Researchers have created a drug that wipes out a single, specific memory in rats. They trained the rats to be scared of a specific tone, as they always got shocked when they heard it, but after given the drug they ceased to be afraid of the sound.
Great! Boy, I can’t wait until every time I eat at a restaurant I need to worry about someone slipping some Mem-B-Gone into my potatoes. And you thought today’s date rape drugs were bad.
Honestly though, what are the ethical guidelines for something like this? What if soldiers with post-traumatic stress disorder were given the option to take this, permanently erase the memory of seeing their best friend get blown up, and get back in the fight? Is that a good thing? There are some pretty creepy ramifications of this drug and not all that many good ones, as far as I can see. What do you guys think?
Nature [via Danger Room]
