Mouse with a Human brain

the_exile

[url]http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2005/03/06/wmouse06.xml&sSheet=/news/2005/03/06/ixnewstop.html[/url]

Interesting.

Alaric

I don't have a problem with most research but something about this feels wrong

the_exile

I, for one, am really dissapointed that we won't be seeing mice with human cognitive capabilities.

Bekenn

Yikes... that's more than a little scary. I can understand doing this sort of thing with organs, in the hopes of finding ways to replace them without having someone else die, but the brain should be off-limits for this kind of thing.

Tyvar

I know where this is going.

I can see it two mice in one quiet research lab. By day they are mild mannered white lab mice.. but by night they are..


Pinky, and The Brain!!!

Random Chaos

Human brain? Why are we degrading them so? We all know they are the transdimensional superbeings who really control our world.

Akrovah

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by Tyvar [/i]
[B]I know where this is going.

I can see it two mice in one quiet research lab. By day they are mild mannered white lab mice.. but by night they are..


Pinky, and The Brain!!! [/B][/QUOTE]

Eiethr that or trying to discover the ultimate question of life, the universe, and everything.

RubberEagle

No, this is just a ploy by the mice themselves because they are tired of playing dumb...

sleepy_shadow

[QUOTE]Last week, however, the university's ethics committee approved the research, under certain conditions. Prof Henry Greely, the head of the committee, said: "If the mouse shows human-like behaviours, like improved memory or problem-solving, it's time to stop."[/QUOTE]
I think it's a reasonable criterion.

Surely, when constrained by the mouse developmental path, and mouse physiology, human nerve cells *ought not* be capable of yielding human-like features of consciousness...

...but should it happen, they better avoid breeding such "humice".

Because a creature whose mental and physical capabilities are in severe mismatch... may live quite a troubled life, and understand more of it... than another sentient should be comfortable with having caused.

Avoidance basing on mere suspicion of "un-mousy" mental capabilities... seems reasonable, since we have no way of determining how exactly such a critter would feel.

Freejack

It doesn't bother me, unless some humice get loose and start breeding with the common door mouse, I have a hard enough keeping the little buggers out of my house without the critters having the ability to use tools or formulate long term strategies....

Jake

Sanfam

I can just see it now...

"Honey, the mice have bored through the barricade and have proceeded to build an intricate network of bridges over the moat. Should I go kick it down?"
"Ok dear, but only if you wear your IFF scrambler and avoid triggering their orbital defense system. The last time you did this, they vaporized my flower garden!"

the_exile

The Pantry Offensive proceeds according to plan... Commence Operation: Cheese Drawer! :shadow1:

Freejack

Man, how many apocolyptic Sci-fi stories could you write out this...

Jake

E.T

They're doing it to wrong direction, if mankind could even think as well as mices that would be "upgrade" compared to current situation.

And just hope they don't make mices whose behavior is as destructive to environment as human's.