Steve Pittelli, MD
@stevepittelli.bsky.social
Semi-retired Shrink, mediocre singer, yoga dude, swimmer, searcher, Daime and other paths, critic of behavioral genetics, dog owner (Corey), Detroit Lions, 35 year vegetarian. Living in the South Carolina Low Country. Blog: www.unwashedgenes.blogspot.com
I’m making a bit of a joke, but it’s worth discussing some broader issues, here. The first is that “we” in this sense, points to an ideology. I’ve taken a lot of ridicule from what would be considered leaders in the fields of behavioral genetics and my own field of psychiatry for questioning…. 1/
“but ultimately the uncomfortable truth is that genes contribute to traits much less than we always thought.”
We?
We?
November 22, 2025 at 3:56 AM
I’m making a bit of a joke, but it’s worth discussing some broader issues, here. The first is that “we” in this sense, points to an ideology. I’ve taken a lot of ridicule from what would be considered leaders in the fields of behavioral genetics and my own field of psychiatry for questioning…. 1/
🧬 Let’s do a GWAS on zip code. Say, the first two digits are 70 (my choice). You will likely get some correlations if the sample is large enough. What percentage of the variance explained will you get for the SNPs for “70” zip code? Say it’s 10% even with your PCA’s. Is “70” zip code genetic? Now…
November 18, 2025 at 9:19 PM
🧬 Let’s do a GWAS on zip code. Say, the first two digits are 70 (my choice). You will likely get some correlations if the sample is large enough. What percentage of the variance explained will you get for the SNPs for “70” zip code? Say it’s 10% even with your PCA’s. Is “70” zip code genetic? Now…
Give Morton another chance. #DetroitLions
November 17, 2025 at 3:27 AM
Give Morton another chance. #DetroitLions
I mean, is someone showing him fake clips of Portland and Chicago and he actually believes it? Not sure if that idea is more or less disturbing than if he is just lying.
October 10, 2025 at 12:04 PM
I mean, is someone showing him fake clips of Portland and Chicago and he actually believes it? Not sure if that idea is more or less disturbing than if he is just lying.
Nicest Lions regular season win I’ve seen in the 55 years I’ve watched them. #DetroitLions
September 23, 2025 at 3:22 AM
Nicest Lions regular season win I’ve seen in the 55 years I’ve watched them. #DetroitLions
They can say anything, no matter how stupid, and it becomes a 50-50.
September 23, 2025 at 2:14 AM
They can say anything, no matter how stupid, and it becomes a 50-50.
“If this isn't a front page story in every US newspaper tomorrow, our press is massively failing us.”
- Somebody talking about another insane thing that won’t be a front page story in every U.S. newspaper tomorrow.
- Somebody talking about another insane thing that won’t be a front page story in every U.S. newspaper tomorrow.
August 19, 2025 at 2:07 AM
“If this isn't a front page story in every US newspaper tomorrow, our press is massively failing us.”
- Somebody talking about another insane thing that won’t be a front page story in every U.S. newspaper tomorrow.
- Somebody talking about another insane thing that won’t be a front page story in every U.S. newspaper tomorrow.
It’s amazing how many articles I’ve read like this in the past quarter century. It’s malpractice to base clinical psychiatric decisions on genetic studies at this point. There is just nothing there.
psychiatryonline.org/doi/10.1176/...
psychiatryonline.org/doi/10.1176/...
Psychiatry Online
PsychiatryOnline.org is the platform for all American Psychiatric Association Publishing journals, DSM, and bestselling textbooks, as well as APA Practice Guidelines, and continuing medical education.
psychiatryonline.org
August 6, 2025 at 4:27 AM
It’s amazing how many articles I’ve read like this in the past quarter century. It’s malpractice to base clinical psychiatric decisions on genetic studies at this point. There is just nothing there.
psychiatryonline.org/doi/10.1176/...
psychiatryonline.org/doi/10.1176/...
Asked if any actors were in both Escspe from Alcatraz and Shawshank redemption:
June 12, 2025 at 2:23 AM
Asked if any actors were in both Escspe from Alcatraz and Shawshank redemption:
One of the reasons I abhor the largely null field of behavioral genetics is this kind of reckless stupidity from someone well known in the field. BG is bad science with an inevitable and harmful endpoint. They haven’t found a thing in 65 years. Let it die.
May 18, 2025 at 3:48 AM
One of the reasons I abhor the largely null field of behavioral genetics is this kind of reckless stupidity from someone well known in the field. BG is bad science with an inevitable and harmful endpoint. They haven’t found a thing in 65 years. Let it die.
The bottom of the barrel for Trump sycophants are the ones who help
help him cheat at golf.
help him cheat at golf.
April 7, 2025 at 10:50 PM
The bottom of the barrel for Trump sycophants are the ones who help
help him cheat at golf.
help him cheat at golf.
Folks, The NYT’s is not your friend. Whatever mystique they hold is from decades ago. You don’t need to point out that they are writing misleading headlines and doing bad reporting like they just need it pointed out and will return to the fold. Whatever it was, it’s now a center-right newspaper.
March 31, 2025 at 1:26 AM
Folks, The NYT’s is not your friend. Whatever mystique they hold is from decades ago. You don’t need to point out that they are writing misleading headlines and doing bad reporting like they just need it pointed out and will return to the fold. Whatever it was, it’s now a center-right newspaper.
NCAA, no one will die on the West Coast if you start games an hour earlier.
March 29, 2025 at 3:30 AM
NCAA, no one will die on the West Coast if you start games an hour earlier.
Is Plomin closing in on astrology, next?
HTTPS://psycnet.apa.org/doiLanding?doi=10.1037/rev0000551
HTTPS://psycnet.apa.org/doiLanding?doi=10.1037/rev0000551
APA PsycNet
psycnet.apa.org
March 25, 2025 at 10:22 PM
Is Plomin closing in on astrology, next?
HTTPS://psycnet.apa.org/doiLanding?doi=10.1037/rev0000551
HTTPS://psycnet.apa.org/doiLanding?doi=10.1037/rev0000551
All aboard the next SEC hype train. Baseball? Lacrosse? Frisbee golf?
March 23, 2025 at 12:09 AM
All aboard the next SEC hype train. Baseball? Lacrosse? Frisbee golf?
Chuck Schumer is quite the coward.
March 14, 2025 at 2:36 AM
Chuck Schumer is quite the coward.
I originally wrote this as a preprint for a poster presentation at the ASHG conference last year. It was apparently removed from the server. It’s an easy read, I think, critiquing the field of behavioral genetics.
open.substack.com/pub/unwashed...
open.substack.com/pub/unwashed...
The Question That Must Be Asked: Is Behavioral Genetics a Null Field?
Steve Pittelli, M.D.
open.substack.com
February 8, 2025 at 4:46 AM
I originally wrote this as a preprint for a poster presentation at the ASHG conference last year. It was apparently removed from the server. It’s an easy read, I think, critiquing the field of behavioral genetics.
open.substack.com/pub/unwashed...
open.substack.com/pub/unwashed...
My review of “Understanding the Nature-Nurture Debate,” by Eric Turkheimer. Where do we go from behavioral genetics now that it has apparently reached a dead-end? Tried to make it an easy read for those not as familiar with this important topic.
open.substack.com/pub/unwashed...
open.substack.com/pub/unwashed...
A Review of "Understanding the Nature-Nurture Debate," by Eric Turkheimer
Gloomy Prospect or Exciting Opportunity?
open.substack.com
February 3, 2025 at 3:28 AM
My review of “Understanding the Nature-Nurture Debate,” by Eric Turkheimer. Where do we go from behavioral genetics now that it has apparently reached a dead-end? Tried to make it an easy read for those not as familiar with this important topic.
open.substack.com/pub/unwashed...
open.substack.com/pub/unwashed...
“The European-only analysis identified 622 SNPs in 570 regions with a net change in the full meta-analysis of 65 (142 regions gained, 77 regions became non-significant).”
This depression GWAS is a failed result and suggests that the correlations are spurious. 🧬🖥️
www.cell.com/cell/fulltex...
This depression GWAS is a failed result and suggests that the correlations are spurious. 🧬🖥️
www.cell.com/cell/fulltex...
Trans-ancestry genome-wide study of depression identifies 697 associations implicating cell types and pharmacotherapies
Trans-ancestry GWAS of major depression identifies 697 genetic variants and 308 genes,
implicating neural and molecular mechanisms and drug repurposing opportunities.
www.cell.com
January 15, 2025 at 1:20 PM
“The European-only analysis identified 622 SNPs in 570 regions with a net change in the full meta-analysis of 65 (142 regions gained, 77 regions became non-significant).”
This depression GWAS is a failed result and suggests that the correlations are spurious. 🧬🖥️
www.cell.com/cell/fulltex...
This depression GWAS is a failed result and suggests that the correlations are spurious. 🧬🖥️
www.cell.com/cell/fulltex...
This speculative push for gene editing, which has all the validity of astrology, is made by a leader in the largely null field of behavioral genetics. Astrology is mostly harmless, though. This is dangerous and invalid on many levels.
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Heritable polygenic editing: the next frontier in genomic medicine? - Nature
We discuss the potential consequences and ethical concerns of polygenic genome editing of human embryos to alter specific variants associated with polygenic diseases, highlighting the possibility of r...
www.nature.com
January 10, 2025 at 9:44 PM
This speculative push for gene editing, which has all the validity of astrology, is made by a leader in the largely null field of behavioral genetics. Astrology is mostly harmless, though. This is dangerous and invalid on many levels.
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Carmel-by-the-Sea
January 6, 2025 at 1:29 AM
Carmel-by-the-Sea
Just saw Matt Yglesias on here and blocked him, quick. Recommended.
December 3, 2024 at 12:18 AM
Just saw Matt Yglesias on here and blocked him, quick. Recommended.
The goal should not be to make the Democratic Party desirable. The goal should be to find a desirable candidate or group of candidates and shape the party around them.
December 1, 2024 at 8:10 PM
The goal should not be to make the Democratic Party desirable. The goal should be to find a desirable candidate or group of candidates and shape the party around them.