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Mental Health / Amazon / Genes and Behavior

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

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This segment produced by Annette Heist