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Human DNA Enlarges Mouse Brains
sciencehabit writes Researchers have increased the size of mouse brains by giving the rodents a piece of human DNA that controls gene activity. The work provides some of the strongest genetic evidence yet for how the human intellect surpassed those of all other apes. The human gene causes cells that are destined to become nerve cells to divide more frequently, thereby providing a larger of pool of cells that become part of the cortex. As a result, the embryos carrying human HARE5 have brains that are 12% larger than the brains of mice carrying the chimp version of the enhancer. The team is currently testing these mice to see if the bigger brains made them any smarter.
I for one welcome our new rodent overlords.
Same thing as every night, Pinky. Try to take over the world!!
Does anything ever sound like a bad idea to scientists?
Prophecy. Pure prophecy.
smart enough to deserve human rights.
Human rights are not based on intelligence. If they were, my brother-in-law would not be allowed to vote. Stupid people and smart people are considered equal before the law, and have the same rights to life and liberty. Even brain dead people with no hope of recovery have greater rights than chimps.
Dogs are genetically disposed to imprint on their owners. Imagine a dog that really does understand human language... complete with grammar. Lassie, sort my mail then bring me bills and magazines.
Consider a horse that isn't stupid. Able to know when it is needed, what it is to do, and when it is to leave. And possibly the damn things could be taught to take care of themselves a bit better so that the owners don't have to spend as much time fussing over them.
Imagine cats that are not only bred by instinct to depopulate the rat population in the area but that understand that is why you keep them there. Possibly useful as lookouts etc in ways that they're not today.
And then... people... perhaps this can be stimulated further in a human embryo. They've said our brains won't work much better if made larger but no one has put that little theory to the test. It is possible that a modified human could enjoy a qualitative advantage over normal humans comparable to the advantage normal humans have over chimps. And that sort of advantage is worth the swelled head and sore neck.
I've decided to stop wasting my time responding to AC trolls/sockpuppets... so if you want a response from me... login.
This reminds me of the novel by Daniel Keyes, who BTW died last year.
If it weren't for deadlines, nothing would be late.
Battery technology has improved. First it was The Secret of NiMH, then The Li-ion King, and then The Matrix.
Human rights are not based on intelligence.
They absolutely are. If we met non-intelligent aliens people would have no trouble treating them as having no rights, as pets, food source, or whatever. If we met intelligent aliens we would treat them as having human rights. Similarly, we may soon have to deal with the question of what sort of rights artificial intelligence have (both computer artificial intelligence, and biotechological artificial intelligence).
The main reasons we give rights to the very young and comatose and mentally handicapped are (in no particular order) because we know better than to allow someone the power to decide who does or doesn't get human rights, because of empathy, because it sends a very clear message that certain things are unacceptable. Even so, less intelligent humans lose some of their rights (eg the right to sign binding legal contracts). And more intelligent (and cuter) animals get additional rights not granted to less intelligent animals, so eg kittens have more rights than spiders.
Don't waste your vote! Vote for whoever you want, unless you live in a swing state it won't matter anyways
If we met intelligent aliens we would treat them as having human rights.
Yet when Europeans encountered black Africans, they denied that they had intelligence, and did not recognize their rights. We did the same for chimps and other primates, which are far more intelligent than was recognized a few decades ago. If history is any precedent, we will give sentient aliens whatever rights are economically convenient, and then make up a post hoc rationale.