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Archived Audio:
mental health
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rainforest
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genes and behavior
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Related Links:
Mental
illness will hit half in US, study says
Mental
illness: Surprising, disturbing findings
Study:
US Leads In Mental Illness
Rainforest Action Network
World
Rainforest Information Portal
Amazon
Interactive
Sex
and the single splice
For
Fruit Flies , Gene Shift Tilts Sex Orientation - New York Times
Spliced
Gene Determines Objects of Flies' Desire
Does nature trump nurture in fruit flies? Two new studies show how genetics might regulate behavior in animals. From sex in fruit flies to monogamy in voles, how much influence do genes have on the way animals behave? And what, if anything, can those studies tell us about human behavior? We'll find out in this hour.
We'll also get an update on rainforest destruction in Brazil's Amazon region. Are international efforts to rein in deforestation in the region being successful? We'll talk about the difficulty of balancing local desires for development and improved infrastructure with the need for ecosystem preservation.
Plus, we'll take a look at the latest statistics on the prevalence of mental disorders in the U.S. New work published this week indicates that almost half the population of the US will have to deal with a mental disorder during their lifetimes -- and that only a third of the people facing such mental disorders receive effective treatments. The survey also found that mental health issues can begin at a very young age -- by age 14 in half of the cases reported. We'll talk about the findings, and what they might mean. Call in with your questions and comments at 1-800-989-8255 (2-3 Eastern). Teachers, find more information about using Science Friday as a classroom resource in the Kids' Connection.
Guests:
Ronald Kessler
Professor of Health Care Policy
Harvard Medical School
Boston, Massachusetts
William Laurance
Staff Scientist, Smithsonian Tropical Research
Institute
President-elect, Association for Tropical
Biology and Conservation
Balboa, Panama
Gene Robinson
Director, Neuroscience
Program
University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign
Urbana-Champaign, Illinois
Books/Articles Discussed:
(find books discussed on previous broadcasts)
This segment produced by Annette Heist