For the first time, scientists have used gene-editing techniques to make monkey brains more humanlike.
The monkeys, rhesus macaques, got smarter — they had superior memories to unaltered monkeys, according to recently-published research that’s kicked off a fiery debate among ethicists about how far scientists should be able to take genetic experimentation.
Shortly after gene editing babies so they can't contract HIV, Chinese scientists are up to shenanigans again in gene editing, this time inserting a gene called MCPH1 into Macaques.
The new gene made the monkeys’ brains develop along a more human-like timeline. The gene-hacked monkeys had better reaction times and enhanced short-term memories compared to their unaltered peers, according to China Daily.
On the one hand..
“The use of transgenic monkeys to study human genes linked to brain evolution is a very risky road to take,” University of Colorado geneticist James Sikela told the MIT Technology Review. “It is a classic slippery slope issue and one that we can expect to recur as this type of research is pursued.”
..yet on the other..
While altering one gene to enhance memory in some macaques won’t throw Darwinism off-kilter — there’s no risk of a “Planet of the Apes”-style uprising, yet — it could teach us how humanity became so intelligent and gives us hints as to why.
For science!
It begs the classic conundrum, would you rather have your face and the brain of a monkey, or a monkey's face and your brain given the choice?
Tough questions for tough times.
However what does NSG think of gene editing in this way, if we could make them smart enough we could put them in uniform and send them into battle as an army of super monkeys?
Is any of this a good idea?
