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Scientists Turn Docile Mice Into Ruthless Hunters (the-scientist.com)
BenBoy writes: A couple of years ago, a story surfaced about smarter mice: Scientists Create Super-intelligent Mice, Discover They're Also Very Laid Back. Well, implicit challenge accepted! 2017 brings us a report from Cell, via The Scientist: "Neural circuits in the amygdala are responsible for predatory behavior in mice, according to a study published January 12 in Cell. Using optogenetics, a technique that uses light to turn neural circuits on and off, a group of researchers led by neuroscientist Ivan de Araujo of Yale University was able to turn docile mice into ruthless hunters. Earlier research revealed that the amygdala, an almond-shaped brain structure most commonly linked to fear, was active when rats were hunting and feeding. To see whether this brain region was actually controlling predatory behavior, Araujo and colleagues decided to use optogenetics to selectively activate specific neurons in mice, with light. When the researchers activated the amygdala, docile mice attacked everything from bottle caps to live insects. Even when there was no prey in sight, the mice displayed feeding behavior -- moving their jaws and lifted their paws as if holding a piece of food. Once the light was switched off, the animals went back to peacefully strolling around their cages." Nuclear death-mice are, we assume, right around the corner.
Looks like we aren't waiting for the Changlings to create the Jem'Hadar. A little on the small scale, but maybe they had to start somewhere?
Maybe I have been watching too much DS9?
Jumpstart the tartan drive.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/...
Every time pull up slashdot, although I emphasize to other people the educational value, deep down I want to see some totally cyberpunk horror sounding headlines. Thanks for that.
Yep, Reaver rats. They'll rape us to death, eat our flesh and sew our skin into their clothing. And if we're very, very lucky, they'll do it in that order.
When they're not thinking about who to beat up to ass rape they may actually sit down and learn something to help them when they get out.
Haven't read A Clockwork Orange yet, huh?
"You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
I don't know that I want my soldiers leaving the battlefield to go look for Bambi's mother to shoot. I'd rather the concentrate on the goal of attacking and conquering our biggest foe, Canada.
"That's the way to do it" - Punch
Every article running this damn thing is yellow journalism. They all say "ZOMBIE MICE" and "SUPER AGGRESSIVE". But the research clearly states that the mice do not attack each other, or lab researchers. They only "super aggressively" hunt things that could be food. So it's more like saying they are "aggressively seeking/desiring food", "or aggressively hunting food-like objects". (Hunting being a separate urge. Think how young animals play hunt.)
There's nothing in this that actually has anything to do with zombies. No "dead body coming to life." No "hyper-aggression attacking everything in sight." Just some really animals that are really hungry for a 2 AM taco bell run.
I'd think from a military standpoint what you want is soldiers who make better battlefield decisions, not ones that engage in a stereotypical behavior regardless of circumstance.
The human brain is both massively adaptable and subject to modification by information inputs. Which means you can indoctrinate men into becoming mindless killing machines. The problem is that historically that approach doesn't seem to be effective either tactically or strategically. US Marines faced waves of suicide attackers in the Pacific theater of WW2, which must have been terrifying, but in the end worked to the US advantage.
On the other hand George Washington's great talent as a general was retreating. He could attack a much larger and better equipped army and then make his army disappear before they could react. That was terrifying in its own way, and much more miltarily effective.
Given a fight between men fighting to kill and men fighting to survive, all other things being equal I'd put my money on the men trying to survive.
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I hear this a lot, but with the one child policy I don't think they want their one and only child killed.
Or even with less of a focus on retribution. It may feel good to treat the prisoner like scum, but it's not a good strategy.
A decade ago I watched a TV jail series segment that happened to have a psychologist who took many years studying the reason for murdering. He talked to the inmates at length, and it also included medical studies of the brain. His findings concluded that the only difference between a mass murderer and a risk taking hero, is what they decide to do with their under-sized, or non-functional amygdala. Both are fearless in whatever they do.. I personally seem to find a use for fear; it makes us think twice before we do something irrational - Example: Hurt someone or even kill ourselves.
George Washington and his patriot army had mad ninja skillz.
They did. The old story goes that Ethan Allen was brought back to England as a prisoner in the Revolutionary War, he was housed with a English merchant who to goad the patriot put a picture of George Washington up in the outhouse. Much to the merchant's chagrin, Allen approved. "Nothing," Allen said, "will make an Englishman shit faster than the sight of George Washington."
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