do we have control over our own lives? This article is part of a series of talks on the science of free will.
Many of us believe we are masters of our own destiny, but new research shows the extent to which our behavior is influenced by our genes.
It is now possible to understand the sequence of our personal genetic code, possible. ૨ Billion DNA “characters” is unique to each of us, creating a blueprint for our brain and body.
This sequence shows how big a biological tendency we have in our behavior, i.e. we can lead to the development of a particular trait or characteristic. Research shows that genes can affect not only our height, eye color or weight, but also mental disorders, longevity, intelligence and impulses. Such symptoms are of varying degrees, written in our genes – sometimes thousands of genes work in concert.
Most of these genes give instructions on how our brain’s circuitry is inserted into the uterus and how it works. We can now see the baby’s brain being formed, even 20 weeks before birth. Circuit mutations exist in their brains that are strongly associated with genes that are potential for spectrum spectrum disorder and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). They are also biased for conditions that may not emerge for decades: bipolar disorder, major depressive disorder and schizophrenia.
read more:
Genes to show how well children perform during their time in school
More and more we face the possibility that the hypothesis of more complex behaviors is equally wired in our brains. This includes what religion we choose, how we form our political ideologies, and how we form our friendship groups.
Nature and nutrition are intertwined
There are other ways that the stories of our lives can be passed down through generations, in addition to being written into our DNA.
“Epigenetics” is a relatively new field of science that can reveal how interconnected nature and care can be. It does not focus on mutations in the genes itself, but instead on the “tsgs” placed on the genes from life experience, which change how our genes are expressed.
A 2014 study looked at epigenetic changes in rats. Mice love the sweet smell of cherries, so when a waft reaches their noses, a portion of the fun in the brain is released, inspiring them to mess around and hunt for treats. The researchers decided to associate this smell with a mild electric shock, and the mice quickly learned to stabilize in anticipation.
read more:
Epigenetics: What effect does it have on our psychology?
Studies have shown that this new memory extends to the new. The grandchildren of the rats were afraid of cherries even though they themselves did not feel the electric shock. Grandpa’s sperm DNA changed its shape, leaving a blueprint of experience contained in the genes.
This is constant research and novel science, so questions remain about how these methods apply to humans. But preliminary results suggest that epigenetic changes may affect the offspring of highly traumatic events.
One study showed that U.S. Sons of Civil War prisoners had an 11% higher mortality rate by mid-40%. In another small study, Holocaust survivors and their children showed that there were epigenetic changes in the genes associated with their levels of the hormone involved in the stress response, cortisol. It is a complex picture, but the results suggest that the offspring have higher net cortisol levels and are therefore more susceptible to anxiety disorders.
read more:
Extreme stress in childhood is toxic to your DNA
Do we have room for free will?
Of course, it’s not just that our lives are born through the brain, born through the DNA given to us by our parents, and the memories are passed down from our grandparents.
Thankfully, there is still room for change. As we will learn, new connections are formed between nerve cells. As new skills are practiced, or learning is revived, connections are strengthened and learning is integrated into memory. If memory is frequently visited, it will become the basic pathway for electrical signals in the brain, i.e. learned behavior becomes a habit.
Ride a bike for example. We don’t know how to drive someone when we are born, but through trial and error, and with a few small crashes along the way, we can learn to do it.
read more:
What is brain plasticity and why is it so important?
Similar principles form the basis for both vision and exploration. We make and strengthen neural connections as we move around our environment and awaken our perception of the space around us.
But there’s a catch: sometimes our past training blinds us to future truth. Watch the video below – we all favor seeing faces in our environment. This choice causes us to ignore the shadow cues that tell us that it is the back end of the mask. Instead, we rely on tried and tested ways inside our brains, creating an image of another face.
This illusion shows how difficult it can be to change our minds. Our identities and expectations are based on past experiences. It can take a lot of cognitive energy to break down the framework formed in our brain.
Elegant machinery
As I research my latest book, The Science Fate, published last year, this research focuses on the biggest secrets of life: our personal ability to choose.
For me, there is something beautiful about seeing yourself as a magnificent machinery. The process of world input takes place in our unique brain to produce the output of our behavior.
However, many of us may not want to give up the idea of being free agents. Biological determination, the idea that human behavior is entirely innate makes people nervous. Horrible acts in our history were committed by people who were powerless to stop them, as it is disgusting to think that they are likely to happen again.
Maybe instead, we think like ourselves Not restricted Adopting biology through our genes that influence our individuality can then empower us to better empower our collective cognitive ability to better supply our power and shape the world better.
This article by Hanna Critchlo, a Science Outreach Fellow at Magdalen K College Ledge, University of Cambridge, has been republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
Read ahead:
This Adobe Creative Cloud training unlocks the essential skills you want to learn.
