Exploring the Mind of a Killer

Video:
 http://www.ted.com/talks/jim_fallon_exploring_the_mind_of_a_killer.html

This TED talk discussed the mind's of killers.  Jim Fallon gave this talk about the minds of killers, and talked about how he analyzes the brains of psychopaths along with brains of normal people; the people don't tell him what kind of brain he is looking at.  Three of the things he has noticed while looking at these brains is the interaction of genes, brain damage and the environment, and how all three of these things tie together.  The timing of when each of these things occurs is how you end up with a psychopathic killer.  He goes on to explain how all the brains that belonged to murderer's and serial killers all had damage to their orbital cortex, and contained the major violence gene called MAO-A.  This gene is sex-linked and is usually passed on by the mother to her off-spring.  Fallon also states how childhood experiences contribute a lot to the environment component.

I found this TED talk very informational.  It is always good to hear the biological understanding of what makes a psychopath a psychopath.  I agree with Fallon on how timing is everything, because when you are younger you encode traumatic situations a lot differently than an adult would.  And with the MAO-A violence gene, I was watching a CSI: episode and this serial killer was on trial and the killers lawyer was trying to blame the murders he committed on the fact that he had this MAO-A violence gene.  But it also turned out that one of the characters working for the crime lab also has that violence gene and he went on the stand and said how you can still have the gene and not kill people.  Overall this was a very good TED talk and it is full of good scientific information.

Exploring the Mind of a Killer. Prod. TED Talks. Perf. Jim Fallon. TED: Ideas worth Spreading. TED Conferences, LLC, Feb. 2009. Web. 21 Apr. 2013.