News Briefs

Intelligence: a primal instinct?

Chelse McKee, staff

In the battle of wits between monkey and student who do you think would win?

According to a recent study done by researchers at Kyoto University,, chimps would prevail.

The study, conducted by the Primate Research Institute at Kyoto University, consisted of both young monkeys and adult humans performing two short-term memory tests.

The tests consisted of memorization of numbers in both timed and untimed challenges. In both scenarios, the monkey was found to have quicker responses and higher success rates for remembering numerical order. At one point, the monkey maintained an 80 per cent success rate throughout one of the tests while the human participants descended from an 80 per cent success rate to a 40 per cent rate as the time sequences became shorter and shorter.

Tetsuro Matsuzawa, one of the researchers in the study, said to Malcolm Ritter, a journalist for Science Writer, that he believes there are two determining factors of the chimp’s intelligence.

One, that human ancestors gave up some of the skills required for these tests in order to make room in their brains for more language abilities. He said that the second reason is most likely the fact that the intelligence required for these tests dissipates with age. Some children tested have had the same reported level of intelligence as the monkeys in the tests while some older monkeys tested in these same scenarios were found to have lower results than the adults.

Research chairs renewed for university professors

Magally Zelaya, staff

Two U of M professors of medical microbiology recently had their Canada Research Chairs renewed for a combined total of $1.9 million for research funding.

Frank Plummer’s chair in resistance to susceptibility to infection was renewed for another seven years and Xi Yang’s chair in infection and immunity was renewed for another five years.

The announcement came on Nov. 29 at the École Polytechnique de Montréal and was made by the minister of industry, Jim Prentice, who is also the minister responsible for the Canada Research Chairs program.

The Canada Research Chairs program was created in 2000 with the goal of establishing 2,000 Canada research chairs by the year 2008. Through an annual investment of $300 million into research, the program aims to attract and retain top researchers and thereby enhance the country’s competitiveness in the global research and intelligence economies.

As of November 2007, there were 1,851 chairholders across the country — 446 of them female and 1,022 male. Currently there are 48 professors at the U of M who hold research chairs.

The federal government also announced on Nov. 29 an investment of $109.7 million to fund 109 Canada research chairs across the country.

Part of the $109.7 million that was invested by the government of Canada included $45.7 million from the Canadian Foundation for Innovation to fund the research infrastructure required for the work of 34 chairholders.

Kenyan women may hold secrets to HIV vaccine

Chelse McKee, staff

Frank Plummer, a professor at the University of Manitoba, has recently received the Michael Smith prize in health research worth $120,000 that will be paid out each year for five years. Plummer says this money will continue to help the many projects currently happening in Kenya involving HIV research.

Plummer is currently researching a group of commercial female sex workers in Kenya who, despite many exposures to HIV, have not contracted the infection. Plummer believes that by finding the resistance these women have towards the infection that a vaccine for HIV can be harboured.

So far, Plummer said that he and his group of researchers have discovered certain genes, proteins, and antibody and cellular responses in the women that seem to correlate with their resistance. Certain proteins in the group of women seem to excrete more than others, he says, which could lead to a higher resistance.

Despite the past discoveries of the researching endeavour, there is still no defined end in the sight for the project.

“Science moves at its own pace and this [money] will help it to move faster, but it’s very hard to say when we would have an answer.”





Volume 95 Issue 16	The Official University of Manitoba Students' Newspaper Website	December 05, 2007

Home About Us Advertising Rates Contact Staff Current Issue PDF Employment Letters to the Editor Meet the Staff Online Archives Volunteer Online Classifieds St. Vincent's Academy Diaries	Font Size Respond Email Print-Friendly News Briefs Intelligence: a primal instinct? Chelse McKee, staff In the battle of wits between monkey and student who do you think would win? According to a recent study done by researchers at Kyoto University,, chimps would prevail. The study, conducted by the Primate Research Institute at Kyoto University, consisted of both young monkeys and adult humans performing two short-term memory tests. The tests consisted of memorization of numbers in both timed and untimed challenges. In both scenarios, the monkey was found to have quicker responses and higher success rates for remembering numerical order. At one point, the monkey maintained an 80 per cent success rate throughout one of the tests while the human participants descended from an 80 per cent success rate to a 40 per cent rate as the time sequences became shorter and shorter. Tetsuro Matsuzawa, one of the researchers in the study, said to Malcolm Ritter, a journalist for Science Writer, that he believes there are two determining factors of the chimp’s intelligence. One, that human ancestors gave up some of the skills required for these tests in order to make room in their brains for more language abilities. He said that the second reason is most likely the fact that the intelligence required for these tests dissipates with age. Some children tested have had the same reported level of intelligence as the monkeys in the tests while some older monkeys tested in these same scenarios were found to have lower results than the adults. Research chairs renewed for university professors Magally Zelaya, staff Two U of M professors of medical microbiology recently had their Canada Research Chairs renewed for a combined total of $1.9 million for research funding. Frank Plummer’s chair in resistance to susceptibility to infection was renewed for another seven years and Xi Yang’s chair in infection and immunity was renewed for another five years. The announcement came on Nov. 29 at the École Polytechnique de Montréal and was made by the minister of industry, Jim Prentice, who is also the minister responsible for the Canada Research Chairs program. The Canada Research Chairs program was created in 2000 with the goal of establishing 2,000 Canada research chairs by the year 2008. Through an annual investment of $300 million into research, the program aims to attract and retain top researchers and thereby enhance the country’s competitiveness in the global research and intelligence economies. As of November 2007, there were 1,851 chairholders across the country — 446 of them female and 1,022 male. Currently there are 48 professors at the U of M who hold research chairs. The federal government also announced on Nov. 29 an investment of $109.7 million to fund 109 Canada research chairs across the country. Part of the $109.7 million that was invested by the government of Canada included $45.7 million from the Canadian Foundation for Innovation to fund the research infrastructure required for the work of 34 chairholders. Kenyan women may hold secrets to HIV vaccine Chelse McKee, staff Frank Plummer, a professor at the University of Manitoba, has recently received the Michael Smith prize in health research worth $120,000 that will be paid out each year for five years. Plummer says this money will continue to help the many projects currently happening in Kenya involving HIV research. Plummer is currently researching a group of commercial female sex workers in Kenya who, despite many exposures to HIV, have not contracted the infection. Plummer believes that by finding the resistance these women have towards the infection that a vaccine for HIV can be harboured. So far, Plummer said that he and his group of researchers have discovered certain genes, proteins, and antibody and cellular responses in the women that seem to correlate with their resistance. Certain proteins in the group of women seem to excrete more than others, he says, which could lead to a higher resistance. Despite the past discoveries of the researching endeavour, there is still no defined end in the sight for the project. “Science moves at its own pace and this [money] will help it to move faster, but it’s very hard to say when we would have an answer.”


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