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Acquired Characteristics May Be Inheritable

Posted by kdawson on from the Lamarck's-revenge dept.

A story from a week or so back in Technology Review describes research coming to the surprising conclusion that Jean-Baptiste Lamarck may have been right — that acquired characteristics can be passed on to offspring, at least in rodents. Lamarck's ideas have been controversial for 200 years, and dismissed in mainstream scientific thinking for nearly that long. "In Feig's study, mice genetically engineered to have memory problems were raised in an enriched environment — given toys, exercise, and social interaction — for two weeks during adolescence. The animals' memory improved... The mice were then returned to normal conditions, where they grew up and had offspring. This next generation of mice also had better memory, despite having the genetic defect and never having been exposed to the enriched environment."

8 of 242 comments (clear)

  1. Finally... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    something that explains religion...

    1. Re:Finally... by RuBLed · · Score: 4, Funny

      Interesting eh? So how did it explained religion?

      Is it where the first ones get all the good stuff and the offsprings only get to dream/think about it? Well I could understand that if the scenario was giving dozens of virgins to one guy, the rest would only dream about it. In that case it would be a supply and demand problem, not an inherited one. (or in our case as /.ers, it might not even matter if there's an abundance in the supply anyway.)

  2. Re:Memetics? by Hal_Porter · · Score: 2, Funny

    From my internet knowledge I know that cancerous memes are passed from newfags to oldfags (e.g. Boxxy! U RAF U RUSE). This would appear to be the opposite direction to parents passing useful knowledge to their children.

    --
    echo -e 'global _start\n _start:\n mov eax, 2\n int 80h\n jmp _start' > a.asm; nasm a.asm -f elf; ld a.o -o a;
  3. "Inheritable?" by Dr.+Spork · · Score: 2, Funny

    Doh, why didn't someone tell me that "inheritable" means "heritable"?

  4. Re:DNA Learning by MrNaz · · Score: 2, Funny

    Or we could create environments where children are encouraged to learn and behave in a mutually co-operative manner! These institutions could perhaps replace schools...

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    I hate printers.
  5. Re:Interesting... by buchner.johannes · · Score: 2, Funny

    Did you test this on mice or on humans. How many died? Someone think of the children!!1

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    NB: The message above might reflect my opinion right now, but not necessarily tomorrow or next year.
  6. Re:DNA Learning by gardyloo · · Score: 3, Funny

    It could be one day possible to create a kind of device that harmonizes human beings early on in childhood development, increasing their awareness and understandings.

          Beer.

  7. Re:DNA Learning by FatdogHaiku · · Score: 2, Funny

    Every time I hear of someone suggest some out of date technology to go back to the way it used to be, it reminds me of the chariots in Rome. Perhaps we'll have to go back to chariots too, but we won't have the money for the horse feed, unfortunately.

    That's in the future, but the chariots will hover, and be pulled by large (also hovering) jet engines... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j6Jyq0cWntY&feature=related

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    You have the right to remain sentient. If you give up the right to remain sentient, you will be elected to public office