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Mutation Creates SuperKid

Posted by michael on from the at-least-he-still-needs-to-sleep dept.

Tzarius writes "It's not exactly regular Slashdot fare, but the NYTimes has a story about a kid in Berlin (now 4 years old) who was born with naturally massive muscles. It's not a new condition, but it apparently hasn't been recorded in humans before. It also looks like the cause is a suppression of the myostatin protein, which could be reproducible." Reader Spazmasta adds "A gene that blocks production of a muscle-limiting protein (called myostatin) has been found in a abnormally muscular German baby. This news comes apparently 7 years after researchers at Johns Hopkins created 'mighty mice' through a related approach, turning off the gene that produces the muscle-limiting protein. I, for one, welcome our new myostatin-free overlords."

4 of 747 comments (clear)

  1. One of the X-men? by bored_lurker · · Score: 0, Redundant

    Didn't I just watch this story on DVD last night? I guess we know where this kid is going to school.

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    --- Tolerance is the axiomatic "virtue" of those without convictions ---
  2. Re:here's a picture of his asscrack! by networkBoy · · Score: 1, Redundant

    um.....
    yikes, the article mentions that the whole family is strong.
    "Researchers would not disclose the boy's identity but said he was born to a somewhat muscular mother, a 24-year-old former professional sprinter. Her brother and three other close male relatives all were unusually strong, with one of them a construction worker able to unload heavy kerbstones by hand."
    -nB

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  3. Re:There must be a major downside... by gmuslera · · Score: 0, Redundant
    Evolution put us that gene for something (ok, is random and we still carry things from the fishes stage and before).

    Being definately stronger should be a surplus, unless ever growing muscles implies problems like heart attacks, needing more food or things more structural, like the bones or how they are connected with muscles can't stand what those muscles can do in an adult body.

    I remember reading somewhere a reason why some topics in bad movies, like really giant insects, apes, humans, or to the other direction, very tiny humans (think in Giant's Land) and was related to body architecture and strength of materials. A 20 mt human built proportionally to normal people and with the same "materials" probably will broke by its own weight. This case could have similar problems.

  4. This has been recorded before... by BassettHound · · Score: 0, Redundant

    doesn't anyone remember Bam-Bam!!!?