• io9
  • science
  • overmind
  • kotaku
  • gizmodo
  • Profile logout login

#flowersforalgernon#associateslpcompanyhistoryhtml

io9

Share Cancel
   
Upload an image | Add an image URL
×

logging in
  • FAQ. Include # before tag:
  • #observationdeck,
  • #tips,
  • #calendar,
  • etc.

San Francisco, 8:44 AM
Sat Dec 19
30 posts in the last 24 hours

Team

Tip your editors:

Editor-in-Chief:
Annalee Newitz |

News Editor:
Charlie Jane Anders |

Associate Editor:
Meredith Woerner |

Assistant Editor:
Lauren Davis |

Weekend Editor:
Graeme McMillan |

Contributors:
Joshua Glenn
Stephen Goldmeier |
Ed Grabianowski |
Austin Grossman
Paul Hogan |
Lauren Davis |
Chris Hsiang |
Lynn Peril |
Ann VanderMeer
Alasdair Wilkins |

Graphic Designer:
Stephanie Fox |

Interns:
Tim Barribeau |
Julia Carusillo |
Alex Eichler |
Cyriaque Lamar |
Caitlin Petrakovitz |
Mary Ratliff |
Josh Snyder |

More:
io9 on Facebook
follow io9 on Twitter

SUBSCRIBE TO io9 RSS

New: Breaking news and daily top stories via email
1428 Subscribers
io9
  • Your version of Internet Explorer is not supported. Please upgrade to the most recent version in order to view comments.
    Dsmvwl  Admin  Promote to frontpage Approve user Ban user ×
    Image of 0kami 0kami
    12/17/09

    In reply to Transplanted Rat Brains Could Beat Alzheimer's
    Uh....um...okay I'm just going to come out and say it, that picture sort of looks like an anus.
     Reply
    0kami was starred 0kami was unstarred
    Image of Izod517 Izod517
    12/17/09

    @0kami: I thought it was ham! Either way someone would eat it!
     Reply
    Bootknife-Jackson promoted this comment Izod517 was starred Izod517 was unstarred
    Image of Bootknife-Jackson Bootknife-Jackson
    12/17/09

    @0kami: man, i dunno what kind of assholes you've been licking, but i think you're doing it wrong....
     Reply
    Bootknife-Jackson was starred Bootknife-Jackson was unstarred
    Image of LittleDragon LittleDragon
    12/17/09

    In reply to Transplanted Rat Brains Could Beat Alzheimer's
    I really hope that this will someday work. If Terry Pratchett's treatment doesn't work, rat brains may be Discworld's only hope.

    And how did that spammer get in here?
     Reply
    LittleDragon was starred LittleDragon was unstarred
    Image of AdoraBelle AdoraBelle
    12/17/09

    @LittleDragon: That's what I was going to say :)
     Reply
    LittleDragon promoted this comment AdoraBelle was starred AdoraBelle was unstarred
    Image of wee little evie wee little evie
    12/18/09

    @LittleDragon: I was just about to make a very similar comment.

    I'm not ready to go without Discworld yet! And I'm sure Terry Pratchett isn't either.
     Reply
    LittleDragon promoted this comment wee little evie was starred wee little evie was unstarred
    Image of Roklimber Roklimber
    12/17/09

    In reply to Transplanted Rat Brains Could Beat Alzheimer's
    That picture looks like the inside of a coconut.
     Reply
    Roklimber was starred Roklimber was unstarred
    Image of earthclanbootstrap earthclanbootstrap
    12/17/09

    @Roklimber: Have they been banging two of them together?
     Reply
    Roklimber promoted this comment Edited by earthclanbootstrap at 12/17/09 1:40 PM earthclanbootstrap was starred earthclanbootstrap was unstarred
    Image of Roklimber Roklimber
    12/17/09

    @earthclanbootstrap: They're rats, not monkeys. :)
     Reply
    Roklimber was starred Roklimber was unstarred
    Image of earthclanbootstrap earthclanbootstrap
    12/17/09

    @Roklimber: Nor Knights of the Round Table. ;-)
     Reply
    earthclanbootstrap was starred earthclanbootstrap was unstarred
    Image of Anekanta - Go Play! Anekanta - Go Play!
    12/17/09

    In reply to Transplanted Rat Brains Could Beat Alzheimer's
    Yeah, but where are we going to get the transgenic newborns to regenerate human brain tissue?
     Reply
    Anekanta - Go Play! was starred Anekanta - Go Play! was unstarred
    Image of tetracycloide tetracycloide
    12/17/09

    In reply to Transplanted Rat Brains Could Beat Alzheimer's
    i'm no nurologist but isn't there a rather large degree of difference between actual alzheimers and 'an alzheimers like state?' i guess what i'm asking is, given that you wouldn't ordinarly given someone whos organs are failing new organs without treating the underlying disease first, why wouldn't the transplanted never cells just succomb to alzheimers themselves? i mean it's a protien folding disease and the 'bad' protiens are still there right?
     Reply
    tetracycloide was starred tetracycloide was unstarred
    Image of aubreyf aubreyf
    12/17/09

    @tetracycloide: I was curious about the choice of "alzheimers like" as well. I mean, is "cheese like" the same as "cheese?"

    Also what are "never cells" and what happens when you inject them into your brain? :P
     Reply
    aubreyf was starred aubreyf was unstarred
    Image of Akitsu Akitsu
    12/17/09

    @aubreyf: Are you implying Artificial Cheese Food Product is not the same as Cheese?!? ^_^

    Yeah, good call. Whatever is causing the nerve loss in the first place isn't going to be fixed by adding new cells. It might improve the person's condition short term, but the new cells would more than likely succumb to the same fate as the old ones.

    Sadly I can imagine them sending people in for "routine implantation" of nerve cells in order to maintain functionality. This of course would be a great money machine, as it treats the effect and not the cause. Of course one has to wonder if the treatment would even take in an alzheimers patient... or if the disease would block the new cells from integrating in the first place.
     Reply
    aubreyf promoted this comment Akitsu was starred Akitsu was unstarred
    Image of aubreyf aubreyf
    12/17/09

    @Akitsu: Sorry I didn't make it all the way through your comment. I didn't have my morning nerve cells today.

    And if something like this did require routine maintenance how can the patient be expected to remember to do that?
     Reply
    aubreyf was starred aubreyf was unstarred
    Image of VisibleHand VisibleHand
    12/18/09

    @Akitsu: This research seems to be looking at exactly the question of whether such a treatment would take in Alzheimer's patients, and suggests that it would work at the least for some useful duration. Given that the cells apparently came from different source rats, they might or might not succumb eventually.

    If it is only a temporary fix? Then, no, it's not as good a solution as curing the underlying condition. But it's better than the no-solution-whatsoever we had previously. Needing regular treatment (say, every six months) sucks compared to being cured forever, but it does beat having your brain turn to swiss cheese. And if we do find a way to fix the underlying condition, it'll still be useful to have a way to reverse any initial damage that occurred before the disease was discovered.

    Plus, this research doesn't claim to be the final word. It's a good first step, is all.
     Reply
    VisibleHand was starred VisibleHand was unstarred
    Image of Ghost_in_the_Machine Ghost_in_the_Machine
    12/17/09

    In reply to Transplanted Rat Brains Could Beat Alzheimer's
    So Walter Bishop's brain can be fixed?
     Reply
    Ghost_in_the_Machine was starred Ghost_in_the_Machine was unstarred
    Image of John Hazard John Hazard
    12/17/09

    @Ghost_in_the_Machine: No, his rat brain bits are dead. That poor bastard's permanent crazy 'til the final episode of the series.
     Reply
    Ghost_in_the_Machine promoted this comment John Hazard was starred John Hazard was unstarred
    Image of Ghost_in_the_Machine Ghost_in_the_Machine
    12/17/09

    @John Hazard: The memories may be lost but this could fix the cognitive issues. The down side being we end up with a fully functional evil Walter.
     Reply
    Ghost_in_the_Machine was starred Ghost_in_the_Machine was unstarred
    Image of John Hazard John Hazard
    12/17/09

    @Ghost_in_the_Machine: That would make a nice arc for sweeps. He gets fixed & is evil, but in the end elects to let someone re-insert the crayon in his brain. Let's say, mmm...
    Mo.
     Reply
    John Hazard was starred John Hazard was unstarred
    Image of Ghost_in_the_Machine Ghost_in_the_Machine
    12/17/09

    @John Hazard: I wouldn't be surprised if there is a story arc like this. Of course Walter will reverse the procedure in the end so he can be a good father to Peter. Apparently you can't be an evil genius and a good parent at the same time.
     Reply
    Ghost_in_the_Machine was starred Ghost_in_the_Machine was unstarred
    Image of John Hazard John Hazard
    12/17/09

    @Ghost_in_the_Machine: It's hard to be both in any creative profession.
     Reply
    John Hazard was starred John Hazard was unstarred
    Image of ManchuCandidate ManchuCandidate
    12/17/09

    In reply to Transplanted Rat Brains Could Beat Alzheimer's
    Pinky: Gee, Brain. What are we going to do tonight?
    The Brain: The same thing we do every night, Pinky. Try to take, er, I like Cheese...
     Reply
    Edited by ManchuCandidate at 12/17/09 12:15 PM ManchuCandidate was starred ManchuCandidate was unstarred
    Image of Anekanta - Go Play! Anekanta - Go Play!
    12/17/09

    @ManchuCandidate: Are you thinking the same thing I'm thinking, Pinky?
     Reply
    Anekanta - Go Play! was starred Anekanta - Go Play! was unstarred
    Image of stereobot stereobot
    11/10/09

    In reply to Will Smith Starring In Flowers For Algernon?
    I'm surprised I am not seeing references to Lawnmower Man. #flowersforalgernon
     Reply
    stereobot was starred stereobot was unstarred
    Image of lucife lucife
    11/10/09

    In reply to Will Smith Starring In Flowers For Algernon?
    I never understood what's so great about this book. Yes, it touches am important subject, but I knew exactly what was going to happen in this book after the first 20-40 pages. There wasn't a single plot development that surprised me.
    As for Will Smith - is name does nothing for my complete disinterest for this film. #flowersforalgernon
     Reply
    lucife was starred lucife was unstarred
    Image of Jim Topoleski Jim Topoleski
    11/10/09

    @lucife: How old are you?

    Your age when you read it would have a lot to do with that. Before this book was released, there had never been anything like it. Now just about every TV show copies it just like they copy the Mirror Mirror from Star Trek so its lost its impact. #flowersforalgernon
     Reply
    speed321 promoted this comment Jim Topoleski was starred Jim Topoleski was unstarred
    Image of speed321 speed321
    11/10/09

    @Jim Topoleski: I don't know that age even matters. When I first read it about 10 years ago or so, I'd already known the ending from other media and I still enjoyed it. #flowersforalgernon
     Reply
    speed321 was starred speed321 was unstarred
    Image of lucife lucife
    11/10/09

    @Jim Topoleski: anywhere between 12 and 15. I've read some sci-fi at that point, not a lot of sci-fi television though. It wasn't that it was too similiar to something I've already known, just a bit too smooth and predictable. I did quite enjoy it, it just wasn't as great as I was told it'd be.
    Seems strange that this is the one sci-fi book everybody read despite prejudices against genre. #flowersforalgernon
     Reply
    lucife was starred lucife was unstarred
    Image of Dr.Quatermass Sc.D: Purveyor of Truth, Disseminator of Lies Dr.Quatermass Sc.D: Purveyor of Truth, Disseminator of Lies
    11/10/09

    @lucife: Honestly, while Flowers For Algernon is enjoyed by a lot of people, the book is part of a whole crop of late 1950s literature that started experimenting with form in somewhat strange ways. Algernon is a good book. It is an even better book because of its organization and where it fell in history. Now, my point, not all of us like gimmicks in our writing. Epistolary writing more-often-than-not bothers me, but the characters in Algernon make up for it. Don't feel bad about not liking it. I barely can finish Dracula because of the damn epistles. #flowersforalgernon
     Reply
    Dr.Quatermass Sc.D: Purveyor of Truth, Disseminator of Lies was starred Dr.Quatermass Sc.D: Purveyor of Truth, Disseminator of Lies was unstarred
    Image of Golem100 Golem100
    11/09/09

    In reply to Will Smith Starring In Flowers For Algernon?
    I don't know. I think I could see L. L. Cool J or Cuba Gooding, Jr. in the Charlie role rather than Will Smith. #flowersforalgernon
     Reply
    Golem100 was starred Golem100 was unstarred
    Image of vulcanized vulcanized
    11/09/09

    In reply to Will Smith Starring In Flowers For Algernon?
    Pajiba (which is an awesome site, by the way) occasionally likes to float false rumors to see if other people will believe them. If you're not sure it's true, better corroborate. #flowersforalgernon
     Reply
    vulcanized was starred vulcanized was unstarred
    Image of lava lava
    11/09/09

    In reply to Will Smith Starring In Flowers For Algernon?
    I seem to remember a tv movie called Charlie from the 70s that was essentially the story you describe. #flowersforalgernon
     Reply
    Sunshineyness promoted this comment lava was starred lava was unstarred
    Image of Sunshineyness Sunshineyness
    11/09/09

    @lava: Movie in '68. Cliff Robertson won his Oscar for it.

    Watched it in 7th grade for class after we read the short story and I remember it coming off as dated but kind of cool. I should really re-watch it. #flowersforalgernon
     Reply
    Sunshineyness was starred Sunshineyness was unstarred
    Image of lava lava
    11/10/09

    @Sunshineyness: yes - I probably saw it on TV in the 70s, but it was made and in theaters late 60s. #flowersforalgernon
     Reply
    lava was starred lava was unstarred
    Image of RocketBoy RocketBoy
    11/09/09

    In reply to Will Smith Starring In Flowers For Algernon?
    One of my favorite NewsRadio episodes was "Flowers for Matthew." #flowersforalgernon
     Reply
    vulcanized promoted this comment RocketBoy was starred RocketBoy was unstarred
    Image of vulcanized vulcanized
    11/09/09

    @RocketBoy: Smatthew! #flowersforalgernon
     Reply
    vulcanized was starred vulcanized was unstarred
    Image of Dresan Dresan
    11/09/09

    @RocketBoy: You are a champion at life for saying that sentence. #flowersforalgernon
     Reply
    Dresan was starred Dresan was unstarred
    Image of Chip Overclock Chip Overclock
    11/09/09

    In reply to Will Smith Starring In Flowers For Algernon?
    It would never have occurred to me to cast Will Smith in an adaptation of FLOWERS FOR ALGERNON... but once I warmed to the idea, I can totally see him in this role. Seriously. #flowersforalgernon
     Reply
    Chip Overclock was starred Chip Overclock was unstarred
    Image of cletar cletar
    11/09/09

    In reply to Will Smith Starring In Flowers For Algernon?
    And he finally finds the project that will get him an Oscar. No, seriously. I have no objection to this. #flowersforalgernon
     Reply
    cletar was starred cletar was unstarred
    Image of CParis CParis
    11/09/09

    @cletar: He was very good in "Ali". #flowersforalgernon
     Reply
    CParis was starred CParis was unstarred
    Earlier discussions Other discussions Show all discussions Show featured discussions only Start a new discussion

Login

Enter your username and password.

Please enter a username.
Please enter your password.
logging in
Login via Facebook | Sign Up | Forgot Password?

Reset Password

Please enter your email address to have your password reset.

Please enter your email address.
Please enter a valid email address.
requesting password reset

Register

Registering will give you a user profile and the ability to add other users as friends. To become a commenter, however, you need to audition.

Want to know more? Consult the Comment FAQ and legal terms.

Please enter a username.
Please enter a password.
Please confirm your password.
Passwords are not identical.
Please enter a valid email address.
registration sent, waiting for reply

Submit Your Comment

You don't need to login to comment. Just enter your email address below.

See how your address will be displayed in the Comment FAQ.

Please enter a valid email address.
Please enter a valid email address.
logging in

Login with your Facebook or io9 account.

Sign up here.



  • Archives
  • About
  • Advertising
  • Legal
  • Help
  • Report a Bug
  • FAQ
Original material is licensed under a Creative Commons License permitting non-commercial sharing with attribution.