Now, this is scary — but let me say ahead of time that you should not read too much into these findings. OK, ready?

Children who respond normally to loud, unpleasant noises (compared to those who show fear) are the kiddos more likely to lead a life of crime. About 1,800 kids born in 1969 and 1970 were tracked, and their criminal records were investigated 20 years later. Those with at least one conviction were the ones who had a lower response to noises at age 3.

Why should you not worry? There’s a whole lot more to behavior that just reaction to noise — like family and social influences. Still, this is an interesting little tidbit, isn’t it?

Photo: szlea, Flickr