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New Evidence in Historical Cannibalism Debate

Posted by ScuttleMonkey on from the with-a-light-chianti dept.

An anonymous reader writes "ScienceNOW is reporting that a team of scientists led by Geneticist Jaume Bertranpetit has called into question findings from an earlier study of human prion diseases. The first study, led by John Collinge of University College London, stated that the existence of a gene that codes for prions was a result of a "balancing act" that had kept it in the gene pool for so long. The balancing act was supposedly due to widespread cannibalistic practices in human history. The new report suggests that their results were skewed because of low frequency variations known as 'ascertainment bias.'"

4 of 165 comments (clear)

  1. obligatory futurama quote by dancingmad · · Score: 5, Funny

    (You knew it was coming)

    Fry: "My God! What if the secret ingredient ... is people!"
    Leela: "No. There's already a soda like that. Soylent Cola."
    Fry: "Oh. How is it?"
    Leela: "It varies from person to person."

    --
    "There is no time, sir, at which ties do not matter," Jeeves, (Jeeves and the Impending Doom)
  2. Re:Zork by zephc · · Score: 5, Funny

    > LOOK
    You see a lamp.
    > LOVE LAMP
    Do you really love the lamp, or are you just saying it because you saw it?

    --
    "I would say that 99 per cent of what my father has written about his own life is false." - L. Ron Hubbard Jr.
  3. You knew it was coming: part deux by todd10k · · Score: 5, Funny

    two cannibals are eating a clown. one turns to the other and says "does this taste funny to you?"

  4. Re:The other white meat by Belseth · · Score: 5, Funny
    It's now clear that many of those pictures of early men and beasts found on cave walls were actually fast-food menus.

    In related news Morgan Spurlock has decided to do a new documentary where he will eat nothing but MacDonalds employees for 30 days.