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Research Professor |
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ROGER D. MASTERS
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Research Professor |
Abstract: Faced by the continued threat of suicide bombers and other acts of terrorism, Professor Masters argues that we need a more robust and cogent policy debate about the two primary security strategies: deterrence and pre-emption. Masters suggests that the Bush administration’s apparent emphasis on a pre-emptive strategy will not work under circumstances that make martyrdom an appealing choice for terrorists. Contemporary theories of animal evolution indicate that self-sacrifice is more likely in relatively poor societies with high birth rates and low life expectancy, as exists in most of the Muslim states.
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"Toxins, Health and Behavior: The Implications of 'Toxicogenomics' for Public Policy"
draft of paper for 2002 American Political Science Association meeting.
Abstract: The field at the intersection of cognitive neuroscience, behavioral genetics, and toxicology-recently conceptualized as "Toxicogenomics"-has extremely important implications for understanding human behavior and improving public policies. After indicating the conceptual changes in social science that this approach requires, I summarize two research projects that illustrate the relevance of toxicogenomics to policy issues: first, the chemical compounds (silicofluorides) used for over 90% of water fluoridation in the United States; second, the assessment of superfund sites needs to consider multiple toxins (both determining their presence and measuring their uptake) as well as behavioral and health effects (understood from the perspective of toxicogenomics). Both examples reveal enormous potential benefits of this approach (including lower rates of learning disabilities, substance abuse and violent crime) and indicate sources of disproportionate harm for minorities that conventional social scientists do not identify.
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New: Biology and Politics: Linking
Nature and Nurture
(ANNUAL REVIEW OF POLITICAL SCIENCE (2001) 4:345-69).
Although millions of Americans take psychoactive medicines (e.g., Prozac and Ritalin), few social scientists believe biological theories and findings should be integrated with reearch on human behavior. Four topics illustrate current studies linking politics and the life sciences.
more...
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Toxins, Brain Chemistry, and Behavior
During the last two decades, evidence has accumulated that the interaction of environmental pollution, poor diet, and lifestyle contributes to the exceptionally high rates of violent crime in many American cities. Lead intoxication, even at low levels, correlates with aggressive behavior as well as learning disabilities. Manganese, a toxin that at high levels of exposure contributes to Parkinsonism, has also been linked to violent behavior. Effects of lead and manganese interact, moreover, so that individuals exposed to both show stronger effects than those exposed to either one alone. Alcohol and drug use, often associated with violent crime, increase the deleterious effects of toxic metals through complex biochemical interactions at the cellular level. These chemicals compromise the serotonin, dopamine, and other neurotransmitter systems that are integral to self-control due to their effects in lowering thresholds for violent behavior.
more...
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Adverse Health and Behavior from Silicofluorides
Some more specific research on Silicoflourides.
Oujé Bougoumou Cree Exposure to Toxins
A dramatic case of exposure in Canada.
Abstracts of Selected Publications
Links to sites that are relevant to the effects of toxicity on behaviour.
ja:JA
April 19th, 2001