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[wierd]

Here's an odd duck...


https://physoc.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1113/JP276904


Scientists report that neural tissues can communicate through non-synaptic mechanism.

[Egan_BW]

Sounds like we just got one of the prerequisite researches for Psionics~

[wierd]

I wouldnt go THAT far..


More "Neurons are impacted by, and can impact, the voltage differentials of the extracellular medium, and can use this to communicate, even without a synaptic pathway."

This makes sense, as it could potentially be used to help guide dendrite migration and pals.

[Trekkin]

We've known about ephaptic coupling for years, though. https://www.nature.com/articles/nn.2727

[wierd]

I believe the magic here is this statement from the abstract you cited Trekkin.

"The extent to which such ephaptic coupling alters the functioning of neurons under physiological conditions remains unclear."


The recently published paper is not mentioning that such coupling happens (as something new), but that there is a testable communication process that matches the mechanics of this phenomenon. (eg, they found out more about the functioning of neurons under those conditions. The paper you cited asserts that there is substantial entraining, and thus that these potentials are clearly being used. The new paper just builds on older findings)

In the present study, we show that slow periodic activity in the longitudinal hippocampal slice is a self‐regenerating wave which can propagate with and without chemical or electrical synaptic transmission at the same speeds. We also show that applying local extracellular electric fields can modulate or even block the propagation of this wave in both in silico and in vitro models. Our results support the notion that ephaptic coupling plays a significant role in the propagation of the slow hippocampal periodic activity.

[Trekkin]

I believe the magic here is this statement from the abstract you cited Trekkin.

"The extent to which such ephaptic coupling alters the functioning of neurons under physiological conditions remains unclear."


The recently published paper is not mentioning that such coupling happens (as something new), but that there is a testable communication process that matches the mechanics of this phenomenon. (eg, they found out more about the functioning of neurons under those conditions.

That's just the identify-the-gap-in-the-field boilerplate you get when recycling grant applications into papers, though; you can tell by how the next sentence begins with "to address this question, we [experimental method]."

I think this has more to do with the Journal of Physiology having an impact factor of around 5 than anything else.

[wierd]

Hey, researchers gotta eat too you know.

[Bumber]

"The extent to which such ephaptic coupling alters the functioning of neurons under physiological conditions remains unclear."

I'm choosing to interpret this as neuroscientists/robots discussing what sex might feel like.

[Kagus]

https://www.technologyreview.com/s/612997/the-crispr-twins-had-their-brains-altered/amp/

Why hello there, ethical dilemma!

[Reelya]

Expect to see some downside to that. If removing a single gene-sequence from the genome is an automatic win:win then you'd expect it to have mutated before, and have propagated through the population.

Having said that, many possible mutations could have evolutionary downsides that we basically don't care about. i.e. things that make you objective better, but less inclined to have children.

[wierd]

Expect to see some downside to that. If removing a single gene-sequence from the genome is an automatic win:win then you'd expect it to have mutated before, and have propagated through the population.

Having said that, many possible mutations could have evolutionary downsides that we basically don't care about. i.e. things that make you objective better, but less inclined to have children.

CCR5 delta 32 already DID spread through a human population.  The European population. Through selective pressure of small pox.

[Th4DwArfY1]

Yay, we're genetically betterededing!-?

[Starver]

Noting that this is sounding pretty much the plot of various "scientist inadvertently create the post-human race that will attempt to usurp humanity's place" stories.

KHAAAAN!

[Ispil]

Keep in mind, one of the complaints about this whole thing is that the editing wasn’t even complete. Not every fetal stem cell was edited.

[Starver]

Despite best efforts, the authorities' attempts to detect the two rogue Eves (inadvertantly lost in the system due to circumstances too complicated to explain, but leading to the uber-twins now at large somewhere in some unpolicable asian megacity with the superhuman ability to outthink everyone and the inate biological imperative to create the next generation) is thereby foiled due to the initially click nceved blood-tests and skin scrapings being virtually indistinguishable from any other suspects rounded up along the way. Meanwhile, their hyper-intelligent brains and other gene-X influenced organs suffice to carry their similarly, or at least partly, seeded ovaries around with more than enough carrier-eggs at birth to bootstrap the next generation deep in the slums, within the next decade and a half, away from any official response short of actual indiscriminate genocidal overkill against the many innocents in the vain hope of destroying these two among them. A plan that is only considered once it is too late anyway and trans-human supporters or stooges have already smuggled enough fully Homo Neosapiens offspring out of the area (possibly into SPAAAAAACE!!!") and outside any hope of containment.

Just sayin'!