Comments on: Molecule’s constant efforts keep our memories intact

By: Single protein can strengthen old faded memories | Not Exactly Rocket Science

Wed, 06 Apr 2011 00:50:59 +0000

[...] In 2007, Shema, Dudai, and Sacktor showed how important PKMzeta … [...]

By: Mary

Mary — Thu, 17 Jun 2010 12:49:06 +0000

Ma questo medicinale può già essere applicato all’uomo?cioè un ragazzo dei giorni nostri anno 2010 potrebbe essere sottoposto a una cancellazione della memoria per finalità terapeutiche? in latre aprole il procedimento di cui si parla per i ratti è già applicabile all’uomo?

By: Amber

Amber — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 06:47:37 +0000

I think you may have found a cure for Alzheimers……

By: Marc Abian

Marc Abian — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 13:15:13 +0000

You’ve just scared the hell out of me. I would be very surprised if this isn’t abused.

By: cm

cm — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 00:42:46 +0000

The “saying mice when you mean rats” brain glitch was something I observed often and myself engaged in when I taught neuroscience using rodents. Maybe it is because the tiny patch of cortical real estate that encodes “lab rat” is right next door to the patch that encodes “lab mouse”.

By: Ed Yong

Ed Yong — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 23:03:07 +0000

Huh. How embarrassing. All of those should be rats. Have altered.

By: Michael Houghton

Michael Houghton — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 22:30:12 +0000

Rats, rats, (rodents), mice, rats, mice, and then mice. Have you been at the ZIP, Mr Yong?

By: bd

bd — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 22:01:15 +0000

when can i get my PKMzeta potentiator pills so I can have photographic memory?

By: D. C. Sessions

D. C. Sessions — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 03:47:53 +0000

“ZIP” (although it has an appropriately Orwellian distopian name) is a long way from selective memory wiping.

Who said “selective?” Most SF references to “mindwipe” are much closer to tabula rasa — effectively a death sentence that doesn’t involve a corpse. So convenient for “rehabilitating” the poorly socialized, don’t you know …
And, yes, I’m aware that some things are not readily learned by adult brains. Like walking, language, …

By: um

um — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 03:31:29 +0000

I imagine the rats also forgot all of their other favorite and hated foods as well. “ZIP” (although it has an appropriately Orwellian distopian name) is a long way from selective memory wiping. The injection was centered on a local part of the brain, in this case a fairly well-known and obvious one, as opposed to the one that controls our memories about, say, patriotism or ex-girlfriends (I’m being facetious here – such complicated memories are non-local). I imagine that a non-local application of ZIP would be extraordinarily disruptive to the identity of the person, perhaps even fatal, considering that the global effect of the drug has not been explored in this study. In any case, I am pleased to see ethical questions being raised about research – that is what I call advanced science.