« Sfn: hope in stroke | Main | About this site: bug report »

SfN: Drug calms violent rats

Researchers have found a drug that can reduce aggressive behaviour in feral rats that have been trained to be violent. Check out the news story on Nature News.
homepagenews.2007.222.jpg

Posted by Nicola Jones on November 7, 2007 06:34 PM |

TrackBack

TrackBack URL for this entry:
http://blogs.nature.com/cgi-bin/mt/mt-tb.cgi/3864

Comments

At the very first few seconds of seeing the article, I already felt that this report may signal a message that would say: "It is now time to challenge Darwin's concept of natural selection."

While it is true that violence is violence, a deadly behavior that always challenge the stability of the society and the culture that it tries to maintain, I guess evolutionary biologists may not disagree to my claim that aggression is in itself a man's fitness test, his own survival kit. Even though the human civilizations continue to be refined, it is still an interesting issue to note that humans still tend to associate themselves to their original animalistic behavior. We did not migrate yet from our ancestor's instincts and behavior, and I strongly believe that we will never do so. To provide examples on this, such as drive for sex, choosing mates, competing with others, etcetera, I think it will take us a long list that this space may not accommodate. In summary, those who are stronger survived the hardest of times over those who are meek and weak. It does not warrant whether which means were always used, such as brute force or intellectual prowess, but the need to dominate over the others is still there.

Developing a system that may interfere this "free will" of both men and their lower animal counterparts is tantamount to devising a means to control a population of "free thoughts." While it is very useful against convicted criminals to knock down their dreadful tendencies, assuming that the rules of laws really identified them as such, the same would be a fearful formula against those who are involved in combat operations and other activities to protect the interests of the state. While this may also possibly promise a total annihilation of wars, it is parallel to erasing that drive of a civilization to achieve its higher purpose, the natural way.

I strongly believe that man's behavior can be manipulated and designed regardless of his judgment. In the past and the safe present, this can be demonstrated by hypnotic tools and some "trigger methods". What the scientists are driving now is to develop a system at the molecular level, and possibly at the genetic level. When neuroscientists become successful, then our conflicting concerns may become highly relevant.

Posted by: Caezar Angelito Estioko Arceo | November 8, 2007 02:59 PM

This is nothing new. I can see my younger brother, who has been transformed from a agresive hooligan into almost buddist monk. Now he's sitting with his bong listening to mp3s all day long.
And it's all due to drug called Marijuana containing THC

Posted by: Hajfes | November 20, 2007 11:57 AM

I strongly believe that man's behavior can be manipulated and designed regardless of his judgment. In the past and the safe present, this can be demonstrated by hypnotic tools and some "trigger methods". What the scientists are driving now is to develop a system at the molecular level, and possibly at the genetic level

Posted by: Saç Bakımı | November 21, 2007 10:25 PM

i hate researchers. they always have found somethings.

Posted by: Gazeteler | November 23, 2007 06:56 AM

a buddist monk? how could be like this? i think all drugs must be banned

Posted by: ercüment | November 25, 2007 09:14 PM

That is great if the drugs work, but I bet the rat's were not taking any other drugs. You just have to wonder if the combinations of drugs people take over extended periods do more harm than good.

Posted by: cyclone | November 28, 2007 02:49 AM

"i think all drugs must be banned"
I think the same.

Posted by: geciktirici | December 27, 2007 01:39 AM

In the past and the safe present, this can be demonstrated by hypnotic tools and some "trigger methods". What the scientists are driving now is to develop a system at the molecular level, and possibly at the genetic level.

Posted by: kanser | March 12, 2008 10:18 AM

Post a comment

Comments will be reviewed by staff before being published. You can be as critical or controversial as you like, but please don't get personal or offensive, and do keep it brief. Excessively long entries may be cropped. Remember this is for feedback and discussion - not for publishing papers or press releases.

We strongly encourage you to use your real, full name. Email addresses are required: this is just in case we need to discuss your comment with you privately. They won’t be published.


Please enter the numbers you see below - this helps us to cut down on spam. If you are having trouble with this system, you can instead e-mail a comment to 'inthefield at nature.com'.

Search