5 Comments
Our happy hour fact to amaze your drinking buddies with.

People with a specific gene variant are measurably worse drivers.

In a test using driving simulators, researchers found those who had a gene which limits the availability of a certain memory-strengthening protein to the brain scored 20 percent worse. This bad-driving gene seems to negatively affect carriers' abilities to make turns efficiently and internalize the nuances of the road.

There are also benefits to this gene. Previous studies suggest that it allows the brain to hold up better when under attack from neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson's. Researchers now hope to get access to the genetic make-up of car-crash victims, so they can see what role the bad-driving gene plays.

We know what you're thinking, and no, having two X-chromosomes isn't considered a gene variant.

The Happy Hour Hero widget brings amazing facts and figures to your desktop, MySpace page, Facebook profile or blog:

loading...