Scientists Sew shut Kitten's eyes for experimentation

[Guest]

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There is an extremely common sort of experiment to understand plasticity of the developing brain. These are important experiments to understand an important phenomenon: the brain does not simply unfold ineluctably to produce a fully functional organ, but actually interacts constantly with its environment to build a functioning organ that is matched to the world it must model and work with. This was one of the very first things I learned as a budding neuroscientist; my first undergraduate research experience was in the lab of Jenny Lund at the University of Washington, where we were given prepared slices of embryonic and infant human brains (the products of abortions, stillbirths, and childhood mortality) and counted dendritic spines in the visual cortex. The brain is constantly remodeling itself, and is especially doing so in young individuals.

 

Now in those old observations, we weren’t really manipulating either the brain or the environment: you don’t get to do that with human babies! All we were doing was documenting the natural progression of synaptic connection density — which, by the way, declines rapidly as the brain learns and refines. What we could see anatomically is that as young children adapt to their environment, the brain is busily pruning and shifting connections — but what we couldn’t see is what was causing those changes, or what effect those anatomical changes had on visual processing.

 

For that, you have to tinker. And since you can’t do that with human babies, you have to go to animal models.

 

And the most common animal models for studying the visual system in humans are mammals: cats (also ferrets, for technical reasons involving some of the pathways). And since we’re interested in the plasticity of the brain in young, developing animals, you can see where this is going.

 

Neuroscientists do experiments on kittens.

 

So yeah. Scientists are sewing shut the eyes of baby kittens for science (eye research I suppose?)

 

What are your thoughts? Do you support their experiments as necessary for the better of mammal kind? Or do you deem these experiments as animal cruelty and that we SEW those mother fuckers? (ha, get it? SEW loolol)

 

Discuss.

[gregathit]

Animal cruelty....? How can this be when it is FOR SCIENCE!!!!

[Kodiak]

In short...

 

As a society...global or otherwise..if we felt bad about everything thing we've done to the point of halting experiments like this, we'd would have never developed as a species.

 

Slavery

Human Medical Experimentation

Animal Space Experimentation

Human and Animal Narcotic Experimentation

Chemical Exposure Testing

 

Each and everyone of those examples are ethically questionable. However, each of them has also provided significant and usable findings in one way or another..even if it was as simple as "Let not do that again. It killed the test subject".

 

Personally I'd rather see them use an animal that can be used fomr something afterwards..like a pig. But we dont know the details of what they are looking for in that sort of sensory deperavation.

 

With all that said however... they could have found a differnt, less damaging way to blind the cat. It is true though that these stiches can be removed, like normal human stitches. Damage may be capable of being healed.

[nonusnomeni]

Scientists are sewing shut the eyes of baby kittens for science

Fxxx them!!!

i want sewing shut they eyes!!!

for my pleasure!!!

use the scientists for science experiments not kittens!!!

[Guest]

In short...

 

As a society...global or otherwise..if we felt bad about everything thing we've done to the point of halting experiments like this' date=' we'd would have never developed as a species.

 

Slavery

Human Medical Experimentation

Animal Space Experimentation

Human and Animal Narcotic Experimentation

Chemical Exposure Testing

 

Each and everyone of those examples are ethically questionable. However, each of them has also provided significant and usable findings in one way or another..even if it was as simple as "Let not do that again. It killed the test subject".

 

Personally I'd rather see them use an animal that can be used fomr something afterwards..like a pig. But we dont know the details of what they are looking for in that sort of sensory deperavation.

 

With all that said however... they could have found a differnt, less damaging way to blind the cat. It is true though that these stiches can be removed, like normal human stitches. Damage may be capable of being healed.

[/quote']

 

I agree with this post completely. It's the human way to do and learn from what we did.

 

Not sure why they went with cats though, it might have to do with eye development and positioning.

 

I'm sure though that if the scientists could've found a better way to "blind them" (temporarily) then they would've done it instead. I hope that some good can come from this experiment and from the "sacrifice".

[Kamen Rider Kuuga]

If it's needed for true science, and not crack pot science like phrenology, then I fully accept it.

 

A small price to pay for the advancement of human understanding!

[nonusnomeni]

bull shit!!!

100000000 humans are not worthy 1 cat!!!

[Kamen Rider Kuuga]

Cats are also tasty.

[Guest]

Cats are also tasty.

 

Yes, I've heard that they taste a bit like bacon actually...

[GrimReaper]

It's stated multiple times that this has to do with brain development, no idea why you think this has anything to do with "eye research".

[Guest]

Eh. Eyes, brain, what's the difference? What's important is that the eyes of kittens are being sewed up shut for science and wether or not that constitiutes animal cruelty.

[nonusnomeni]

Scientists come out to play

death to sick bastards!!!

[Kamen Rider Kuuga]

Science has been using animals for centuries to advance our understanding of the world and ourselves. They may die or just end up somewhat mutilated, but at the end of the day they've taught us something, or saved our lives. "Sacrifice" may be the best term for it. Animal cruelty is not.

 

Their "suffering" is for a more noble purpose than just being abused for sport or money, or simply being neglected by some random asshole who was "charged with their care". Simply labeling this as animal cruelty and condemning it is to both trivialize their "sacrifice" and attempt to drive science backwards.

 

And when you drive science backwards, you end up in a dark age where people think there are dragons outside of their homes and that tomatoes are poisonous.

[nonusnomeni]

@baconminion

i got idea

why don't you join to scientific experiment voluntarily, as a test subject

at least you will do that by you own free will

and we will remember you sacrifice

for the better of humanity

[Kamen Rider Kuuga]

Sadly because I'm a human they won't do anything cool with me, like chop my head off and try to attach it to the body of a gorilla. But I'll go be a test subject for whatever they deem safe enough for humans.

 

FOR SCIENCE!

 

And I'll bring a bag of kittens with me, just in case.

[johneb]

I don't give a fuck what it's for. These 'scientists' should have their ass-holes sewn shut.

[Kamen Rider Kuuga]

You know if these were cows, nobody would care. But because they're cats, OMG THIS IS HORRIBLE.

[GrimReaper]

Eh. Eyes' date=' brain, what's the difference? What's important is that the eyes of kittens are being sewed up shut for science and wether or not that constitiutes animal cruelty.

[/quote']

 

Uh, lol. I think the question is whether the part of the brain that is responsible for acquiring and processing the information the eye sends to the brain will develop on its own or not.

 

Anyway, I think it's justified. It may seem cruel and unnecessary, but you never know what results will come out of that. If it helps understanding how central nervous systems work in general it's worth it.

[GrimReaper]

You know if these were cows' date=' nobody would care. But because they're cats, OMG THIS IS HORRIBLE.

[/quote']

 

Because cows have no souls, silly.

[Kamen Rider Kuuga]

Cats are jerks, though! And they ALL go to Hell!

[nonusnomeni]

"You know if these were cows, nobody would care. But because they're cats, OMG THIS IS HORRIBLE."

of course it is

cats are intelligent and proud, a walking milk factory is just walking milk factory...

[Kamen Rider Kuuga]

Milk is delicious and part of a balanced breakfast. Cats just lay about and give you fleas.

 

Cows > cats

[xartom]

Cats have been used in neuro dev xps regarding the sensory system for a super long time (like the first stuff on receptive field mapping and stuff) they were also used in studying the brain stem vs spinal cord's role in motion back in the day.

 

When they do xps they have an ethics commitee look over everything to make sure the sacrifices of resources and animal made are worth the knowledge that can be gained, animals are reasonably taken care of and that no laws are broken. Then there's stuff to make sure the animals get decent respect, some places are better about this than others.

 

It's sad we have to use such cute, sweet pets (including mice, crayfish, chickens and other big-eyed adorables) as an animal model but we don't have alternatives right now. They are martyrs for science at the moment I guess.

 

Part of me worries that plants "feel" something like pain...

[GrimReaper]

"You know if these were cows' date=' nobody would care. But because they're cats, OMG THIS IS HORRIBLE."

of course it is

cats are intelligent and proud, a walking milk factory is just walking milk factory...

[/quote']

 

You are retarded.

[nonusnomeni]

"You know if these were cows' date=' nobody would care. But because they're cats, OMG THIS IS HORRIBLE."

of course it is

cats are intelligent and proud, a walking milk factory is just walking milk factory...

[/quote']

 

You are retarded.

 

wow, how mature, culture, intelligent, educated statement...