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from the typing-out-that-encyclopedia-just-got-quicker dept.
As described in a report in Bejing's National Science Review journal, and covered by China Daily and MIT Technology Review, scientists have created five transgenic monkeys with extra copies of a human gene believed to play a role in human's intelligence.
“This was the first attempt to understand the evolution of human cognition using a transgenic monkey model,” says Bing Su, the geneticist at the Kunming Institute of Zoology who led the effort.
The modified rhesus macaque monkey's brains took longer to develop (similar to human children's brains) and they also score higher on memory tests although MRIs indicate their brains did not increase in size.
According to geneticist Su:
the small number of animals was a limitation. He says he has a solution, though. He is making more of the monkeys and is also testing new brain evolution genes. One that he has his eye on is SRGAP2C, a DNA variant that arose about two million years ago, just when Australopithecus was ceding the African savannah to early humans. That gene has been dubbed the “humanity switch” and the “missing genetic link” for its likely role in the emergence of human intelligence.
There are ethical and slippery slope issues to consider and the paper was apparently not able to find a publisher in the west.
(Score: 3, Interesting) by PinkyGigglebrain on Thursday April 11 2019, @06:49PM (15 children)
Wasn't there a movie about somebody doing this awhile back?
Didn't end well for Humans as I recall.
On a serious note: What will they do if they suddenly end up with a chimp that can beat you at chess? While I find this kind of research interesting it also frightens me when I think about the "what ifs". And there a lot of those since we have no clue about exactly how our genes work to create a Human being or other complex creature.
"Beware those who would deny you Knowledge, For in their hearts they dream themselves your Master."
(Score: 5, Interesting) by DannyB on Thursday April 11 2019, @06:59PM (9 children)
Those scenarios are amusing and funny . . . unless one were to turn out to become reality. Then it is frightening.
Animals generally have superior claws, teeth, muscles, strength, speed, agility compared to puny humans. Although humans have larger penises for body size compared to all other primates. And larger brains which must be connected with that somehow.
Now imagine if an animal acquired a human-like intelligence, but better, stronger, faster like other animal traits. And an ability and desire to reproduce.
Suddenly the worries about controlling AI might seem like a lesser problem.
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(Score: 1) by RandomFactor on Thursday April 11 2019, @07:03PM (4 children)
We do have pretty good endurance.
В «Правде» нет известий, в «Известиях» нет правды
(Score: 2) by DannyB on Thursday April 11 2019, @07:09PM (3 children)
Because we can sweat with our whole body for cooling whereas our prey animals can only pant with their tongue.
They may outrun us, but we catch up to them, they must run some more. Repeat. Before long, they can no longer run. At least that is how I remember it from a cable tv documentary back when there cable tv had actual content.
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(Score: 2, Informative) by RandomFactor on Thursday April 11 2019, @07:43PM (2 children)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Persistence_hunting [wikipedia.org]
В «Правде» нет известий, в «Известиях» нет правды
(Score: 2) by DannyB on Thursday April 11 2019, @08:19PM (1 child)
An observation: Persistence Hunting would seem to keep prey exhausted and in fear for its life for the longest possible time until it makes a decision to give up, or futility to continue running.
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(Score: 2) by Immerman on Thursday April 11 2019, @08:46PM
It's more than just psychological - chase them long enough an they'll actually die from exhaustion, or more likely you'll catch them when they're just to physically exhausted to run any more. It's not that surprising - tales abound of people riding horses to death, and those horses aren't even in fear of their lives, just doing what they're told (though likely tortured into obedience with bits, spurs, and/or whips)
(Score: 2) by takyon on Thursday April 11 2019, @07:06PM (3 children)
These scenarios are highly overblown yet entertaining.
Bring it, monkeys.
[SIG] 10/28/2017: Soylent Upgrade v14 [soylentnews.org]
(Score: 4, Touché) by DannyB on Thursday April 11 2019, @07:15PM
I tend to agree.
But other scenarios seemed highly overblown.
Pollution would never cause a problem. We don't really need unleaded gasoline do we? Large scale nuclear ("nook-u-lar") war would never happen. Or if it did, it wouldn't be a big deal. Global warming . . . the president says not to worry about it. Hydraulic Fracking coincidentally leading to earthquakes? What could go wrong with a nuclear reactor built along the ocean with only an 18 foot tsunami wall to protect from 50 foot tsumanis?
Just sayin'
I'm not a conspiracy nut. But bad things can happen. Drug resistant antibiotics. GMO crops self spreading into other fields.
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(Score: 2) by bob_super on Thursday April 11 2019, @10:22PM (1 child)
Which ape do you want to fight using equal weapons ?
The Chimp who learnt to use an AR-15, or the Gorilla who single-handedly wields a two-handed sword ?
We're good against most animals until they learn to use our centuries-of-optimization weapons.
Once they master Twitter, we're all fucked.
(Score: 2, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday April 11 2019, @11:00PM
Already too late! There is this large orange orang that has the Twitter, and is well on the way to mastery, or insanity, which on Twitter are indistinguishable.
(Score: 4, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday April 11 2019, @07:09PM (3 children)
I am also tremendously concerned, I believe it was an experiment like this in the 50's that created middle management.
(Score: 4, Informative) by RandomFactor on Thursday April 11 2019, @07:44PM (2 children)
They removed genes in that one. Very different I think.
В «Правде» нет известий, в «Известиях» нет правды
(Score: 2) by DannyB on Thursday April 11 2019, @08:20PM
Middle management needs to keep the jeans on please.
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(Score: 2) by Azuma Hazuki on Friday April 12 2019, @05:40AM
Yeah, that lot only has one helix...
I am "that girl" your mother warned you about...
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday April 11 2019, @11:56PM
What didn't end well for humans in said movie series is nuclear holocaust, the monkey mutants just happened to survive it and become dominant.