A group of Chinese scientists (who apparently have never seen the "Planet of the Apes" movies) have made history by successfully implanting human characteristics into monkeys. By using a gene editing technique, the scientists mixed the human gene MCPH1 in 11 rhesus macaques, making their brains more "human-like," according to China Daily. As a result, the monkeys became smarter and displayed vastly improved memory and reaction functions.
Not everyone in the scientific community is applauding the breakthrough, however. Geneticist James Sikela tells the MIT Technology Review the use of "monkeys to study human genes linked to brain evolution is a very risky road to take. It is a classic slippery slope issue and one that we can expect to recur as this type of research is pursued."
The announcement has left many wondering what good can come out of making monkeys smarter?
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