Sat, 26 Aug 2006
Happy Mice
I don't know whether to be gratified or horrified by this science news article on genetically modified mice.
A new breed of permanently 'cheerful' mouse is providing hope of a new treatment for clinical depression. TREK-1 is a gene that can affect transmission of serotonin in the brain. Serotonin is known to play an important role in mood, sleep and sexuality. By breeding mice with an absence of TREK-1, researchers were able create a depression-resistant strain.
"These 'knock-out' mice were then tested using separate behavioral, electrophysiological and biochemical measures known to gauge 'depression' in animals," says Dr. Debonnel. "The results really surprised us; our 'knock-out' mice acted as if they had been treated with antidepressants for at least three weeks."
My guess in their enthusiasm, the researchers are overstating their results. But there's at least a couple of good ideas for science fiction stories in this. The first, if you can't be sad, can you ever truly be happy? The second, can a person think they're sad but be mistaken about it and actually be happy? The third, social versus individual notions of happiness. What happens when everyone has to get vaccinated against depression? Will there be dissenters?
My personal opinion is that modern ideas of depression a rather superficial and aim at making the individual conform to our extroverted, sales oriented, rah-rah culture. As an antidote here's a page of quotations in praise of solitude, including one of my favorites by Gibbons.
Conversation enriches the understanding, but solitude is the school of genius.
