Freak: Mice created with human brain cells

This could have also been in the Medical forum.

We all knew this was coming someday, but we're here now. It's just a small percentage of human neurons in the mouse's brain, but how soon before they increase it? At what point does it become a moral or ethicl issue in the way the mice are treated and killed for experimentation.

And the 'big' question: at what point do the mice begin to think like humans?

article

Excerpt:
Those mice were each born with about 0.1 percent of human cells in each of their heads, a trace amount that doesn’t remotely come close to “humanizing” the rodents.

“This illustrates that injecting human stem cells into mouse brains doesn’t restructure the brain,” Gage said.

Still, the work adds to the growing ethical concerns of mixing human and animal cells when it comes to stem cell and cloning research. After all, mice are 97.5 percent genetically identical to humans.

“The worry is if you humanize them too much you cross certain boundaries,” said David Magnus, director of the Stanford Medical Center for Biomedical Ethics.


[edit on 12/12/2005 by centurion1211]

And the 'big' question: at what point do the mice begin to think like humans?

Probably never, they don't have the cranial capacity to support a brain the size of a humans. Size as well as density are primary factors in the rise of complex brains.

Primates, Dolphins, Whales are all completely different questions as they DO have the physical size requirements to allow for them to have a human-like brain.(allthough they already kind of do it's just not as densly connected as ours which is what this injection could do to some creatures)

When they start to ask us to stop our cruel experiments then we should oblige them. Of course we would also need to change their vocal cords to imitate human speech.

What about the reverse? What if we were to find a creature on this planet that had a more sophisticated brain then ours... or we engineer one ...

Another thing the technical term for this is Chimera not "freak"

[edit on 12-12-2005 by sardion2000]

[edit on 12-12-2005 by sardion2000]

[edit on 12-12-2005 by sardion2000]

They have done the same thing with Monkeys

www.abovetopsecret.com...

The technology exist to make human/animal Chimeras. Some scientists are concerned that if enough human cells are integrated into the brains of animals, humanlike consciousness might develop.

Theres really not that much difference between Humans and Primates It could require very little work to get say Chimps to near human levels of Intelligence.

If we can make chimps more intelligent with a brain cell infusion; let's not waste those cells on chimps; let's raise the intelligence of some HUMANS.

I know who I'd start with....

Merry Christmas!! PC be damned !!

Originally posted by sardion2000

And the 'big' question: at what point do the mice begin to think like humans?

Probably never, they don't have the cranial capacity to support a brain the size of a humans. Size as well as density are primary factors in the rise of complex brains.

Ever seen any of the science specials about Alex the parrot? He's a real "bird brain", but can somehow still talk and count. Maybe size doesn't matter as much as some might think.

Another thing the technical term for this is Chimera not "freak"

[edit on 12-12-2005 by sardion2000]

The story was the "freak", as in "freaking weird", not the animal which is a chimera.

Ever seen any of the science specials about Alex the parrot? He's a real "bird brain", but can somehow still talk and count. Maybe size doesn't matter as much as some might think.

Bird Brains are different from Primate Brains. They may turn out to be merely imitated us without actually understanding, but then again there is still so much that is not known yet. But I do see your point though even though I kind of disagree. Ever see someone with severe brain damage or even portion of their brain removed? Well yeah it may not work the same in Mice too as Human Brain cell seems to adapt to their environment so will intelligence imerge? Probably not. Maybe we should give them "Bird Brains cells" instead Also how do we know they are intelligent if we cannot communicate with Mice effectively. Teach them to use a mouse sized keyboard?

If we can make chimps more intelligent with a brain cell infusion; let's not waste those cells on chimps; let's raise the intelligence of some HUMANS.

Damn straight! It's one reason why I follow this field.

PC be damned !!

Yes but lets not throw caution to the wind.

[edit on 12-12-2005 by sardion2000]