People have a deep desire to communicate with animals, as is evident from the way they converse with their dogs, enjoy myths about talking animals or devote lifetimes to teaching chimpanzees how to speak. A delicate, if tiny, step has now been taken toward the real thing: the creation of a mouse with a human gene for language.
I mean, if we want to talk to animals or see animals evolve, let’s just go ahead and do it. Now. Before anyone stops to ask questions, because after that it will take a mad scientist, and they can be unreliable.
Also: a generation of scientists who grew up watching The Secret of NIMH, anyone?
Absalom, Absalom! 