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Genetic Engineering possibilities

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Anarbaculardrop
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20 Aug 2012, 3:46 pm

Here you just post things you think could be possible with genetic engineering.

Do you think that you could create a human covered in small scales that has the "night" vision and retractable claws of a cat?


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ruveyn
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20 Aug 2012, 4:51 pm

Anarbaculardrop wrote:
Here you just post things you think could be possible with genetic engineering.

Do you think that you could create a human covered in small scales that has the "night" vision and retractable claws of a cat?


Most likely, no. We are too closely related to the apes for that.

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physicsnut42
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20 Aug 2012, 9:16 pm

ruveyn wrote:
Anarbaculardrop wrote:
Here you just post things you think could be possible with genetic engineering.

Do you think that you could create a human covered in small scales that has the "night" vision and retractable claws of a cat?


Most likely, no. We are too closely related to the apes for that.

ruveyn


True enough. But I think you could, in theory. You'd just have to cut out the "skin" gene and replace it with the "scales" gene; add in more cone genes and less rod genes, along with an "enlarge eyes" gene; and just put in retractable claw genes instead of fingernail genes. The resulting being might not be actually be human... but it would still be possible to get to that place from human. Though it might have to be a human embryo, not a fully grown one.

And genetic engineering would have had to progress ALOT in order to accomplish that.



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21 Aug 2012, 7:01 am

much of that could probably be facilitated just by changing the timing of certain genes, not even the genes themselves.

the largest challenge would be to get the reflective coating in the eye most animals use to enhance their nightvision, there are some biohackers that are wrking on that exact problem.


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Anarbaculardrop
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04 Sep 2012, 7:59 pm

General consensus: yes.

Do you think giving a rat opposible thumbs is impossible or not?


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physicsnut42
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04 Sep 2012, 8:13 pm

most certainly. Rats are very dexterous already--they trained some to pull little levers.



Anarbaculardrop
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04 Sep 2012, 8:47 pm

physicsnut42 wrote:
most certainly. Rats are very dexterous already--they trained some to pull little levers.


Was that"most certainly it is impossible" or "most certainly it is possible?"


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Jitro
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04 Sep 2012, 11:03 pm

Do you think it's possible for a human to transform into a different gender, race or even species (e.g. from a human to a gorilla) via genetic engineering?



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04 Sep 2012, 11:36 pm

Jitro, you already have a thread asking that question here: http://www.wrongplanet.net/postt208268.html


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physicsnut42
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05 Sep 2012, 5:10 pm

Anarbaculardrop wrote:
physicsnut42 wrote:
most certainly. Rats are very dexterous already--they trained some to pull little levers.


Was that"most certainly it is impossible" or "most certainly it is possible?"


Most certainly possible. Like I said, there thumbs are already pretty flexible compared to, say, a cat's. I think.

Even if that's not true, it's still definitely possible. It would be WAY easier than the whole human-with-scales-and-nightvision-and-retractable-claws thing.



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05 Sep 2012, 8:03 pm

physicsnut42 wrote:
Anarbaculardrop wrote:
physicsnut42 wrote:
most certainly. Rats are very dexterous already--they trained some to pull little levers.


Was that"most certainly it is impossible" or "most certainly it is possible?"


Most certainly possible. Like I said, there thumbs are already pretty flexible compared to, say, a cat's. I think.

Even if that's not true, it's still definitely possible. It would be WAY easier than the whole human-with-scales-and-nightvision-and-retractable-claws thing.


as i see it the retractable claws are the highest challenge,

they require muscles and vastly different bone structure to even have a chance at working, the eyes are as said already in progress and it looks to be possible, its a rather simple code that needs splicing in, if they found where they need to splice it into, i dont know.

as for scales, it is a protein and shape difference, if one could insert the code for creating keratin into the skin then one would only have to fiddle around with the growth clocks in various areas.


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07 Sep 2012, 4:05 pm

Apparently a glowing mouse was made by taking a gene from a jellyfish and inserting it into a mouses genes. So I reckon anything is possible with it.



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09 Sep 2012, 1:04 pm

Even a rat with human intelligence?


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physicsnut42
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09 Sep 2012, 2:00 pm

well, it would be tricky, but anything is possible, as long as you can mess around with everything.



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09 Sep 2012, 3:16 pm

Anarbaculardrop wrote:
Even a rat with human intelligence?


If 'human intelligence' could be identified as a genetic trait then yes, I see no reason why not.



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10 Sep 2012, 8:02 am

That would be difficult, on account of the fact that a rat's brain is much smaller than that of a human's. You'd have to find a way to make the neurons substantially smaller so you could fit more of them into a given volume.