As some of you may know, the media has focused on the conservative senatorial candidate for Maryland Christine O'Donnell statments that have asserted that scientists have created mice with human brains. One such source is the Talking Points Memo website which quotes her as saying:
|"They are -- they are doing that here in the United States. American |scientific companies are cross-breeding humans and animals and |coming up with mice with fully functioning human brains. So they're |already into this experiment." http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/09/odonnell-in-2007-scientists-have-created-mice-with-human-brains.php Is it possible that some naive, uncritical people will believe Ms. O'Donnell? Well, given the crazy things that people put their faith in, the answer is probably "Yes". How should we respond if a student uses Ms. O'Donnell's statement as "fact"? Though the talking point memo says Ms. O'Donnell might be misremembering some research from 2005, it might be good idea to review what that research might be. The National Geographic website reported on the research report in 2005 and here is a link to their article: http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2005/12/1214_051214_stem_cell.html What was actually done was: |Geneticist Fred Gage injected embryonic human cells into two-week-old |fetal mice as they developed in the womb. When the mice matured, |some human stem cells survived and became functional components |of the mice's brains and nervous systems. The research was conducted at the Salk Institute (Hello San Diego!) and here is a link to their press release titled: "Human embryonic stem cells integrate successfully into mouse brain". See: http://www.salk.edu/news/pressrelease_details.php?press_id=159 The research was published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science and the abstract is available here: http://www.pnas.org/gca?gca=pnas%3B102%2F51%2F18644&allch=&submit=Go So, where does "Mice with Human Brains Fall in the Psychology Curriculum"? Obviously, in the critical thinking area but also in the biological section, especially on the role of stem cells in research. This should serve as reminder to students and others that if people say outrageous things, one should always ask what the empirical basis for the statement. -Mike Palij New York University [email protected] --- You are currently subscribed to tips as: [email protected]. To unsubscribe click here: http://fsulist.frostburg.edu/u?id=13090.68da6e6e5325aa33287ff385b70df5d5&n=T&l=tips&o=5013 or send a blank email to leave-5013-13090.68da6e6e5325aa33287ff385b70df...@fsulist.frostburg.edu
