Can genetics make animals smarter?

Achievements in the field of neural implants and genetic engineering suggest that in the near future we will be able to strengthen human intellect. Let's assume. If we succeed, should we take the younger brothers with us?

Cognitive improvements are good or bad and how we can regulate them - these questions have to be answered by philosophers, futurists and bioethics. A separate question is whether we should use cognitive improvements in relation to animals. The possibilities are astounding.

Scientists at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology found that mice that were genetically modified to express the human FOXP2 gene, responsible for teaching and speech processing, quickly passed the labyrinth. Another group from Wake Forest University, studying Alzheimer's disease, found that neuronal implants can increase the rhesus-macaque score during the tests for intelligence.

The concept of "lifting animals" is best known for the film "Planet of the Apes". But the proponents of the concept are less pessimistic about the results.

Science fiction writer David Breen popularized this concept in a series of novels "The Rise", in which people share the world with other animals and all lay out unique skills, perspectives and innovations on the table. "After several hundred years, the benefits will be amazing," the author told in an interview.