Via Tyler Cowen, Benjamin Campbell and Samuel Wang report that your college major depends a lot on which particular psychopathologies are common in your family:
We surveyed an entire class of high-functioning young adults at an elite university for prospective major, familial incidence of neuropsychiatric disorders, and demographic and attitudinal questions. Students aspiring to technical majors (science/mathematics/engineering) were more likely than other students to report a sibling with an autism spectrum disorder. Conversely, students interested in the humanities were more likely to report a family member with major depressive disorder, bipolar disorder, or substance abuse problems.
Is it science or is it bullshit? You make the call! But there’s a chart to go with it, along with the usual throat clearing that this could all be due to nature, nurture, or a combination of both, so please don’t send them any death threats. In any case, it all seems pretty plausible, doesn’t it?
