Name: Exploring the mind of a killer
Uploaded: 2009-07-16T09:10:00Z
Duration: 6 min 12 s
Description: Psychopathic killers are the basis for some must-watch TV, but what really makes them tick? Neuroscientist Jim Fallon talks about brain scans and genetic analysis that may uncover the rotten wiring in the nature (and nurture) of murderers. In a too-strange-for-fiction twist, he shares a fascinating family history that makes his work chillingly personal.

Psychopathic killers are the basis for some must-watch TV, but what really makes them tick? Neuroscientist Jim Fallon talks about brain scans and genetic analysis that may uncover the rotten wiring in the nature (and nurture) of murderers. In a too-strange-for-fiction twist, he shares a fascinating family history that makes his work chillingly personal.

Jim Fallon: Exploring the mind of a killer

Exploring the mind of a killer

Brain scans of serial killers reveal consistent damage in the orbital cortex and temporal lobe, altering emotional regulation.

The MAO-A gene, linked to violence, requires traumatic early experiences to express violently, highlighting nature-nurture interplay.

Discovering a family history of violence, including Lizzie Borden, prompts a neuroscientist to scan his family's brains for clues.