Re: Beauty, homosexulaity and gene

[Tuan V Nguyen <t.nguyen@garvan.unsw.edu.au>]

Cha`o ba'c Die^~m Quy`nh,

        Cho t^oi switch qua A(ng Le^ nhe ? Bo? da^'u me^.t qua' :)

> DQ: The^' nhu*~ng o^ng Hay ba` Homosexual thi` sao ? DDa~ co' va`i 
>nghie^n cu*'u ve^` va^'n dde^` na`y nhu*ng to^i kho^ng theo do~i, 
kho^ng 
>bie^'t nay dda~ dde^'n dda^u ? Ba'c cho 1 ba`i ve^` Gene ddi!  to^i 
>ra^'t thi'ch hu*o*'ng na`y! 

	Well, let us start with the question what are genes? OK, for 
those of you who are not familiar with this topic, genes are the 
job sheet by which we are made, and as far as they are concerned, 
we have but one purpose - to ensure their immortality. Given this, 
it is not surprising that our genes take a special interest in our 
love life. Although we are largely unaware of it, they try to 
dictate, in the most imposing manner, with whom we shall fall in 
love, when we will fall in love and even when we shall fall out of 
it.

	You still remain sceptical of this? Consider the issue of 
with whom you fall in love. Because of the genetic defects 
associated with inbreeding, it is best for our genes if we do not 
fall in love with our siblings, and they have gone to elaborate 
lengths to make us avoid this. A fascinating study of 2769 
marriages among the children of kibbutzim (who, although 
unrelated, live together from birth to adulthood), revealed that 
only 13 marriages were contracted between children from the same 
kibbutz. But, even the 13 were the exception, which proved the 
rule, for they all involved children who had arrived at the 
kibbutz after age six. Even more amazing, there was not a single 
instance of heterosexual activity between same-kibbutz kids. This 
is astonishing restraint on the part of nearly 6000 hormone-loaded 
boys and girls! Only an in-built incest taboo devised by our genes 
could achieve such a remarkable thing.

	It is also good for our genes if we do not fall in love with 
someone or - something - too different: a chimpanzee, for 
instance. Those 13 couples that married after meeting at age of 6 
or later open the way for an understanding of how our devious 
genes achieve this. Age six, it turns out, is the critical time 
for imprinting on our future mate. In short, your partner is 
likely to resemble the kids you played with at that age. Our genes 
have chosen this age because our six-year-old playmates are likely 
to be similar to, but not closely related to us. This maximises 
genetic fitness.

	But, does love exist at all? Do chimpanzee love? I think 
not, or at least not as we love. This is because humans are the 
only higher apes which form a pair bond. We do this because the 
division of labour between male and female results in a benefit 
greater than either could achieve alone. Men bring home the wild 
boar, while women hunt by hand and gather the greens. Love ensures 
that we continue to benefit from this co-operation.

	Fortunately, genes do not have it all their own ways. They 
made a terrible mistake when they invented the human brain. 
Suddenly, the creature they created to launch them into eternity 
could think itself. It had its own feelings, needs, and desires; 
and they were not always the same as those of the genes. It might 
decide, for instance, that it just does not like the richest, 
tallest, most successful man in town, or that it is happy with 
life-long monography. It might decide that it would be happiest 
without reproducing at all.

	Still worse, from the genes' point of view, we have 
discovered how we are made, and have developed powerful 
technology. We might even decide that we dislike a particular 
gene, and sip it out with gene shears.

	So, if you are at a party chatting to an average-looking 
person, and that person suddenly says something to you that goes 
straight into your heart, and you feel that he or she is the one 
for you, tell your genes to go the hell. :)))


        Tuan (the average, tall and honest man :)