During the past 14000 years, the human brain has evolved to adapt to our environment and each other. Unfortunately, violence among humans has not been a stranger to our communities – but a particular kind of violence has fascinated us for centuries. Despite making up less than 1% of human beings across the globe, serial killers have fascinated humankind as far back as the 1600s. That fascination has only grown in modern times, as is evidenced in popular media and through the rapid growth of true crime podcasts.

Much of true crime media is spent focusing on “pop” sociological, psychological and biographical reasons as to why otherwise seemingly “ordinary” people become serials killers and social deviants, committing heinous and nightmarish acts such as the acts of Dennis Raider (the BTK Killer) or Richard Ramirez (the Night Stalker). What is less discussed and understood are the neurological components behind this grim reality. Nature and genetics are thought to reign supreme when it comes to our behavior, but upbringing and nurture seem to have just as much of an impact. Discover what we do know about how the three pounds of tissue we call the human brain dictate’s behavior, whether someone is a non-violent human being or a brutal serial murderer.

Wesley Tierney is currently a PhD candidate in Neuroscience at Arizona State University. He studies the mechanisms of Herpes Simplex Virus infection of neurons. He has worked in various research labs for seven years ranging from social psychology, entomology, regenerative medicine, virology, and neuroscience.