Exploring the mind of a killer | Jim Fallon

Summary

A neuroscientist from the University of California discusses his 35-year study on behavior, including genes, neurotransmitters, and brain circuit analysis. He recently analyzed brains of psychopathic killers, finding patterns of damage in the orbital cortex and temporal lobe. The MAO-A gene, linked to violence, is sex-linked and passed from mother to son. Early exposure to violence can trigger violent behavior in those with the gene. The speaker humorously reflects on his own family's violent history, including Lizzie Borden, and now conducts PET scans and genetic analyses on family members to understand potential risks.

Takeaways

• 🧠 The speaker is a neuroscientist and professor who has studied behavior through genetics, neurotransmitters, and brain circuit analysis.
• 🔍 He was asked to analyze the brains of psychopathic killers, leading to a deeper exploration of the neuroscience behind such behavior.
• 🧬 The study involved blind experiments with 70 brains, including those of murderers, serial killers, and normal individuals.
• 🧬🧪 The research focused on the interaction of genes, epigenetic effects, brain damage, and environment to understand the development of psychopathy and violence.
• 🗣 The speaker identified a pattern of brain damage in the orbital cortex and the interior part of the temporal lobe among murderers and serial killers.
• 🧬 The MAO-A gene, a 'major violence gene', was highlighted as a potential contributor to psychopathic behavior, especially when inherited from the mother.
• 🧪 Serotonin's role in brain development was discussed, noting how an excess can lead to insensitivity to it in later life, potentially contributing to violent tendencies.
• 👨‍👦 The speaker suggested that early exposure to violence, combined with the presence of the MAO-A gene, could be a 'recipe for disaster'.
• 🌐 The potential for concentrated violent tendencies in regions with constant violence was discussed, leading to a cycle of violence across generations.
• 🏡 The speaker humorously shared a personal revelation about his own family history, including Lizzie Borden and other murderers, highlighting the unpredictable nature of genetics.
• 🔎 In response to these findings, the speaker's family is conducting PET scans, EEGs, and genetic analyses to monitor for potential risks among family members.

Q & A

What is the speaker's profession and what has been the focus of their research for the past 35 years?

The speaker is a neuroscientist and a professor at the University of California. Their research has focused on behavior, studying everything from genes and neurotransmitters like dopamine to circuit analysis.

What unexpected area did the speaker delve into recently, and why?

The speaker recently started analyzing brains of psychopathic killers after a colleague asked for their expertise in this area.

How many brains has the speaker studied in relation to psychopathic killers?

The speaker has studied approximately 70 brains, including those of known psychopathic killers, in a blind experiment setup.

What is the significance of the orbital cortex and the interior part of the temporal lobe in the context of the speaker's research?

The speaker found that every serial killer and murderer they studied had damage to their orbital cortex and the interior part of the temporal lobe, indicating a pattern in the brains of these individuals.

What is the role of the MAO-A gene in the context of psychopathic behavior according to the speaker?

The speaker mentions the MAO-A gene, a variant of which is linked to increased aggression and violence. This gene is sex-linked and can be passed from mother to son, potentially contributing to the development of psychopathic tendencies.

How does the presence of the MAO-A gene variant affect brain development and later behavior?

The presence of the MAO-A gene variant can lead to an overabundance of serotonin in the brain during development, which can desensitize the brain to serotonin, potentially leading to aggressive behavior later in life.

What is the significance of early exposure to violence for individuals with the MAO-A gene variant?

For individuals with the MAO-A gene variant, early exposure to violence can be particularly influential. The speaker suggests that experiencing or witnessing violence at a young age can be a 'recipe for disaster' for these individuals.

How does the speaker's family history relate to the topic of psychopathic killers?

The speaker's family history includes several murderers, including Lizzie Borden and the first recorded case of matricide by a son. This personal connection adds a unique perspective to the speaker's research.

What action has the speaker taken regarding the potential genetic predisposition to psychopathic behavior in their family?

The speaker has initiated PET scans, EEGs, and genetic analyses for family members to identify any potential genetic markers or brain patterns associated with psychopathic behavior.

What was the surprising discovery regarding the speaker's children and their brain patterns?

The speaker found that one son and one daughter, who did not get along, had identical brain patterns and EEGs, suggesting a genetic or neurological basis for their behavior.

What is the moral of the story according to the speaker, and how does it relate to their research?

The moral of the story, as stated by the speaker, is that 'people in glass houses shouldn't throw stones,' implying that everyone has the potential for violence, and it's important to be cautious about judging others based on their genetic predispositions or behaviors.

Outlines

00:00

🧠 Neuroscience and the Roots of Psychopathy

The speaker, a neuroscientist and professor at the University of California, discusses their extensive research on behavior influenced by genetics, neurotransmitters like dopamine, and brain circuit analysis. Recently, they were asked to analyze the brains of psychopathic killers, leading to a deeper exploration of the origins of psychopathy and violence. The study involved examining 70 brains, focusing on the orbital cortex and the interior part of the temporal lobe, areas commonly damaged in serial killers. The speaker also delves into the role of the MAO-A gene, a 'violence gene' linked to increased brain serotonin during development, which can lead to insensitivity to serotonin and aggressive behavior. They suggest that early exposure to violence, combined with the presence of this gene, can create a 'recipe for disaster.' The speaker concludes with a personal twist, revealing a history of violence in their own family, including Lizzie Borden, and the implications of such a lineage.

05:01

🔍 Family History and the Search for Answers

In this segment, the speaker humorously yet poignantly reflects on their family's history of violence, which includes seven murderers on their father's side, contrasting with their father and uncles' pacifist stance during World War II. The speaker uses this personal revelation to underscore the unpredictable nature of genetic traits and environmental influences. To proactively address potential risks within their own family, they have initiated PET scans, EEGs, and genetic analyses to identify any concerning patterns. They share an anecdote about two siblings with identical brain patterns who, despite their initial discord, have become very close, hinting at the complexity of nature versus nurture. The speaker ends on a light-hearted note, acknowledging the uncertainty of where the 'bad news' might surface in their family lineage.

Keywords

💡Neuroscientist

A neuroscientist is a scientist who specializes in the study of the nervous system, including the brain. In the video, the speaker is a neuroscientist and professor at the University of California, which establishes his authority and expertise in discussing the biological and neurological aspects of psychopathic killers. The term is central to understanding the speaker's perspective and the scientific approach he takes to analyze the brains of individuals with violent tendencies.

💡Psychopathic Killer

A psychopathic killer refers to an individual with a personality disorder characterized by persistent antisocial behavior, impaired empathy and remorse, and bold, disinhibited, and egotistical traits. The video's theme revolves around understanding the origins of such individuals, and the speaker's research into their brains aims to uncover the biological and environmental factors that contribute to this condition.

💡Orbital Cortex

The orbital cortex is a region of the brain located above the eyes in the frontal lobe, which is associated with decision-making, impulse control, and social behavior. The speaker notes a pattern of damage to the orbital cortex in the brains of serial killers, suggesting a potential neurological basis for their violent behavior. This concept is crucial for understanding the speaker's findings and the potential impact of brain damage on psychopathic tendencies.

💡Temporal Lobe

The temporal lobe is a region of the brain located on the sides of the head, involved in processing sensory information, memory, and emotion. The speaker mentions damage to the interior part of the temporal lobe in the brains of psychopathic killers, indicating that this area may play a role in the development of violent behavior. This keyword is significant as it highlights a specific brain region that might be linked to psychopathy.

💡Epigenetic Effects

Epigenetic effects refer to changes in gene expression that do not involve alterations to the underlying DNA sequence but can still be passed down to future generations. The speaker discusses how epigenetic effects, along with genetics and brain damage, may contribute to the development of psychopathic killers. This concept is important for understanding the complex interplay between nature and nurture in the formation of violent behavior.

💡MAO-A Gene

The MAO-A gene, or monoamine oxidase A gene, is associated with the regulation of neurotransmitters in the brain, including serotonin. The speaker explains that a variant of this gene can predispose individuals to violent behavior, especially if they are exposed to traumatic events during development. This gene is significant in the video as it provides a genetic perspective on the potential causes of psychopathy and violence.

💡Serotonin

Serotonin is a neurotransmitter that plays a role in regulating mood, appetite, and sleep. The speaker discusses how an excess of serotonin during brain development in individuals with a specific variant of the MAO-A gene can lead to insensitivity to serotonin later in life, potentially contributing to violent behavior. This keyword is integral to understanding the biochemical processes that might be involved in the development of psychopathy.

💡Mirror Neuron System

The mirror neuron system is a network of neurons that fires both when an individual performs an action and when they observe someone else performing the same action. The speaker suggests that exposure to violence during critical developmental periods can activate this system, potentially leading to violent behavior in individuals with certain genetic predispositions. This concept is important for understanding how environmental factors might interact with genetics to shape behavior.

💡Conscientious Objectors

Conscientious objectors are individuals who refuse to participate in war or support military actions due to moral, ethical, or religious beliefs. The speaker contrasts the pacifist stance of his father and uncles during World War II with the violent history on his father's side, highlighting the complexity of genetic and environmental influences on behavior. This term is used to illustrate the variability in behavior within the same family and the potential for both peaceful and violent tendencies.

💡PET Scans

PET (Positron Emission Tomography) scans are imaging techniques that allow for the observation of metabolic processes in the body, including the brain. The speaker mentions conducting PET scans on family members to assess potential neurological risks for psychopathic behavior. This keyword is relevant as it demonstrates the speaker's proactive approach to understanding and potentially mitigating the risk of violence within his own family.

Highlights

The speaker is a neuroscientist and professor with 35 years of experience studying behavior through genetics and neuroscience.

Recently, the speaker began analyzing brains of psychopathic killers at the request of a colleague.

The study aims to understand the development of psychopathic killers by examining brain damage and genetic factors.

The speaker has conducted blind experiments, analyzing around 70 brains including those of murderers and serial killers.

A consistent finding is damage to the orbital cortex and the interior part of the temporal lobe in the brains of murderers.

The timing of brain damage is crucial in determining the type of psychopathy that develops.

The MAO-A gene, a 'violence gene', is sex-linked and can lead to aggression if present during critical developmental periods.

The MAO-A gene variant can cause insensitivity to serotonin, leading to aggressive behavior.

Early exposure to violence can trigger the expression of the MAO-A gene in a violent manner.

Constant violence in certain areas may lead to generations of children with a predisposition to violence.

The speaker's own family history includes Lizzie Borden and other murderers, highlighting the potential for violence in any family.

The speaker's family is conducting PET scans and genetic analyses to understand the presence of violent tendencies.

Siblings in the speaker's family with matching brain patterns and EEGs have a higher risk of exhibiting violent behavior.

The speaker concludes with a humorous note on the unpredictability of violent tendencies and the importance of not judging others.

Transcripts

I'm a neuroscientist, a professor at the University of California.

And over the past 35 years,

I've studied behavior

on the basis of everything from genes

through neurotransmitters, dopamine, things like that,

all the way through circuit analysis.

So that's what I normally do.

But then, for some reason,

I got into something else, just recently.

And it all grew out of one of my colleagues asking me

to analyze a bunch of brains

of psychopathic killers.

And so this would be the typical talk I would give.

And the question is, "How do you end up with a psychopathic killer?"

What I mean by psychopathic killer

are these people, these types of people.

And so some of the brains that I've studied

are people you know about.

When I get the brains I don't know what I'm looking at.

It's blind experiments. They also gave me normal people and everything.

So I've looked at about 70 of these.

And what came up was a number of pieces of data.

So we look at these sorts of things theoretically,

on the basis of genetics,

and brain damage, and interaction with environment,

and exactly how that machine works.

So we're interested in exactly where in the brain,

and what's the most important part of the brain.

So we've been looking at this:

the interaction of genes,

what's called epigenetic effects,

brain damage, and environment,

and how these are tied together.

And how you end up with a psychopath, and a killer,

depends on exactly when the damage occurs.

It's really a very precisely timed thing.

You get different kinds of psychopaths.

So we're going along with this. And here's, just to give you the pattern.

The pattern is that those people, every one of them I looked at,

who was a murderer, and was a serial killer,

had damage to their orbital cortex,

which is right above the eyes, the orbits,

and also the interior part of the temporal lobe.

So there is the pattern that every one of them had,

but they all were a little different too.

They had other sorts of brain damage.

A key thing is that

the major violence genes,

it's called the MAO-A gene.

And there is a variant of this gene that is in the normal population.

Some of you have this. And it's sex-linked.

It's on the X chromosome. And so in this way

you can only get it from your mother.

And in fact this is probably why mostly men, boys,

are psychopathic killers,

or are very aggressive.

Because a daughter can get one X from the father,

one X from the mother, it's kind of diluted out.

But for a son, he can only get

the X chromosome from his mother.

So this is how it's passed from mother to son.

And it has to do with too much brain serotonin during development,

which is kind of interesting because serotonin

is supposed to make you calm and relaxed.

But if you have this gene, in utero

your brain is bathed in this,

so your whole brain becomes insensitive to serotonin,

so it doesn't work later on in life.

And I'd given this one talk in Israel,

just this past year.

And it does have some consequences.

Theoretically what this means

is that in order to express this gene,

in a violent way,

very early on, before puberty,

you have to be involved in something that is really traumatic --

not a little stress, not being spanked or something,

but really seeing violence,

or being involved in it, in 3D.

Right? That's how the mirror neuron system works.

And so, if you have that gene,

and you see a lot of violence

in a certain situation,

this is the recipe for disaster, absolute disaster.

And what I think might happen in these areas of the world,

where we have constant violence,

you end up having generations of kids

that are seeing all this violence.

And if I was a young girl, somewhere in a violent area,

you know, a 14 year old, and I want to find a mate,

I'd find some tough guy, right, to protect me.

Well what the problem is this tends to concentrate these genes.

And now the boys and the girls get them.

So I think after several generations,

and here is the idea, we really have a tinderbox.

So that was the idea.

But then my mother said to me, "I hear you've been going around talking

about psychopathic killers.

And you're talking as if you come from a normal family."

I said, "What the hell are you talking about?"

She then told me about our own family tree.

Now she blamed this on my father's side, of course.

This was one of these cases, because she has no violence in her background,

but my father did.

Well she said, "There is good news and bad news.

One of your cousins is Ezra Cornell, founder of Cornell university.

But the bad news is that your cousin is also Lizzie Borden.

Now I said, "Okay, so what? We have Lizzie."

She goes, "No it gets worse, read this book."

And here is this "Killed Strangely," and it's this historical book.

And the first murder

of a mother by a son

was my great-great-great-great-great-great-grandfather.

Okay, so that's the first case of matricide.

And that book is very interesting. Because it's about witch trials,

and how people thought back then.

But it doesn't stop there.

There were seven more men, on my father's side,

starting then, Cornells, that were all murderers.

Okay, now this gives one a little pause.

(Laughter)

Because my father himself,

and my three uncles, in World War II,

were all conscientious objectors, all pussycats.

But every once in a while, like Lizzie Borden, like three times a century,

and we're kind of due.

(Laughter)

So the moral of the story is:

people in glass houses shouldn't throw stones.

But more likely is this.

(Laughter)

And we had to take action. Now our kids found out about it.

And they all seemed to be OK.

But our grandkids are going to be kind of concerned here.

So what we've done is I've started to do PET scans

of everybody in the family.

(Laughter)

We started to do PET scans, EEGs and genetic analysis

to see where the bad news is.

Now the only person -- it turns out

one son and one daughter, siblings,

didn't get along and their patterns are exactly the same.

They have the same brain, and the same EEG.

And now they are close as can be.

But there's gonna be bad news somewhere.

And we don't know where it's going to pop up.

So that's my talk.

(Laughter)