Written on July 1, 2012
Welcome to Science Buddies! You will be connected to your new friend momentarily to discuss the following question:
What would happen if another mammal's DNA was combined with a human's?
You: This isn't my area, I'm simply a poet.
New Friend: A poet? Interesting. I would dig deeper, but this isn't about you, it's about the question at hand. I don't know much in that area of science either, all I know is how to take care of cats when their owners are on vacation.
You: ...So, you work at a kennel?
New Friend: Yeah, but maybe we should focus on the question.
You: Good point. Alright, what do you think would happen? Would we get a likeable, intelligent hybrid of human and animal?
New Friend: Probably not, at least not the way we'd expect.
You: Okay, that makes sense. Give me an example?
New Friend: Like if we combined cat and human DNA. You'd expect (or want, really) to see some badass person, who can still think like a human, with certain catlike characteristics. Like a tail, maybe cat ears, whiskers, claws, maybe even a cat's nose, right?
You: I suppose so, yes.
New Friend: However, we probably wouldn't get that. I couldn't begin to even guess what we would get.
You: We can only guess. Unless we can somehow convince someone to actually... perform that experiment.
New Friend: Another possibility is that nothing would happen.
You: What? What do you mean nothing?
New Friend: Like, the cat DNA wouldn't be.... I guess compatible would be the right word here.
You: ... I think I understand what you're saying.
New Friend: I can think of an example. Think of a computer.
You: What about the computer?
New Friend: Think about the USB drives and ports. There's a male and a female; drive and port, respectively.
You: Yes.
New Friend: Okay, now think of... A charger cable port thing.
You: *laughs* Okay, I can picture this in my mind. Keep going.
New Friend: The charger cable and port also have a male and female, although I don't think people generally refer to them as that. But you get the idea.
You: Yes, I get the idea.
New Friend: Okay, now try sticking a USB drive into the charger port.
You: Sticking a square peg into a round hole. I get it.
New Friend: It doesn't work. When the USB drive is in the USB port, the computer knows it's there. It can communicate with it, and by doing that, do what it's supposed to do with the USB drive. Whatever that may be.
You: But when the USB drive is shoved into a charger port, it doesn't fit right. So the computer doesn't know it's there, and can't communicate with it. Can't do whatever it's supposed to do with the USB drive.
New Friend: Doesn't it all make sense?
You: Surprisingly, yes. So if you combine the DNA, nothing will happen. The body doesn't know that an egg has been fertilized, because it's a USB drive in a charger port. The body can't communicate with the foreign DNA, so it just flushes it and the egg out, just like the majority of all the other eggs.
New Friend: Exactly.
You: You don't seem like taking care of kitties is all you know.
New Friend: Oh, don't worry, it is. My name is Katorena, by the way. Call me sometime.
Your new friend has disconnected.
You: Wait! I can't call you if I don't even know your number!
You: .......
You: Katorena?
You: .....
You have disconnected.
What would happen if another mammal's DNA was combined with a human's?
You: This isn't my area, I'm simply a poet.
New Friend: A poet? Interesting. I would dig deeper, but this isn't about you, it's about the question at hand. I don't know much in that area of science either, all I know is how to take care of cats when their owners are on vacation.
You: ...So, you work at a kennel?
New Friend: Yeah, but maybe we should focus on the question.
You: Good point. Alright, what do you think would happen? Would we get a likeable, intelligent hybrid of human and animal?
New Friend: Probably not, at least not the way we'd expect.
You: Okay, that makes sense. Give me an example?
New Friend: Like if we combined cat and human DNA. You'd expect (or want, really) to see some badass person, who can still think like a human, with certain catlike characteristics. Like a tail, maybe cat ears, whiskers, claws, maybe even a cat's nose, right?
You: I suppose so, yes.
New Friend: However, we probably wouldn't get that. I couldn't begin to even guess what we would get.
You: We can only guess. Unless we can somehow convince someone to actually... perform that experiment.
New Friend: Another possibility is that nothing would happen.
You: What? What do you mean nothing?
New Friend: Like, the cat DNA wouldn't be.... I guess compatible would be the right word here.
You: ... I think I understand what you're saying.
New Friend: I can think of an example. Think of a computer.
You: What about the computer?
New Friend: Think about the USB drives and ports. There's a male and a female; drive and port, respectively.
You: Yes.
New Friend: Okay, now think of... A charger cable port thing.
You: *laughs* Okay, I can picture this in my mind. Keep going.
New Friend: The charger cable and port also have a male and female, although I don't think people generally refer to them as that. But you get the idea.
You: Yes, I get the idea.
New Friend: Okay, now try sticking a USB drive into the charger port.
You: Sticking a square peg into a round hole. I get it.
New Friend: It doesn't work. When the USB drive is in the USB port, the computer knows it's there. It can communicate with it, and by doing that, do what it's supposed to do with the USB drive. Whatever that may be.
You: But when the USB drive is shoved into a charger port, it doesn't fit right. So the computer doesn't know it's there, and can't communicate with it. Can't do whatever it's supposed to do with the USB drive.
New Friend: Doesn't it all make sense?
You: Surprisingly, yes. So if you combine the DNA, nothing will happen. The body doesn't know that an egg has been fertilized, because it's a USB drive in a charger port. The body can't communicate with the foreign DNA, so it just flushes it and the egg out, just like the majority of all the other eggs.
New Friend: Exactly.
You: You don't seem like taking care of kitties is all you know.
New Friend: Oh, don't worry, it is. My name is Katorena, by the way. Call me sometime.
Your new friend has disconnected.
You: Wait! I can't call you if I don't even know your number!
You: .......
You: Katorena?
You: .....
You have disconnected.