Mickey Mozart?
نویسنده
چکیده
I’m sorry to report that we’re all about to become obsolete. For proof, one need look no farther than the story that swept the globe 2 September. Here’s how the Toronto Star informed its readers: “Scientists have genetically engineered smarter mice, pointing the way to a brave new world in which parents could — in theory, at least — create baby Einsteins.” The news graced the front page of papers from New York to San Francisco, though the promises of a genius in every cradle was tempered a bit. “Researchers have genetically engineered a strain of ultra-smart mice,” USA Today reported, “an advance that one day might lead to brainier humans and drugs to treat forms of dementia.” Readers in the UK had to dig a bit for the news. But the Independent assured readers who turned to page five that “it is feasible to improve mental ability by tinkering with genes... a step toward designer babies.” Yes, we are talking about research on mice. It’s a license, apparently granted to all journalists, to avoid the confounding details for a while. And it is true that mice are remarkably like Albert Einstein, in that they can learn tasks and remember objects. So Joe Tsien’s research on the NMDA receptors in mice could have implications for humans. Perhaps. The Princeton University researcher reported in Nature that he could make mice perform better on learning and memory tests if he genetically modified their embryos to produce NMDA receptors that are more active, particularly as the mice get older. Adding pop-culture appeal, the Princeton researchers named the mice ‘Doogie’, after a US television programme about a teenaged doctor. (The Boston Globe noted that this fictional character, conveniently enough, graduated from Princeton at the age of 10.) “Why is it that some children become Mozarts or Einsteins?” Ned Potter asked viewers of ABC’s World News Tonight. “And why do some seniors descend into the fog of Alzheimer’s? We may find answers in these genetically engineered mice.”
منابع مشابه
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ورودعنوان ژورنال:
- Current Biology
دوره 9 شماره
صفحات -
تاریخ انتشار 1999