If you wanted to study one extraordinary human's DNA, who would you pick? Maybe a genius like Steve Jobs, or a prime athlete like Richie McCaw?
Well in 2010, scientist at Knome Inc. were looking for a unique genome to study and reached out to rock legend Ozzy Osbourne. They wanted to find the genes that kept the rocker alive through decades of heavy drug and alcohols use, and their findings have confirmed something that fans have long expected.
They discovered a never-before-seen mutation that could explain Osbourne's ability to consume a LOT of alcohol and several genetic variations that predisposed him to drug and alcohol dependencies.
Bill Sullivan revealed the discovery in his new book Pleased to Meet Me: Genes, Germs and the Curious Forces That Make Us Who We Are.
"Ozzy is indeed a genetic mutant," he wrote.
According to the book, our genes programme the brain chemicals serotonin and dopamine which cause us to feel certain ways and react to different behaviour. In the case of Osbourne, it looks like his genes allowed him to drink and party like a trooper.
"After all these years of thinking we were free agents, we’ve come to realise that most, if not all, of our behavior is not of our own volition."
"However magical they may feel to you, your emotions are purely biological in origin."
