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The Oldest Mouse Contest

Posted by timothy on from the games-scientists-play dept.

Shipud writes "Nature reports a contest that was launched in Britain today, to produce the oldest laboratory mouse. Current record in 5 years -- 150 in human years. From the page : ``Researchers can use any technique to boost longevity, including genetic manipulation and stem-cell therapy''. Winners will receive cash for every day beyond the current record. The Methuselah Mouse contest was created in an effort to boost research into human longevity."

5 of 386 comments (clear)

  1. what about this genius? by Unominous+Coward · · Score: 4, Informative

    Does it count?

    How about this apple mouse?

    --
    "Smoking helps you lose weight - one lung at a time" -- A. E. Neumann
  2. here it is by ch-chuck · · Score: 2, Informative

    At lease here's Doug Engelbart's patent on the mouse - don't know if a 1964 prototype still exists or not.

    --
    try { do() || do_not(); } catch (JediException err) { yoda(err); }
  3. Re:How about NOT experimenting on them for a while by Maddog+Batty · · Score: 4, Informative

    That would seem to help with your average lab rat's life expectancy...
    Unfortunately not. Half starving them does seem to improve life expectancy.

    dogs monkeys

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    wot no sig
  4. Re:I know how to win, with no changes to the mouse by RogerWilco · · Score: 2, Informative

    having something orbiting the sun at near light speed will squish
    mouse A as the angular velocity will induce a centrifugal force
    high enough to.
    Maybe if you'd send it to some distant galaxy at near light speed, and then back again? You'll also have to keep de acceleration limited, like 2G otherwise your mouse will also get squished.
    Oh, and don't mind the near infinite energy needed to approach even 0.9 c.

    --
    RogerWilco the Adventurous Janitor
  5. Re:Works by maintaining/increasing telomere length by jemfinch · · Score: 2, Informative

    There's a gene called telomerase that synthesizes these telomeres at the ends of chromosones.


    Telomerase is an enzyme, not a gene. And it prevents the shortening of the telomeres; it doesn't actually lengthen them after they've been shortened.

    Jeremy
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