Biologists induce flatworms to grow heads and brains of other species

Flatworms
Center for Regenerative and Developmental Biology
School of Arts and Sciences
Tufts University

Flatworms with Einsteinian brains already applying to Ivy League schools. Regular humans up in arms over flatworms favoritism. Flatworms, quickly realizing their likelihood of failure in fighting back without actual arms, have determined to grow arms of their own. Here's the science behind their decision:

Biologists have succeeded in inducing one species of flatworm to grow heads and brains characteristic of another species of flatworm without altering genomic sequence. The work reveals physiological circuits as a new kind of epigenetics -- information existing outside of genomic sequence -- that determines large-scale anatomy.

See? Told you these worms could grow arms. Okay, I didn't precisely say that, but it ought to be possible if they can grow extra heads and extra brains, so I got close. Anyway, they'll want eyes next - the better to see you with . . .