© Chris ManfreMuch as a virus infects host cells, Arc can deliver genetic material to brain cells.
How does memory work? The further we seem to dive in, the more questions we stumble upon about how the
function of memory first evolved. Scientists made a key breakthrough with the identification of the Arc protein
in 1995, observing how its role in the
plastic changes in neurons was critical to memory consolidation.
This protein is already a big deal, but the Arc picture just got a lot more interesting. In a
study published Thursday in the journal
Cell, a team of researchers at the University of Utah, the University of Copenhagen in Denmark, and MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology in Cambridge, UK, argue that Arc took its place in the brain as a result of a random chance encounter millions of years ago. Similar to how scientists say the
mitochondria in our cells originated as bacteria that our ancient ancestors' cells absorbed, the Arc protein seems to have started as a virus.
Comment: One would hope that the Themis is a network-ready device, so the authorities can be alerted any time offensive speech is detected. An annoying 2-minute alarm isn't really a sufficient penalty for the egregious crime of wrong speech. After all, self-policing isn't as effective as actual policing.
See also: