# Does anybody else think this is a really, really, really bad idea? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [July 19, 2002, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anybody-else-think-this-is-a-really-really-really-bad-idea/119854 "2002-07-19T18:47:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2002, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anybody-else-think-this-is-a-really-really-really-bad-idea/119854/1 "2002-07-19T18:47:55Z")
:eek: Read the linked article– > **[MSNBC News - Breaking News and News Today | Latest News](https://www.msnbc.com/)** > > MSNBC breaking news and the latest news for today. Get daily news from local news reporters and world news updates with live audio & video from our team. Grreeaaattt! Just what we need. _Willard_. Creating a potential competitor species, one that can live _in_ our cities and _off_ our trash, _without detection_, **is in fact a bad idea**. By definition. ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2002, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anybody-else-think-this-is-a-really-really-really-bad-idea/119854/2 "2002-07-19T18:57:33Z")
I also think making a thread title that doesn’t actually describe the subject of the thread is a bad idea. Maybe not as bad as mutant big-brained mice, but still not a good idea. ---
**Author:** ![Orual](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/779978/32.png) [@Orual](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Orual)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2002, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anybody-else-think-this-is-a-really-really-really-bad-idea/119854/3 "2002-07-19T19:00:15Z")
Clearly these people never read about the rats of NIMH. ---
**Author:** ![Love\_Rhombus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/love_rhombus/32/10694_2.png) [@Love\_Rhombus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Love_Rhombus)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2002, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anybody-else-think-this-is-a-really-really-really-bad-idea/119854/4 "2002-07-19T20:23:13Z")
What’s the worst that could happen? They decide to run for Congress? ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2002, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anybody-else-think-this-is-a-really-really-really-bad-idea/119854/5 "2002-07-19T20:29:28Z")
What I want to know is, when is it going to be available for humans? I know I want all my kids to have the “giant brain” gene. ---
**Author:** ![DeadlyAccurate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ac91a4/32.png) [@DeadlyAccurate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DeadlyAccurate)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2002, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anybody-else-think-this-is-a-really-really-really-bad-idea/119854/6 "2002-07-19T20:40:59Z")
Funny, but one of Dean Koontz’s short stories, before he wrote Watchers, was about intelligent-enhanced rats that escaped from a lab. The rats had an evil agenda, of course, it being Dean Koontz and all. ---
**Author:** ![Mojo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/85f322/32.png) [@Mojo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mojo)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2002, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anybody-else-think-this-is-a-really-really-really-bad-idea/119854/7 "2002-07-19T20:43:33Z")
Well they obviously haven’t seen [this movie.](http://us.imdb.com/Title?0074540). Or to a lesser extent, [this movie.](http://us.imdb.com/Title?0097371) ---
**Author:** ![DeadlyAccurate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ac91a4/32.png) [@DeadlyAccurate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DeadlyAccurate)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2002, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anybody-else-think-this-is-a-really-really-really-bad-idea/119854/8 "2002-07-19T20:44:11Z")
If the mice were no more intelligent than say, really smart dogs, then I don’t have a problem with it (rats, as opposed to mice, are as smart as most dogs already), but if they had the learning potential of humans, hmmm…I certainly would like a pet that could actually understand what I say. My cats just look at me when I try to carry on a conversation with them. ---
**Author:** ![Ferrous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Ferrous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferrous)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2002, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anybody-else-think-this-is-a-really-really-really-bad-idea/119854/9 "2002-07-19T21:01:54Z")
I like it. We could train them to go into the walls and kill all the cockroaches. ---
**Author:** ![Celyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9dc877/32.png) [@Celyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Celyn)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2002, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anybody-else-think-this-is-a-really-really-really-bad-idea/119854/10 "2002-07-19T21:21:48Z")
**Fenris** - now **that** sounds like a good idea! ---
**Author:** ![Doubting\_Robert](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e495f1/32.png) [@Doubting\_Robert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doubting_Robert)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2002, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anybody-else-think-this-is-a-really-really-really-bad-idea/119854/11 "2002-07-19T21:53:27Z")
Ah, **Celyn** , that was **Ferrous** , not **Fenris**. ---
**Author:** ![Ferrous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Ferrous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferrous)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2002, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anybody-else-think-this-is-a-really-really-really-bad-idea/119854/12 "2002-07-19T21:54:29Z")
That was **Ferrous**. **Fenris** is my superhero secret identity. (Kidding!:)) ---
**Author:** ![Doubting\_Robert](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e495f1/32.png) [@Doubting\_Robert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doubting_Robert)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2002, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anybody-else-think-this-is-a-really-really-really-bad-idea/119854/13 "2002-07-19T21:55:20Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by throatshot \* > \*\*If the mice were no more intelligent than say, really smart dogs, then I don’t have a problem with it (rats, as opposed to mice, are as smart as most dogs already), but if they had the learning potential of humans, hmmm…I certainly would like a pet that could actually understand what I say. My cats just look at me when I try to carry on a conversation with them. \*\* Keeping mice with the intelligence of humans as pets? That sounds like slavery to me. ---
**Author:** ![Doubting\_Robert](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e495f1/32.png) [@Doubting\_Robert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doubting_Robert)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2002, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anybody-else-think-this-is-a-really-really-really-bad-idea/119854/14 "2002-07-19T21:59:17Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Miller \* > \*\*What I want to know is, when is it going to be available for humans? I know I want all my kids to have the “giant brain” gene. \*\* Your kids may not have the “giant brain” gene in question, but most human kids do have some sort of “giant brain” gene, even if they don’t always act like it. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Celyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9dc877/32.png) [@Celyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Celyn)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2002, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anybody-else-think-this-is-a-really-really-really-bad-idea/119854/15 "2002-07-19T22:03:28Z")
Sorry, **Fenris and Ferrous** Put it down to advancing years! ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2002, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anybody-else-think-this-is-a-really-really-really-bad-idea/119854/16 "2002-07-19T22:19:15Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Sam Hell \* > \*\*What’s the worst that could happen? They decide to run for Congress? \*\* There are some things that rodents won’t even do! 😃 * * * My dog suffers from dyslexia and a Christ complex. ---
**Author:** ![Kantalooppi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/a5b964/32.png) [@Kantalooppi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kantalooppi)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2002, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anybody-else-think-this-is-a-really-really-really-bad-idea/119854/17 "2002-07-19T22:27:13Z")
Oh, what could go wrong? They’re laboratory mice, their genes have been spliced… ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2002, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anybody-else-think-this-is-a-really-really-really-bad-idea/119854/18 "2002-07-20T01:02:25Z")
Are _you_ thinking what _I’m_ thinking, **Kantalooppi**? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2002, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anybody-else-think-this-is-a-really-really-really-bad-idea/119854/19 "2002-07-20T01:30:45Z")
Following up on **Kantalooppi’s** observations, at best they’ll try to take over the world but always screw it up. Determined rodents that they are, though, they’ll give it another shot the following night. ---
**Author:** ![Wolfian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/7ea924/32.png) [@Wolfian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wolfian)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2002, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anybody-else-think-this-is-a-really-really-really-bad-idea/119854/20 "2002-07-20T01:44:46Z")
Maybe they’ll design little hovercraft and crack open people’s heads searching for the great question of life… [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anybody-else-think-this-is-a-really-really-really-bad-idea/119854.md?page=2)