Medical Discovery NewsBridging the World of Medical Discovery and You

Recent Episodes

The Moral Molecule

MP3 WAV

  • You know what is missing on Capitol Hill? How about a nine-amino-acid molecule to get politicians working together again? That would be a miracle!

    It is not a miracle- but this molecule, which is a tiny hormone called oxytocin - is pretty powerful! A recent study suggests oxytocin, is behind feelings of trust and generosity. It is the same hormone most of us associate with mothers for childbirth and breastfeeding. Oxytocin also has a role in pair bonding, sexual behavior, and in forming normal social attachments.

    The newest study presents oxytocin as an even more intriguing hormone by calling it the'moral molecule'. Authors of the study say oxytocin explains why some people give freely while others are stingy. In experiments, researchers compared the behavior of people given oxytocin intranasally against a placebo group while they played a money game.

    Each person is given $12. An 'investor' has the option to give any amount up to all their money to a 'trustee'. What is given is immediately tripled. So, a trustee could end up with 48 dollars - twelve of his plus up to 36 dollars tripled from the investor. The trustee could then choose to transfer back to the investor any or all of that money. Turns out, 45 percent of the oxytocin group displayed maximal trust by giving the trustee all $12 while only 21% of the control subjects did so. People in the oxytocin group consistently gave more than the control group.

    What is striking is that when the studies were repeated without oxytocin, the trustees who were generously given money gave generously back. Blood samples showed their oxytocin levels shot up simply because they felt trusted. In other words, oxytocin levels can surge from something as simple as a massage, prayer, singing and other activities that foster social connection.

More Information

For a website by the lead author of the studies that suggest that oxytocin is involved in trust, morality and generosity, including his book on the subject, go here

The TED conference and talks are intended to spread new ideas about technology, entertainment and design (TED). To hear the study author, Dr. Paul Zak, speak, visit this web page.

Dr. Paul Zak's published journal article about oxytocin entitled “Oxytocin Increases Generosity in Humans” can be read here.

Scientific American published an article several years ago about the role of oxytocin in trusting behavior.

For more information about the role of oxytocin in human physiology and behavior, read this.

New Scientist is a very well written magazine that covers a broad range of science and they published a good article about oxytocin here.

This page has a summary of the oxytocin molecule and its many roles in human physiology and behavior.

View all episodes >>

Two individuals wearing headphones stand in a recording booth, speaking into microphones with a music stand holding printed pages between them.

 Medicine...

Medicine is constantly advancing – that is a great thing about life in the 21st century. But it doesn’t just happen. Dedicated biomedical scientists are making discoveries that translate into those new medical advances.

Biomedical science is broad, encompassing everything from social science to microbiology, biochemistry, epidemiology, to structural biology and bioinformatics to name just a few areas. And, it can involve basic fundamental biology, the use of AI and chemistry to clinical studies that evaluate new medicines in patients.

No matter the research focus, the goal is always the same, to advance human health. It may take a few months, a few years or for fundamental science, a few decades. Few people make the connection that biomedical science is medicine and that biomedical scientists are working today on the medicine of tomorrow. Our weekly 500-word newspaper columns and 2-minute radio shows and podcasts provide insights into a broad range of biomedical science topics.

Medical Discovery News is dedicated to explaining discoveries in biomedical research and their promise for the future of medicine.

Podcasts

Buzzsprout RSS feed of Medical Discovery News

iTunes
Click to open our podcast page in iTunes, then click "Subscribe" to have new episodes delivered automatically.

Alternatively, you can copy and paste the following web address (URL) into iTunes as a new subscription:
https://www.medicaldiscoverynews.com/shows/audio/mdnews.rss

You can also search and subscribe to "Medical Discovery News" in the podcast section of iTunes.

The www.medicaldiscoverynews.com web site and Medical Discovery News radio program (Program) are made possible by The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston (UTMB)as a community service and are intended to advance UTMB's mission of providing scholarly teaching, innovative scientific investigation, and state-of-the-art patient care in a learning environment to better the health of society and its commitment to the discovery of new innovative biomedical and health services knowledge leading to increasingly effective and accessible health care for the citizens of Texas.

All information provided on the web site and in the Program is for informational purposes only and is not intended for use as diagnosis or treatment of a health problem or as a substitute for consulting a licensed medical professional. Any information obtained by participating as a web site visitor or program listener is not intended to and should not be considered to constitute medical advice.

Thoughts and opinions expressed on the Program or on the website are those of the authors or guests and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of UTMB. The provision of links to other websites is not to be construed as written or implied sponsorship or endorsement of such websites by UTMB.

Please contact Dr. David Niesel or Dr. Norbert Herzog via email with any concerns, suggestions or comments.

All rights are reserved to information provided on the website or other information sources. No part of these programs can be reproduced stored in a retrieval system or transcribed in any form or by any means for personal or financial gained without the express written permission of Drs. Niesel and Dr. Herzog.

Disclaimer Notice to Website Visitors & Program Listeners