Tuesday, October 11, 2005

Regenerate Yourself!

Do you remember sitting in grade school learning that starfish could regrow their arms and wishing that you could regrow your arms? Now you can!

Well, maybe not right now, but soon apparently.

Mice discovered accidentally at the Wistar Institute in Pennsylvania have the seemingly miraculous ability to regenerate like a salamander, and even regrow vital organs.

Researchers systematically amputated digits and damaged various organs of the mice, including the heart, liver and brain, most of which grew back.

The results stunned scientists because if such regeneration is possible in this mammal, it might also be possible in humans.

It gets better.

The researchers also made a remarkable second discovery: When cells from the regenerative mice were injected into normal mice, the normal mice adopted the ability to regenerate. And when the special mice bred with normal mice, their offspring inherited souped-up regeneration capabilities.

How about that for a Singularity, huh?

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Wow. Amazing news.
I wonder if and when it comes to pass; will everyone be offered the opportunity to have this ability?
A entirely new class of human, the poor excluded?

Ugly scenario, I hope it does not occur.

Syl said...

Well, I could use a new thyroid.

If that means I have to grow a tail too, I'd still consider it.

Unknown said...

If people don't grow old and if their parts do not give out this planet is going to get real crowded.

Has anyone ever heard of the Internet 2?