The age-long animosity between cat and mouse could be a thing of the past with genetically modified "fearless" mice that Japanese scientists say shed light on mammal behavior.
Using genetic engineering, scientists at Tokyo University say they have successfully switched off the rodents' instinct to cower at the smell or presence of cats -- showing that fear is genetically hardwired and not learned through experience, as commonly believed.
The findings suggest that human aversion to dangerous smells like that of rotten food, for example, could also be genetically predetermined.
That's nice, isn't it? Developing a new species of humans, wired against bad smells. Dr. Mengele never did complete that study on twins either because of the pesky end of the war [unless you believe he made it safely to America].
So much unconstrained human experimentation to try out and so many more serfs about after 2012 to experiment on. A scientist's paradise.
So much unconstrained human experimentation to try out and so many more serfs about after 2012 to experiment on. A scientist's paradise.
ReplyDeleteA thought that's been haunting me for a long time.
With every realisation of the power of a DNA database, and GP upload of patients records to Govt central database, the haunting and nightmares become worse.
True, epidemiological studies will become easier, but
Pre-programming and social engineering of the young are growing daily, coupled with more defined crimes, and MOD giant prison sites, - maybe, or is it probably.........
I think they actually removed the mouse's ability to smell cats by damaging the receptors in the brain that process cat-smell, so it doesn't prove anything about fear at all really.
ReplyDeleteIf you can't sense something then you're not going to react to it, with fear or with anything else.
No James its just a scientific discovery which is intended to demonstrate something about the way we work. Are you not interested in what makes things smell bad?
ReplyDeleteWell I echo that, 'why'?
ReplyDeleteMice are scared of cats for a reason, why change it? What good can it possibley do?
Humans react to certain smells for a reason. It's all about survival. No one wants to eat rotten food, it's bad for us. Why wouldn't we act with disgust when we smell it? Our bodies are wired like that for a reason. And a bloody good reason at that.
It seems a waste of research into genetics, really. Why remove part of a mouse's smell, which is surely one of it's best? Hardly fair, is it?
ReplyDeleteTiberius, I can't beloeve you're really so out of touch with what ths is saying and what the other commenters have said.
ReplyDeleteAs you're highly intelligent, then it can only be an agenda which prevents you from seeing the bottom line to this - genetic experimentation for the hell of it.
I have an American friend who does a similar thing so I'm used to it now. :)
It seems pretty pointless to me too, and cruel too.
ReplyDeleteMengele did it make to Paraguay, it was confirmed by his son, who saw on his deathbed in 1978.
ReplyDeleteHe ran a meat packing plant.
I reckon the Spice Girls are genetically modified jelly beans.
ReplyDeleteHa ha.
ReplyDeleteWhat an awful thought.
ReplyDelete