Are there genes for violence?

The most interesting articles that came to our attention this week

Beyond the Dichotomy: Creation and Validation of a Continuous Statewide Index of U.S. Honor Culture. Henry Lopez and colleagues present a quantitative index of honour culture for US states. The index is highest in the former Confederacy (except Florida) and is lowest in the North East. As evidence of its validity, the authors show that it is correlated in the expected direction with several theoretically relevant variables.  

Mutation and Human Exceptionalism: Our Future Genetic Load. Michael Lynch points out that precision and personalised medicine have led to relaxation of selection against harmful mutations, including those that increase the mutation rate itself. He argues this will lead to genetic deterioration in the long run. The author notes that the prevalence of various conditions such as autism, asthma and male infertility is already increasing.