Scientists may have found the root of all evil - a part of the brain that fires up before a violent or aggressive act is carried out.
A study found that a part of the hypothalamus - which controls body temperature, hunger and sleep - activates shortly before any violence or aggression takes place.
Researchers carried out the study on mice to see whether bad intentions could be seen forming before any negative act took place.
Their findings may lead to more in-depth studies - including on humans - which could one day uncover ways to correct unwanted human behaviour before it even occurs.
Dr Dayu Lin, an assistant professor at the Neuroscience Institute at NYU Langone, said: "Our study pinpoints the brain circuits essential to the aggressive motivations that build up as animals prepare to attack.
"It should be studied further as part of future efforts seeking to correct behaviours from bullying to sexual predation."
The part of the brain in question is called the ventrolateral part of the ventromedial hypothalamus.
The study opens the possibility of one day administering drugs which target the specific part of the brain, or even monitor brain activity in that area to alert health and security experts to a potentially aggressive attack.
Dr Lin said there are a number of ethical and legal issues that would need to be resolved before ploughing ahead with the technology.
She added: "That said, our results argue that the ventrolateral part of the ventromedial hypothalamus should be studied further as part of future efforts seeking to correct behaviours from bullying to sexual predation."
The study used male mice which were trained to attack weaker male mice, and it is unclear whether similar results would be seen in human brains.
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