New research suggests that traders have more testosterone on profitable trading days than on losing trading days and a Cambridge University team studying a group of traders said that testosterone levels were directly linked to the profits that they made. Apparently, success increases testosterone levels "which in turn increase feelings of confidence and ability to take risks, which then increase the chances of further profits."

The BBC article goes on to point out that you can get addicted to these bursts of testosterone taking on more and more risk to keep the 'high' going and that indeed this could help account for 'boom and bust' economies.

I can just see the future news headline now. "Rogue trader loses billions of Dollars for major bank blames testosterone addiction...." It might be a viable form of defense too? Sorry your honor but I have been 'drying out' at a clinic and I am fully over the testosterone addiction that made me do it... And finally, George W. Bush's nationwide address - "The recession, if we are in a recession at all, isn't my fault. It was not caused by the failure of our policies but by the testosterone addicts on Wall St."

I think we live in a society where personal responsibility is being eroded by garbage like this. We are not responsible for our actions any more because here are so many good excuses we can make. Sorry - I was having a period that day or I didn't realize that the Coffee you served me was actually HOT when I spilled it on myself and sued you for a million dollars.

Come on. We are responsible for our actions. Some actions might give us a bit of a buzz but we are still responsible...