"Daredevil gene called big break"

[spider solo]

Did anyone notice this article ? It was in the Manchester Union Leader
(Nov 18 2005) I don't know how to do the link but maybe some other newspapers carried the article.

Apparently they have found not only the area of the brain that affects fear, or lack thereof, but have tracked it down to a particular gene (and of course have started fiddle around with it)
So why would one person love to repel off the edge of a cliff and the next person cower in fear ?
As another thread about a newly devolped problem with heights mentioned, for some it might have been a cause and effect...while others are inately fearful of it.
This gene it is thought to cover the "....phobias, borderline personality disorders and other human anxiety diseases"

The lack of a fear maybe the basis of what the general public would refer to as someone being a "daredevil"... the person who is the 1st to to go bungee jumping may also be the 1st to realize the rope is too long...eventually it is refined until you can even have a society where it is no longer considered unusual. Still an occasional person would be petrified of the idea..that person would now be described as phobic..an interesting reversal between the cultural norm and an inate fear.
What of the rock climber who is afraid of water? or an ice climber who is claustrophobic? What of the person who is afraid of nothing...is that person the 1st to be able to show that something can indeed be done and done safely, but also be the 1st person to die in the attempt of another feat.

Interesting about with the mention of 'personality disorders" controlled by the same gene. Some "elite" climbers like some "elite" rock musicans or "superstars" are known for their huge egos...others are not.

Reinhold Messner ,certainly one of the greatest climbers of all time, broke through many preconcieved ideas and did what others thought could never be done....yet warm and fuzzy...I think not...his "quirks" are almost as ledgendary as his accomplishments.

So I'm curious is this a reoccurring theme the fine line between "bodly going"
and just plain nuts ? (personality disorder would be better stated I'm sure)
I imagine it is but this is the 1st time I've seen it traced biologicaly.
There are huge implications both positive and negative that our "fear factor"
could be dealt with.
Or even why we would want to be the 1st to climb this or that or to complete this list or that list till what might be a hobby becomes an obssesion.

 

[funkyfreddy]

It's too bad we don't have a daredevil valve we can turn on or off/up or down depending on the task that faces us...... I'm sure we probably will in a century or 2 - better living through chemistry

 

[Fu Jow Pai]

Better living through chemistry, Amen!....ooops, I mean back to nature everyone...ADD kicking in, obviously in need of whatever drug of the week we're giving kids these days... How about some of this extreme free ride skiing, people dropping off 50 ft ledges into deep powder on ridiculous inclines! If I could do that just once, I'd never fear again! In the meantime it's extreme snowshoe time...Hey Funky I'm home for the holidaze, up for some post x-mas shoeing? Any other takers? Think snow people!

 

[spider solo]

ummm....I think genetic enginering is what they are talking about.
(Other stuff has been around through the ages... alcohol for example )

It's nice to see the optimism.... that it will happend in the next century or two.
I think of it as happening in the next generation or two. Now that we have cloning (and test tube babies) it is easy for me to think that they would geneticly engineer offspring who would readily follow in their fearless fathers footsteps, might be an example, and not leave it up to random chance.
More to climb Everest...or ski it perhaps. (which I think has already ben done)

People who would bungee jump out of airplanes over Mt Washington and not think twice about it...perhaps that would be further down the line.
There are already people who jump out of airplanes riding the wind resistance with a snowboard. (though not over Washington) Only after a few people died this way do they have a chute that will automatically open if they loose consciousness.

 

[Whiteman]

Fear Genes and such

I saw that article too. Unfortunately (I speculate) the first products of this tinkering will probably be military, but those of us looking for a little daredevil boost just before we go over the edge will probably benefit eventually when they release the hormones and drugs for ordinary consumers. No doubt these genes have been helpful for survival. I'm the kind of guy who sees a snake and immediately thinks "pick it up." Probably a bad gene in my brain let's me do that. I wonder if the two are related. (of course, it could just be a third gene related to stupidity or bad judgment in general)

And if they are finding the phobia genes, can the love genes be far off? Just think, in a few years we will be able to draw the polar ends of this board together, pop a coupla pills, and climb fearlessly and lovingly anywhere!