3 ms·
In addition, even if there is a real effect here, it is so small, and the interactions so complex, that it's probably useless. For example, even if this neande
by azakai 11y ago
In addition, even if there is a real effect here, it is so small, and the interactions so complex, that it's probably useless.
For example, even if this neanderthal gene happens to causally affect depression by 1%, that pathway might be something like
gene => slightly wider shoulders => that body structure is slightly more or less likely to lead to certain life outcomes, like marrying early or getting promoted or getting targeted by pickpockets => change in depression risk
As a result, the gene might currently lead to a 1% increase in depression risk, but in a few years it might do the opposite, if things change in the surrounding culture and those intermediary steps behave a little differently.