Scientists Build a Smarter Rat 302
destinyland writes "Scientists have engineered a more intelligent rat, with three times the memory length of today's smartest rats. Reseachers bred transgenic over-expression of the NR2B gene, which increased communication between the rat's memory synapses. Activating a crucial brain receptor for just a fraction of a second longer produces a dramatic effect on memory, as proven by the rat's longer memories of the path through a maze."
Needs much more work (Score:5, Funny)
When they can scale it up from lawyers to humans, we might have something useful to talk about.
NIMH (Score:5, Funny)
Mrs. Frisby [wikipedia.org] will be pleased...
Spooky (Score:2, Funny)
While I know that this sort of research is ultimately aimed at improving human life, for some reason I can't shake the image of a mad scientist making super-smart dogs, the experiment going awry, and an apocalyptic future of human-pitbull wars.
Re:Spooky (Score:5, Funny)
Yeah, we'll all need to live longer so we can foil the plans of Pinky and the Brain.
Faster Memory? (Score:5, Funny)
So they overclocked the rats? Cool!
Comment removed (Score:3, Funny)
Re:The world needs this.... (Score:2, Funny)
Re:We already knew it worked for mice (Score:3, Funny)
Nevertheless, it raises an interesting question: if intelligence can be increased by something so simple as an increase in the expression of a single NMDA receptor subunit, why hasn't it already happened? Presumably, there is a selective advantage to improved learning and memory. Presumably, there is some kind of downside that balances that selective advantage.
The downside is that now the Rats crave human brains...
Hmmmm . . . . (Score:1, Funny)
Biological overclocking. How long before they try nitrogen cooling?
Re:The secret... (Score:2, Funny)
science could bread more intelligent rats
Mmmmmm... breaded rats.
Re:Faster Memory? (Score:4, Funny)
...whether some of the newly-created address space is unaddressable for reasons yet unknown.
You need a 64-bit rat to access all the extra memory space.
Re:We already knew it worked for mice (Score:3, Funny)
To answer this question, I reference Idiocracy.
Re:We already knew it worked for mice (Score:2, Funny)
Nevertheless, it raises an interesting question: if intelligence can be increased by something so simple as an increase in the expression of a single NMDA receptor subunit, why hasn't it already happened?
It HAS happened, but those affected (rats included) simply can't get laid to propagate the phenomenon...
Re:I for one (Score:4, Funny)
Re:The world needs this.... (Score:5, Funny)
Re:I for one (Score:3, Funny)
Re:The secret... (Score:2, Funny)
science could bread more intelligent rats
Mmmmmm... breaded rats.
That's quite a delicacy to us level 5 dwar{f,ve}s, especially with ketchup. That'll sustain you through a whole night of supporting Linux users or mining.
Re:The world needs this.... (Score:5, Funny)
It's not a real problem. These rats with their superior maze-following ability will be nerds among rats, and thus will not reproduce in the wild.
Re:I for one (Score:4, Funny)
Coarse strippers are rough!
Re:Rat 2.0 : Modern Rat (Score:3, Funny)
Re:I for one (Score:4, Funny)
OMG! I can't believe I was actually on the internet when the FIRST EVER expression of displeasure towards an overused meme was posted! So fresh, so original, so... intelligent! You truly are a hero of the internet!!!
Thanks for standing up for us, the little guys, who see memes posted day after day but are unable to do anything about it. You, sir, have surely stopped, once and for all, this abuse of popular culture.
Re:The world needs this.... (Score:4, Funny)
They'll be busy playing D&D?
What ya gona do tonight? (Score:5, Funny)
What ya gona do tonight?
Same thing we do every night.
try to take over the world.!!!
Re:Needs much more work (Score:3, Funny)
Since they haven't gotten it to work in humans yet, we'll probably forget about it before...OMG, did you hear the latest on Jon and Kate?!?
Re:Actually I wonder what the downside is (Score:5, Funny)
After all, if more memory were that simple, surely evolution would have changed that gene by itself. If it were a tradeoff, that would be much more logical. So what did these rats lose ? Do they have gaps in long term memory ? I'd watch out for the "no free lunch" idea holding true here too.
Evolution decided that when creature has to eating nothing but rotting crap all it's life, it's best that the creature not be able to ponder on the matter.
Re:Spooky (Score:1, Funny)
Re:I for one (Score:5, Funny)
Thanks for standing up for us, the little guys, who see memes posted day after day but are unable to do anything about it. You, sir, have surely stopped, once and for all, this abuse of popular culture.
I for one, welcome our new meme overlords!