Gene Prevents 'Brains Everywhere'

October 11, 2002 1:20 PM

Gene Prevents 'Brains Everywhere' The human version of the gene probably is not involved in keeping the human brain inside the skull, but likely plays some other role in nervous system development in human embryos, says Alejandro Sanchez Alvarado, a developmental biologist at the University of Utah School of Medicine. Cool.
posted by Grod (6 comments total)

I want to grow one of these, and one brainless clone. Then I can name them Pinky and The Brain, and wait for hilarity to ensue ...or maybe hook them together and call it Freak the Mighty?
posted by buskpay at 1:50 PM on October 11, 2002

Zombies of the world drool in anticipation
posted by monkeyman at 3:00 PM on October 11, 2002

So what do "creation scientists" say to discoveries like this? Is it part of the "God created puzzles like this to misdirect sinners and test the faithful" rationalization, or do they read this and say "Doh, you guys were right all along"?
posted by filifera at 3:28 PM on October 11, 2002

Agh... I wanted to link to The Onion's story on a zombie nutrition study, but they took it down. It was perfect for this! Does that habit of theirs really annoy anybody else?

Oh well, here's the zombie alarm, at least.
posted by buskpay at 3:44 PM on October 11, 2002

They reproduce by attaching their tail to a solid object, then the head and upper part of the body swim away.

I knew flatworms could regenerate, but...voluntarily?! *shudder* Maybe it doesn't really count as voluntary when you're talking about an organism without a concious will. And is this really their only form of reproduction? Other worms reproduce sexually as well as by regeneration, and it seems odd that a species' survival would depend only on such an unreliable method.
posted by hippugeek at 12:23 AM on October 12, 2002

Shudder indeed. For some reason, flatworms -- specifically, the images associated with the regenerative abilities of flatworms -- creep me right the fuck out. It's fascinating stuff, biologically, but, still. First time I saw a sequence of images of a head-slice and subsequent two-headedness, I was just overwhelmed with awe and repulsion.

This latest news isn't any better on the old stomach, but, yes, fascinating.
posted by cortex at 2:03 PM on October 12, 2002