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Mice Created With Human Brain Cells

pin_gween writes "Scientists have added 100,000 human brain cells to mice in an effort to create realistic models of disorders like Parkinson's Disease. Although mice are 97.5 percent genetically identical to humans and it sounds like a large number, 100,000 only represents 0.1% of the number of cells in mice brains. FTA: 'It's true that there is a huge amount of similarity, but the differences are huge,' Snyder said. 'You will never ever have a little human trapped inside a mouse or monkey's body. [...] Researchers are nevertheless beginning to bump up against what bioethicists call the "yuck factor." 'The worry is if you humanize them too much you cross certain boundaries,' said David Magnus, director of the Stanford Medical Center for Biomedical Ethics. 'But I don't think this research comes even close to that.'"

34 of 339 comments (clear)

  1. NARF! by Noctopus · · Score: 5, Funny

    I for one welcome our new Pinky and the Brain overlords. NARF!

    1. Re:NARF! by yurnotsoeviltwin · · Score: 2, Funny

      Pinky, are you pondering what I'm pondering?

      I think so Brain, but I really don't enjoy diet soda very much.

      No Pinky! Tonight, we're going to steal the humans' brain cells - AND TRY TO TAKE OVER THE WORLD!!!

  2. 42 by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    The mice were furious.

    1. Re:42 by strider44 · · Score: 2, Funny

      The average mouse IQ lowered by about 5 points.

    2. Re:42 by Bertie · · Score: 1, Funny

      Nah. Even they can see through that.

    3. Re:42 by banuk · · Score: 3, Funny

      only if they used Pres Bush's brain cells

    4. Re:42 by Hognoxious · · Score: 5, Funny

      What, both of them?

      --
      Confucius say, "Find worm in apple - bad. Find half a worm - worse."
  3. 97.5% genetically identical by rhade · · Score: 1, Funny

    so is all this 97.5% like generic organ, dna stuff? i dont see the similarities between humans and mice

    --
    http://www.awfullybigmoustache.com
    1. Re:97.5% genetically identical by thelonestranger · · Score: 2, Funny

      They are similar enough to us that many/most of the same drugs that work on us work on them. It's true..I came home last night to find that some mice had gotten into my stash and were sat around giggling and eating nachos.

      --
      To err is human. To forgive is not company policy.
    2. Re:97.5% genetically identical by OldManAndTheC++ · · Score: 4, Funny
      We are virtually identical to mice in every detail but stature.

      Well I don't know about you, but speaking for myself, I find significant differences:

      • A mouse cannot use tools. I can use tools, or at least I could, if I could ever find my toolbox.
      • A mouse cannot do the New York Times Crossword Puzzle. I can, except the Sunday one - that one's pretty hard.
      • Mice love cheese. I don't - it really f*cks me up.

      Of course, there are also similarities:

      • We are both covered with soft, downy fur.
      • We are both thicker around the waist than the shoulders.
      • We both scurry away in fear at the least sign of danger.
      • We both get cancer if we consume 10,000 servings of NutraSweet.

      You're about 50% banana.

      I like to think of myself as mostly fruitcake.

      --
      Soylent Green is peoplicious!
  4. WTF? by Tune · · Score: 5, Funny

    I thought mice - being pan dimensional beings - were far more advanced than humans (ranked 3, just after dolphins).
    This is like modding an xbox 360/ps3/whatever with a Z80 - why whould you want to do that?

  5. I for one welcome our new Brainy Mice Overlords by digitaldc · · Score: 3, Funny

    'The worry is if you humanize them too much you cross certain boundaries,'

    Translation: The worry is that the mice will sue for cruel & unusual punishment and civil rights violations if humanized too much.

    --
    He who knows best knows how little he knows. - Thomas Jefferson
  6. and the first 2 mice created said... by mahju · · Score: 3, Funny

    "Why Brain, what are we gonna to do tomorrow night?"

    "Guess... "

    "Oh yeah, try to take over the world, right... "

  7. Re:poor humans by Walt+Dismal · · Score: 2, Funny

    Outsourcing programming becomes even cheaper once you have mice with human brain cells. Pay attention, Bill.

  8. I for one welcome... by ocelotbob · · Score: 5, Funny

    Yay, human-brained mice. This means that once they escape and start rampaging, scientists will have no choice but to create a race of catpeople to counter them. Of course, this will lead to revolts creating a need for dogpeople, but for a short time, I shall have my catboy! Vengance shall be mine!

    --

    Marxism is the opiate of dumbasses

  9. Re:what are we going to do tonight brain... by ozmanjusri · · Score: 2, Funny

    get experimented on barberously!

    They gave you a bad haircut? The bastards!

    --
    "I've got more toys than Teruhisa Kitahara."
  10. The "yuck factor" by TripMaster+Monkey · · Score: 5, Funny

    Researchers are nevertheless beginning to bump up against what bioethicists call the "yuck factor."
    Everyone wants to save Hitler's brain...
    but when you put it in the body of a Great White Shark,
    suddenly, you've gone too far.
    Professor Farnsworth
    --
    ____

    ~ |rip/\/\aster /\/\onkey

    1. Re:The "yuck factor" by PakProtector · · Score: 2, Funny

      FRY:Hey, Wait a minute! Is this another experiment that crosses a line that man was not meant to cross?

      PROFESSOR: Holds Index finger and thumb almost together, shrugging

      --

      Edward@Tomato - /home/Edward/ man woman
      man: no entry for woman in the manual.
      "Qua!?"

  11. news from old friends by illuminatedwax · · Score: 2, Funny

    Good to hear that NIMH is still up and running after that last scandal. They do good work.

    --
    Did you ever notice that *nix doesn't even cover Linux?
  12. Re:what are we going to do tonight brain... by PakProtector · · Score: 1, Funny
    get experimented on barberously!
    They gave you a bad haircut? The bastards!

    Seriously! They shaved their tails bald!

    --

    Edward@Tomato - /home/Edward/ man woman
    man: no entry for woman in the manual.
    "Qua!?"

  13. Re:fp by TallMatthew · · Score: 1, Funny
    jews did 9/11 and TOOKIE REALLY DID HIS MURDERS. loooooooooooool. lameness filter aborted.

    If only we could add 100,000 brain cells to you.

  14. That's disgusting!! by LaughingCoder · · Score: 3, Funny

    Scientists have added 100,000 human brain cells to mice

    Now I don't even want to touch my mouse! I guess it's back to the command line for me.

    --
    The more you regulate a company, the worse its products become.
  15. No human inside mice by Dekortage · · Score: 1, Funny

    From the article: "It's true that there is a huge amount of similarity, but the difference are huge," Snyder said. "You will never ever have a little human trapped inside a mouse or monkey's body."

    Just remembering people I've worked with, I think we already have mice and monkeys trapped inside humans.

    --
    $nice = $webHosting + $domainNames + $sslCerts
  16. Re:The conscious neuron? by penguinoid · · Score: 2, Funny

    The problem is that the Flying Spaghetti Monster might give the mice a soul if we give them too many human brain cells.

    --
    Don't waste your vote! Vote for whoever you want, unless you live in a swing state it won't matter anyways
  17. so far... by Gravis+Zero · · Score: 5, Funny

    so just for the record, we can make super strong fearless immortal mice that can sing, regenerate body parts, sniff out landmines, and have partial human brains. scientists don't mod their computer cases, they mod their mice!

    --
    Anons need not reply. Questions end with a question mark.
  18. President's worst fear. by unknownideal · · Score: 2, Funny

    "But the brain poses an additional level of concern because some envision nightmare scenarios in which a human mind might be trapped in an animal head."

    Someone kindly explain to President Bush why this is impossible. And don't laugh. He doesn't like being laughed at.

  19. Mouse? by dreadpiratemark · · Score: 1, Funny

    So typical of Logitech to toss out a new mouse with *great* new features (human like response!) two weeks after I buy their latest dual-laser bluetooth model. Anyone know the DPI on this new mouse?

  20. what about the librarian? by MadJo · · Score: 1, Funny

    "You will never ever have a little human trapped inside a [..] monkey's body."
    never call the librarian 'monkey'

  21. Re:I'm frightened now. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    Well, there's an old guy on this tropical island who has a nifty martial arts technique named after the famous Hawaiian, which ought to be powerful enough to take down even a regenerating, cellular-enhanced, fearless, super-strong mouse...

    Oh, you mean Higgins?

  22. Dolphin gang rape by SeanDuggan · · Score: 1, Funny
    And dolphins also commit gang-rape.
    You, sir, have just blown my mind. What a wonderful mental image to start my day off with...

    o/"Transporting young gulls across a staid lion for immoral porpoises... o/"

    --
    This sig has absolutely no significance and serves only to take up screen space and waste the time of the reader.
  23. All this will lead to... by Dante+Shamest · · Score: 2, Funny

    ...a mighty mouse that will cy "Here I come to save the day!!!".

  24. Who's Brain exactly? by bohemian72 · · Score: 2, Funny

    Abby Normal - Mice tap dancing around bellowing "Puttin on da witz!"
    or maybe
    Samuel L Jackson - "Who the fuck moved my goddamn cheese, motherfucker?!"

    --
    The greatest thing you'll ever learn is just to love and be loved in return.
  25. Re:well i think by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    Well I asked my cat, Mr Whiskers about this and he said "Kill them, kill them all but torture them first! It's fun, no really try it!!"

    Now if you'll excuse me it's time for my lithium and to sharpen some knives.....

  26. Re:well i think by sxtxixtxcxh · · Score: 2, Funny

    you just might be onto something there... but let's just stick to stuff familiar to most slashdotters, shall we?

    --
    for a minute there, i lost myself...