Smarter Children Through Food Supplements

An anonymous reader writes "Baby rats (mmm...baby rats) fed a little extra choline in utero popped out with brain cells dramatically bigger and faster than pups who didn't receive the supplement. Duke University researchers say the implications are profound for humans and the future of learning."

Re:Carefull.....

[BWJones]

Oh, by the way......all of what I said above and.......First post. :-)

Very profound...

[Denyer]

...I predict it'll take, what, three years for the giant intelligent rats to take all of the good jobs? To say nothing of the modifications which will have to be made to accomodate them at the Superbowl.

No, seriously, this does raise interesting issues such as how such a wonder supplement would be rationed to a population; how its absence would hold back the third world even further, and whether the first generation of hyper-intelligent kids would face discrimination at all levels of society.

Re:Not a chemist

[Anonymous Coward]

It's that stuff you put in your swimming pool. I guess if you want smart kids, you should go swimming a lot.

damnit, damnit, damnit!

[Anonymous Coward]

why couldn't they have figured this out 22 years ago?

now if you'll excuse me i have to go fail my calculus final.

But imagine, if you will, for but a moment....

[Anonymous Coward]

A Beowulf cluster of these super brainy rats, hopped up on choline, taking the jobs AWAY from the Indians and bringing them back to the USA!!! USA!!! USA!!!

Sure, the rats'll have our jobs, but they'll be US rats.

Re:Very profound...

[irokitt]

No, you don't understand. The white lab mice are already performing experiments on us. In fact, the Earth was created at their behest. We merely form part of the matrix that is meant to determine the question to Life, the Universe, and Everything.

Re:Carefull.....

[Anonymous Coward]

Offtopic? No see thats funny because he really did have first post that and hes like a real science dude who makes fun of us on slashdot and all.
MOD PARENT FUNNY

Let's see...

[Anonymous Coward]

Duke University researchers say the implications are profound for humans

Let's see, choline grows baby rat brain cells... sounds like great news for the cheese industry!

Re: Little confused about something

[Black Parrot]

> What exactly does "reduce the brain's vulnerability toxic insults." mean?

Most insults merely 'sting', but the really good ones are 'toxic'.

If your brain has reduced vulnerability to such insults, you can post to internet forums without getting your feelings hurt.

Re:Side Effects?

[namespan]

Not only that, the worst part is, your kids will know it all!

And you thought...

[Black Parrot]

...your generation found television boring!

Re:Carefull.....

[after]

How the heck did you write that fast enough to have legible grammar _and_ to make a first post?

you must be a subscriber... right? (10 minutes in advance)

I ben drinkan a lot of clorox

[stratjakt]

an me way smarter than u!!!11!!! lOlOL arofol

extended warranty? how can i go rong!

Re:Side Effects?

[prockcore]

A bunch of Super intelligent, yet hyperactive and ruthless 9 year olds, with ultra fast reflexes and photographic memory, but total lack of self-control and morals, begins their master plan of taking over the world.

Too bad their diabolical plan is easily foiled by a single dude with a strobe light. (If you read what this did the rat's brain, the rats are probably all epileptic)

I for one welcome our autistic and epileptic overlords.

Kids hate choline

[Anonymous Coward]

At least kids around here do.. you can't walk though the mall with out seeing one or two empty boxes of dramamine [erowid.org].

Comment removed

[account_deleted]

Comment removed based on user account deletion

Re:Over excited brains

[Anonymous Coward]

Is there an overheating issue? Will they need fans in the back of their skulls?

Re:Side Effects?

[shadowbearer]

A bunch of Super intelligent, yet hyperactive and ruthless 9 year olds, with ultra fast reflexes and photographic memory, but total lack of self-control and morals, begins their master plan of taking over the world.

This is different from reality how?

SB

Re:Create or Cure?

[Libraryman]

All right Mr. Murdock, I'll bite.

Q: who are you?
You aren't going to age
You have super-sensory perceptions.
Society has stepped all over you with painfull treatments to force you to fake normalcy.
You have an enhanced memory.
Huge organizations oppose your existence and are trying to give you cancer.

A: you are a mutant.

But the real question is what year did you graduate from Professor Xavier's Shool for Gifted Youngsters? Class of 2000? 1999? Or are you old school?

Re:Over excited brains

[ScrewMaster]

One word: Watercooling.

can't wait for the spam

[netnerd.caffinated]

i can just see it now, viagra flavoured choline supplements that not only keep you hard, but improve your memory!

Crap!

[HarveyBirdman]

NOW they discover this. :(

Can I get a do over?

Here's hoping the reincarnation crowd is right.

Re:Over excited brains

[Matrix9180]

(sorry but I just had to say this...)

Everyone's brain is manufactured as a genius brain, but a lot of times it doesn't pass all the performance tests and will be rated and sold with a lower processing speed. Overclocking it slightly probably wouldn't hurt anything, but don't go too far or you'll have stability issues.

Re:Not a chemist

[Nakkel]

> From what I see, humans that eat lots of fish (at least before fish got PCBs, mercury etc etc) do very well. Better than those that eat mainly fruit (or grain).

Well, seeing what a complete fish diet did to Gollum, Im not so sure that fish eating is so good for you.

Re:Carefull.....

[Anonymous Coward]

I have used ephedra for colds in the past, it was the best thing i ever took for a cold. the day I took the normal weight loss dose, for a cold, it was always gone that day. Thats why the govt banned ephedra, so we cant get over the super cold they will spread when they try to dictatorize the USA!!!! BASTARDS! :)

Re:Carefull.....

[Pierre]

I feel the same way about motor oil. That's why I only drink it occasionally

Re:Carefull.....

[mblase]

Oh, by the way......all of what I said above and.......First post. :-)

Well, somebody's been taking his choline supplements today....

Re:that's not necessarily better

[asr_man]

A smarter rat doesn't necessarily correspond to a smarter human.

We're pretty sure it corresponds to a smarter lawyer though.

Re:Carefull.....

[DesertFalcon]

Absolutely brilliant. First, you write an insightful first post, thereby gaining karma for being insightful. Then you respond to it with something funny, allowing a whole new set of mod points to be spent on a seperate post.

Twice the karma just for separating your "first post" comment into its own post.

Maybe...

[Katherin]

...we should try it on bill gates before reaching a decision

-Katherin
Indian Programmer :)