Swedish scientists recently found a gene that affects a man’s ability to be monogamous, said Olivia Judson in The New York Times, and that discovery leads to a “mischievous thought.” If scientists can tweak the mating patterns of voles and mice by splicing in the monogamy gene, maybe they’ll some day concoct “love potions and pills” to cure sexual “restlessness.”
At the very least someone should come up with a screening test for the gene, said Ariel Leve in The Times of London. Think how much time a “sexual fidelity test” would save for women in search of a faithful partner. Failing that, maybe science can “explain why women have it in their DNA to be drawn to emotionally unavailable men.”
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
