347: Alcohol

Boozer genes identified | Science Blog:

How much alcohol we drink could be influenced by our genes, scientists reveal in a new study. Researchers from the Department of Experimental Psychology at the University of Bristol, in collaboration with colleagues from the University of Oxford, found that the amount of beer, wine and other alcoholic drinks that people regularly consume, and possibly an individual’s susceptibility to addiction, may be related to differences in genetic make-up.

In honor of St. Patrick's Day, The History Channel was talking about alcohol all evening. Turns out there was a long period of European history when alcohol, served straight or in water, was a major part of people's diets, since it killed bacteria. This project doesn't test it, but it suggests evolutionary hypotheses.