Little green primates

looks at the news reports describing the world's first transgenic monkey. There is a rhythm to many science reports. First, the dramatic headline. Next, the pithy lead paragraph, which often promises more than the story delivers. And then the knockout quote — someone of stature validating the story's premise. A funny thing happened with the stories regarding ANDi, the world's first genetically modified primate. We got the dramatic headlines, such as: " How a Glowing Monkey Will Help Cure Disease, " in The Independent (London). We got the pithy lead: " Heeeere's ANDi, the world's first genetically engineered monkey, " in New York's Newsday. But in most reports, the knockout quote came from an obviously biased source: the very scientists who did the work. " We could just as easily introduce, for example, an Alzheimer's gene to accelerate the development of a vaccine for that disease, " Gerald Schatten at the Oregon Regional Primate Research Center says near the top of the report in USA Today and numerous other publications. " I think we're at an extraordinary moment in the history of humans, " reads the first quote in the Associated Press article on the subject. Schatten is again the speaker. And the first quote in the Washington Post? " There are fantastic discoveries now being made from studies of human diseases in mice. We're optimistic that genetically modified primates can translate some of those discoveries in mice safely and swiftly to people. " The source, again, is Gerald P. Schatten. One of the few papers to quote someone else first was the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. " I think it's actually quite a big deal, " said Dr. Ronald Herberman, director of the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute. Alas, a few paragraphs later we learn that Dr. Herberman is a friend of Dr. Schatten's, and hopes to develop a collaboration with him. So much for the independent validation. Read into the best stories on the discovery, and the reason for these self-congratulatory quotes becomes clear: A lot of other scientists don't think the accomplishment is a big deal. The Los Angeles Times, for example, quoted University of Southern California ethicist Alexander Capron declaring that the monkey is " hardly more of a Little green primates