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Scientists Build a Smarter Rat
destinyland writes "Scientists have engineered a more intelligent rat, with three times the memory length of today's smartest rats. Reseachers bred transgenic over-expression of the NR2B gene, which increased communication between the rat's memory synapses. Activating a crucial brain receptor for just a fraction of a second longer produces a dramatic effect on memory, as proven by the rat's longer memories of the path through a maze."
When they can scale it up from lawyers to humans, we might have something useful to talk about.
Mrs. Frisby will be pleased...
Summation 2
While I know that this sort of research is ultimately aimed at improving human life, for some reason I can't shake the image of a mad scientist making super-smart dogs, the experiment going awry, and an apocalyptic future of human-pitbull wars.
The English word fart is one of the oldest words in the English vocabulary.
So they overclocked the rats? Cool!
this has already been done at HLM Laboratories in sonoma, ca
Good people go to bed earlier.
Did you consider a smarter rat might learn some ratonal hygiene and stop carrying deseases? Rats would write more ratonal software.
-- Each tock of the Planck clock is a new world and here we are still life. --
Nevertheless, it raises an interesting question: if intelligence can be increased by something so simple as an increase in the expression of a single NMDA receptor subunit, why hasn't it already happened? Presumably, there is a selective advantage to improved learning and memory. Presumably, there is some kind of downside that balances that selective advantage.
The downside is that now the Rats crave human brains...
Biological overclocking. How long before they try nitrogen cooling?
science could bread more intelligent rats
Mmmmmm... breaded rats.
To answer this question, I reference Idiocracy.
"If a nation expects to be ignorant and free in a state of civilization, it expects what never was and never will be."
Nevertheless, it raises an interesting question: if intelligence can be increased by something so simple as an increase in the expression of a single NMDA receptor subunit, why hasn't it already happened?
It HAS happened, but those affected (rats included) simply can't get laid to propagate the phenomenon...
You might want to see a doctor if hearing a particular song causes you to lose balance. I'm not saying tumor or anything, but you might want to check it out.
This issue is a bit more complicated than you think.
The solution is easy, we just have to breed smarter cats and let them loose. What could possibly go wrong?
I find it easier to bread things using, err, bread.
science could bread more intelligent rats
Mmmmmm... breaded rats.
That's quite a delicacy to us level 5 dwar{f,ve}s, especially with ketchup. That'll sustain you through a whole night of supporting Linux users or mining.
It's not a real problem. These rats with their superior maze-following ability will be nerds among rats, and thus will not reproduce in the wild.
Coarse strippers are rough!
I drank what? -- Socrates
Oh... so that's what they meant by The Ratpack....
OMG! I can't believe I was actually on the internet when the FIRST EVER expression of displeasure towards an overused meme was posted! So fresh, so original, so... intelligent! You truly are a hero of the internet!!!
Thanks for standing up for us, the little guys, who see memes posted day after day but are unable to do anything about it. You, sir, have surely stopped, once and for all, this abuse of popular culture.
They'll be busy playing D&D?
I drank what? -- Socrates
What ya gona do tonight?
Same thing we do every night.
try to take over the world.!!!
--= Isn't it surprising how badly I spell ?
After all, if more memory were that simple, surely evolution would have changed that gene by itself. If it were a tradeoff, that would be much more logical. So what did these rats lose ? Do they have gaps in long term memory ? I'd watch out for the "no free lunch" idea holding true here too.
Evolution decided that when creature has to eating nothing but rotting crap all it's life, it's best that the creature not be able to ponder on the matter.
Thanks for standing up for us, the little guys, who see memes posted day after day but are unable to do anything about it. You, sir, have surely stopped, once and for all, this abuse of popular culture.
I for one, welcome our new meme overlords!