Human Intelligence May Cause Cancer (Massive Junk Science Alert)

Our large brains may make us cognitively superior to chimps, but, according to a new hypothesis, we could be paying a price for our sizable cerebrum: a higher rate of cancer.

Chimpanzees are thought to be the closest evolutionary relative to humans, and we share around 98 percent of our genes with these primates.

But for years, scientists have observed that chimps have a surprisingly low cancer rate compared to humans.

Blame the headline writer. That isn't what the research indicates.

They're trying to link a decrease in apoptosis with an increase in neuronal tissue - not proven at the moment - and go from there to the speculation that this means less effective apoptosis defenses against cancer - an interesting hypothesis but also not yet proven. "More research is needed." No kidding.

You think there is a PLAN to mutate p53? That there is a specific mechanism whereby p53 mutates that is somehow different than other mechanisms of mutation?

Mutation happens in any and all locations within the genome.

If a cancer cell has a mutation in p53 that renders it inoperable, the cancer cell has a MUCH greater chance of survival.

This is not a difficult concept.

It is like me pointing out that a full house hand is more likely to win a poker pot than two pairs, and you ask WHY someone got dealt a full house. Because sometimes when dealt card in poker, you draw a full house; other times you draw two pairs.

Sometimes a cancer has a mutation in p53 and sometimes it does not. Those that do have mutated p53 are more likely to survive, resulting in about 50% of detected cancers having a mutation in p53.

Once again, NOT a difficult concept.

And again. Oncogenes are genes associated with cancer. Cancer is unregulated cellular replication. The genes that regulate cellular replication are often Oncogenes; because a mutation of these genes that control cellular replication leads to unregulated cellular replication.

Also, NOT a difficult concept.

You think there is a PLAN to mutate p53?

That's a pretty weird logic jump there, based on what I've posted.

What is NOT difficult to understand is that you're a poseur, trying to sound authoritative about cancer on a light-hearted thread about some goofy junk science. While I'm underwhelmed that you can assimilate some article you've found and regurgitate it here like you wrote it, you have yet to address the question, but that's okay, I know you can't.

How about we just agree that Human Intelligence does not, in fact, cause cancer?

If you can agree to that, we'll call our discussion concluded.

So how would you explain WHY someone got dealt a full house while someone else did not?

Your question assumed that there was some purpose or plan or specific mechanism as to WHY p53 got mutated.

I never argued that human intelligence caused cancer.

My argument has been and continues to be that there are genetic causes to cancer.

Just admit that there are genetic causes to cancer and I will consider our discussion concluded.

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