If you’re having trouble finding friends, blame your DNA.  According to scientists, our DNA contains markers that apparently help foster the bonds of friendship.  Could your circle of acquaintances be determined by your genetic disposition?  Perhaps so.

Using two independent studies, the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health and the Framingham Heart Study, scientists have determined that our genetics might determine just who becomes friends with who.  Six genetic markers have been identified that help to determine just who becomes friends with whom, or who doesn’t become friends.  DRD2, which is a genetic marker associated with alcoholism, seems to be common in groups of friends.  A second gene, CYP2A6, seems to keep people apart as those with the marker avoid one another.

“That feeling that you get that you’re just going to like somebody or not going to like them – a lot of times we’ll have those instincts about people and we’re not sure where they come from.  We think that understanding the genotypes that underlie friendship may help us to understand more of that process,” says study leader Professor James Fowler of the University of California.  “It’s not like I’m going to be carrying around a little spit kit and testing all my friends.  It’s those genes’ underlying characteristics which we must be able to detect in some way either consciously or unconsciously.”

Tags: genes determine who becomes friendship, friendship genes, genetics with friendship, National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health, Framingham Heart Study, DRD2, CYP2A6, Professor James Fowler, University of California, genetics, gene studies, the power of genetics, friendship gene, gene markers for friendship

I’ve never had a problem eating food from a gas station.  Just two weeks ago, I ate a couple of hot dogs purchased from a gas station.  They were delicious.  That’s not the first time I’ve eaten gas station food, and I doubt it will be the last.  There’s nothing like a fun food novelty. […]

Commissioner Roger Goodell gathered 32 NFL owners for one big question.  One of the league’s most wanderlust-stricken franchises is looking to move again.  The Oakland-Los Angeles-Oakland Raiders, tired of gutting it out in a run-down stadium, were once again looking for greener pastures.  Only the Miami Dolphins refused to cooperate.  With a vote of 31-1, […]

In 2006, an injury to Dallas Cowboys starting quarterback Drew Bledsoe opened the door for an undrafted free agent by the name of Tony Romo to take the helm of America’s Team and lead the Dallas Cowboys to an early playoff exit.  Bledsoe went from starter to afterthought in a season.  Now, the circle continues […]

For 89 years, Oscars has never had a major mistake.  The last few Oscars might have had a few flubs, but at least they never got the most important category of the night wrong.  Well, that’s now changed, all thanks to OG Bonnie and Clyde legends Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway.  When Faye Dunaway called […]

Tom Brady has been wildly successful, if controversial.  He’s the first quarterback ever to win five Super Bowls and only the second player to do so after Charles Haley.  Unlike Haley, Brady won all his Super Bowls with the same team, the New England Patriots.  The only thing that seems to be able to stop […]

Ben Affleck, no matter what you might think of him, is a talented actor and director.  He’s got the goods, but he’s smart enough to know when he’s in over his head.  All along, since he took on the mantle of Batman, he’s had his eyes on writing, directing, and starring as the Caped Crusader. […]

In May, students for the for-profit American College of Education were running into some problems.  Their access to email accounts and course information was locked down by Google, who had disabled their accounts.  The reason why?  A fired IT worker for the American College of Education locked the school out of their Google cloud account. […]