Why Can We Talk? ‘Humanized’ Mice Speak Volumes About Evolutionary Past
Okay, they’re not really “talking” mice, but they’ve been given the same gene we’ve identified as a major factor in the development of human speech. Now, ideally, we’d try the reverse experiment, which would be modifying a human to be born with the mice version of this gene. But, sadly, that isn’t allowed in this country. Nope, the Nazis ruined human experimentation for everyone. Well, except the French. Funny how that works. So, anyway, since we can’t do that, we’ll have to give the mice human genes and see what happens.
Not an awful lot, apparently. The mice didn’t have much to say. Interviews with the mice revealed only that they were bored being stuck in cages all day, and would greatly appreciate a decent computer with a broad band connection. Apparently they want to start blogging. Which made me think about me and what I was doing as I wrote this. I mean, am I really so different from a mouse? (Other than the missing tail and whiskers I mean).
As I finished reading the article that I linked to at the beginning of this article, I began to wonder if we might eventually provide speech to some of the animals on this world. Could it be that by mixing human genes with theirs, we’ll eventually create an “Isle of Dr. Moreau” sort of world where giant half-human mice work as slaves for human overlords? Will they fight our wars and tend our fields for us, eventually deciding to turn on us like the monkeys in Planet of the Apes?
I wonder if I’ve been drinking too much coffee today.
Filed under: Humor, PsychoBabble Tagged: | Isle of Dr. Moreau, Planet of the Apes, talking mice
“Could it be that by mixing human genes with theirs, we’ll eventually create an “Isle of Dr. Moreau” sort of world where giant half-human mice work as slaves for human overlords?”
There is talk about reviving the Neanderthal using either human or chimp DNA. But do we really need slaves now that we have all these chinese girls working around the clock for peanuts?
Hmm… yes. And much better looking than Neanderthals. I think they should save the Neanderthal DNA for football players. You can imagine how a team of Neanderthals would do in the NFL. It would be like putting Honda Civics up against bulldozers.