What science tells us about good and evil

There is a concept called extreme altruism by scientists. Extreme altruism is

defined as selfless acts to help others at the risk of grave personal harm. A good
example of extreme altruism is Ashley Aldridge, who rescued a man in wheelchair
from a train that was going to smash him. Even though there was a motorcyclist
near to the man, she was the only one who helped him. There are a lot of
examples of altruism, like Roi Klein, an Israeli army major who jumped on a live
grenade to save his men.
But not only good things happen in this world. Many cruel acts occur often enough
to remind us that humans are capable of crimes worthy of a horror film. A good
example is the psychopathic serial killer, Todd Kohlhepp, a real estate agent in
South Carolina, who appears to have left a clue about his murderous habit in an
online review for a folding shovel: “Keep in car for when you have to hide the
bodies”.
Nowadays, researchers say that the root of extreme altruism and behaviors like
Kohlhepp’s might be in our past. Extreme altruism may have been born when
people realized that cooperation within social groups was essential to survive.
And psychopathic behaviors could have been born whit the competition for
resources, also to survive.
Good and evil have been treated by philosophy and religion for many centuries,
but in recent decades researchers have studied these subjects with more
attention. Good and evil seem to be linked to a key emotional trait: empathy,
which gives us the ability to understand how another person is thinking and
feeling. Scientists also say that psychopathic behaviors could be caused by lack
of empathy.
Recent studies have established that babies feel empathy long before their first
birthday. This could mean that empathy is something genetic, but it is not. In a
study of nearly 600 children born to parents with a history of antisocial behaviors,
researchers concluded that kids who were raised by adoptive families in a good
environment, didn’t have problems as the kids who were raised by their biological
parents.
Kent Kiehl, a neuroscientist at the University of New Mexico, have spent the last
two decades studying the brains of prison inmates. The conclusion that he wrote
in a paper he co-authored in 2011, was “The psychopath must think about right
and wrong while the rest of us feel it”.
Abigail Marsh, a psychologist at Georgetown University, had an experience that
made her think about altruism and how it develops in people. She studied a group
of kidney donors and realized that the donors had amygdalas (a zone in the brain)
that were, on average, 8 percent larger than those of a control group.
All these studies show that we might be able to mold our brains to be good
because good and evil, both of them, originate in the brain.
 VOCABULARY
1. WRESTLE
Verb. Struggle with a difficulty or problem.
For over a year David wrestled with a guilty conscience.
2. RAILROAD
Noun. A track or set of tracks made of steel rails along which passenger and
freight trains run.
She had a clear view of the railroad crossing a few hundred yards away.
3. FRANTICALLY
Adv. Madly.
The man was frantically waving his arms.
4. CLANG
Noun. A loud, resonant metallic sound or series of sounds.
The steel door slammed shut with a clang.
5. BAREFOOT
Adj. Wearing nothing on the feet.
He ran, barefoot, to hug his kid.
6. HEAVE
Verb. Lift or haul (a heavy thing) with great effort.
He heaves the sofa because I can’t.
7. UNFLINCHING
Adj. Not showing fear or hesitation in the face of danger or difficulty.
Her unflinching determination is her main characteristic.
8. STABBED
Verb. (of a person) thrust a knife or other pointed weapon into (someone) so as
to wound or kill.
He stabbed him in the stomach.
9. DISTRESS
Noun. Extreme anxiety, sorrow, or pain.
She felt distress leaving her son home alone.
10. LIKELIHOOD
Noun. The state or fact of something’s being likely; probability.
There is no likelihood that Peru wins the FIFA world cup.
11. ARSON
Noun. The criminal act of deliberately setting fire to property.
Police are treating the fire as arson.
12. UTTER
Adj. Complete, absolute.
Psychopaths have utter disregard for the feelings of others.
13. REMORSE
Noun. Deep regret or guilt for a wrong committed.
They were filled with remorse and shame.
14. KIDNEY
Noun. Each of a pair of organs in the abdominal cavity of mammals, birds, and
reptiles, excreting urine.
The kidney donors are a good example of extreme altruism.