If youve ever gotten into a political argument, youve probably realized that

many peoples political beliefs are deeply entrenched. And that may be partly
thanks to their genes.
A new study finds that variations in one particular gene, coding for a chemical
receptor in the brain, are strongly tied to a persons political views.
Runs in the Family
Prior studies of political beliefs within families have indicated that peoples
political attitudes are partly genetic. And researchers are particularly interested
in a gene called DRD4, which carries the genetic code for a dopamine receptor.
Dopamine is a neurotransmitter, a chemical your brain uses to send signals
between nerves. It plays a role in things like predicting possible rewards,
learning about punishments, and making decisions about risky behavior.
Previous studies have found links between DRD4 and attitudes toward financial
risk.
An earlier study on young adults in the U.S. found that variations in
the DRD4 gene were linked to a persons political views, but only in limited
circumstances. It requires a context in which people are exposed to certain
social environments, said psychologist Richard P. Ebstein. In the U.S., the
number of friends a person had was an important factor. The new study aimed
to examine the link in a different political context, in Singapore.
Political Gene
Ebstein and his colleagues recruited 1771 Han Chinese students for the study.
Each student donated blood or saliva, from which the researchers obtained
DNA, and completed a questionnaire about personality traits and political
views.
The researchers found a strong link between the DRD4 gene and the students
political orientations. Specifically, the determining factor was one section of
the DRD4 gene, where a sequence of 48 letters in the genetic code repeats
between two and eleven times. Study participants mostly had either two (2R) or
four (4R) repeats. People with two copies of the 4R version of the gene were
significantly more conservative than people with any other combination.
And the link was strongest for the 888 female students in the study. Of the
female students who rated themselves highly conservative, 62.5 percent had two
copies of the 4R version of the gene. Among those who rated themselves highly
liberal, only 37.9 percent had two copies of the 4R version.
Ebstein and his colleagues published their results in theProceedings of the
Royal Society B.
Genetics and Environment

Does this mean your political opinions are predetermined by your DNA? Not
entirely, say scientists. Like many other traits, political attitudes develop out of a
combination of genetics and life experiences.
Geneticists have a rough idea of how much of your point of view is genetic. A
1999 study of twins in Virginia found that political conservatism was 64.5
percent heritable in men and 44.7 percent heritable in women. Thats
comparable to the heritability of most personality traits, according to Ebstein
and his colleagues.
Many human traits relevant to the social sciences (economics, psychology,
sociology and others) are moderately influenced by genes perhaps as a rule of
thumb 50 percent of why we differ on a large variety of normal traits is due to
our genes, said Ebstein by email. But he added, However, in many cases
education, family, church and other such variables can trump gene effects.
The origin of the art of bonsai and its predecessor penjing is ancient, dating
from some 1,200 to 2,000 years ago. One of the early Chinese bonsai origin
legends asserts that it was in the Han Dynasty (206 B.C. - 220 A.D.) that an
emperor created a miniature replica landscape with hills, valleys, rivers, lakes
and trees that represented his entire empire. Thus he was able to gaze upon his
empire from his palace window. This landscape-based form of art was his
alone--anyone found in possession of a diminutive landscape was seen as a
threat to his real empire and put to death.
A new photography book, Fine Bonsai, presents rare specimens as
photographed by Jonathan M. Singer: "The beautiful miniature trees and shrubs
featured here, many never before photographed, seemed to pose for us, allowing
the camera to capture a fragment of time and space wonderfully and effortlessly.
Many of these trees are so rare they are almost mythical." The California juniper
shown here is estimated to be 250 years old, and has reached a height of around
48 inches. Trained for more than 20 years, this tree was allowed to acclimate
and strengthen before it was shaped. The dead wood on one side of the bonsai
suggests that harsh desert winds might have killed and polished the wood.
Although the exposed surface roots are dead, they still provide a stable base.
California juniper is a popular bonsai subject that is found growing in dry or
desert locations, usually growing as a shrub but sometimes reaching thirty feet
in height. Trees with old dead wood on the trunks and branches are prized as
bonsai specimens---dead wood resists rot and can be carved.
Bonsai gardeners use methods including wiring branches, extreme pruning of
roots and branches, root binding, grafting, and custom soil and cinder mixtures.
But perhaps the most important element of all is patience. Instructions for
achieving the "roots over rock" effect give insight to the work of a bonsai artist:
trim the roots, place the rock, bind roots, then re-pot andwait two years. Often
a bonsai is created by many hands over the years---a highly prized tree is one
where the hand and ego of the artist become invisible, as in the zen concept of
"artless art."