Scientists Discover 'Crime Gene'

Buggernut writes "Researchers from King's College in London have found that boys who have a particular version of a gene are much more likely to go off the rails if they suffer maltreatment when young." MAO breaks down a whole class of brain-affecting chemicals, and MAO inhibitors are commonly used to treat depression (but are known to produce mood swings and violence). So if you have a genetic predisposition to low levels of MAO, your resistance to various mood-altering chemicals is lowered. You ever get the feeling that we're tinkering with a hugely complex system and observing only one or two of the most pronounced effects?