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Like, if I hang around
in front of the microwave for too long, will I mutate into
Brad Pitt? Well, sadly, I can tell you from hard experience
that just isn’t so (and it’s something you should
never ever do!). You can’t mutate yourself to make someone
like you – but I can pretty much guarantee that if you
become very strange looking, you will get noticed (like the
time I got my calendar mixed up and dressed up as Dracula…
for Christmas).
But it seems like
it does work the other way: if someone is too close to us
genetically, we tend to have an aversion towards him or her.
People who have similar immune systems (which is a good way
to measure genetic similarity) can actually smell bad to each
other! Scientists figure that’s probably to encourage
mating between different people and mix up our gene pools
(so your little brother really does smell worse than anyone
else you’ve met – it’s not just because
he’s been wearing the same T-shirt for a week, or that
he refuses to clean his room…)
So, the best way to get someone to like you is to
just be you. They’re our genes, and for now we’re
stuck with them – so learn to love ‘em!
Wanna learn more about mutations?
Check out the glossary.
Mutate yourself! Take a look at these mutation activities & presentations
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March 2007
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