The chimera has come...

[Dubh Aingeal]

"National Geographic has an article stating that... "Scientists have begun blurring the line between human and animal by producing chimeras—a hybrid creature that's part human, part animal."

[DisturbedMania]

Nothing I wouldn't expect from the scientific community. Yet, in certain hybrid circumstances I can't help but think that they would be much more advanced than humans with just the assistance of the more advanced cranial capacity of the human brain. Could be that lack of interest in humanity that creeps up sometimes though. My cat is alot smarter than most people I know. Ouch, better quit posting for a while or I might get mean. (The random rips on anyone is a fun quality of my dad's side of the family, heh, the fun they had when my hair went through the myriad of colors phase)

[fallennon]

I have to wonder...if it's NOT OKAY to test on human beings then why is it OKAY to test on human hybrids? Is this just a way around having real test subjects or what? It kind of creeps me out to tell you the truth. What if they successfully hybrid a creature that takes over the planet? LOL

[gothicmom]

Later this year he may conduct another experiment where the mice have 100 percent human brains. This would be done, he said, by injecting human neurons into the brains of embryonic mice.

When I read this, all I could picture was a little mouse doing 'human' things. Like walking on 2 legs, talking and cooking food??? I know, I'm a nut!!! and the bipedal action and the talking is a physical thing. Just so you know that I know. I'm leaving now!

[Ginevra]

The article does, indeed, point out that any chimera types that have been created so far have never actually been born or allowed to mature in any way other than to show the stability of the molecules they're testing except for the mice with the 1% human brains.

Yes, I agree. If a creature is part human, does that give it any less rights than a full blooded human? Almost sounds like we're talking about racial blood percentages or something. IE A lady I was a nanny for some years ago was 1/16th Canadian Indian. Does that make her any less Canadian Indian than someone that is 1/2 blooded? (Not trying to get into a racial debate here or threadjack, just trying to illustrate my point.)

Then you (potentially) have the whole fiasco of well, say the government decides that okay, anything under 50% is "not human" and can be used to farm out parts or something. What if a 48% shows massive intelligence? Do these chimera have souls? Ffs, there goes the whole theological debate in tow as well.

[DisturbedMania]

Hmmmmm.... this is an interesting concept. Human evolution has taken countless years to get us to the point we're at now. How much would it effect another species to get a "quickie upgrade" and would the mice currently being tested be able to handle said upgrade? With humans the mutations in dna changes so slowly between generations that it isn't usually directly noticable. And, there goes the scientist in me.

[The_Dark]

And we go where Science Fiction has gone for years....

[Hermine]

I don't usually post here, so just a neutral observationl:

What if they successfully hybrid a creature that takes over the planet? LOL

But if one of them is dumb, then his idiocy will alway cause the smart one's plans to go awry. So no worries, right Brain? Poit.

Edit to add: I really could not resist. As soon as I saw the part about the mice with human brains, it was all over.