TheScienceoftheNewPlanetoftheApes

(originallinkinPortuguese:
http://ultimosegundo.ig.com.br/ciencia/a+ciencia+do+novo+planeta+dos+macacos/n1597175
727151.html)

iGinvitedspecialistsingenetherapyandanimalbehaviortowatchthemovieandhelp
separatefactfromfiction

NatashaMadov,iGSoPaulo|08/24/201118:00

Itseemslikeaplausiblestoryatfirst:AyoungscientistlooksforanAlzheimerscureusing
genetherapy,accidentlycreatinganappwithextraordinaryintelligenceintheprocess.The
newversionofPlanetoftheApes,premieringthisweekandsetinpresentdaySan
Francisco,raisesaseriesofscientificquestionswrappedupintwohoursofactionwithalot
ofspecialeffects.

Seealso:
Seetheinfographic:Reallifetheoriesthatfuelsciencefiction
Review:PlanetoftheApesinjectsnewlifeintotheoldseries
Fromthe1960stotoday:thePlanetoftheApesseries

Toevaluatethemoviefromascientificstandpoint,iGinvitedMarceloMorales,professorat
FederalUniversityofRiodeJaneiro(UFRJ),whonotonlyresearchesgeneandstemcell
therapybutalsocoordinatestheNationalCouncilforControlinExperimentsWithAnimals
whichoverseestheuseofanimalsinscientificexperimentsinBrazil,foranexclusive
showing.TheotherscientistinvitedwasPatrciaIzar,professorofexperimentalpsychologyat
theUniversityofSoPaulo,whohasbeenstudyingthebehavioroftuftedcapuchinsforthe
past21yearsinthejunglesofSoPauloandPiau.

Readbelowforwhattheythought:

"Thatscientistshouldbearrested"
Althoughbothexpertsmadeitcleartheyverymuchenjoyedthemovie,theprotagonistWill
Rodman(playedbyJamesFranco)wasmuchcriticizedbyboth.AccordingtoMoralesand
Izar,allofthecharacter'sactionswerequestionable,fromtakingalabanimalhometo
treatinghisownfatherwithhisresearchdrugandevenkeepingavirusinhishome
refrigerator."Heiscompletelyunethical,doeseverythingascientistisnotsupposedtodo.

Heputsintodangernotonlyhimself,buthisfather,hisfamily,hisneighborsandevenallof
humanity,"explainsMorales.
Heexplainsthatclinicaltrialsaremadeinseveralphases,firstwithanimals,thenwith
increasinglylargergroupsofpeople,untilitspossibletoestablishtheefficacyofatherapy
anditspossiblesideeffects."Everythingthere[inthemovie]isacaricature.Hewouldeven
bearrestedforwhathehasdone,"saysMorales.Izaragrees:"Itisthat'madscientist'thing
fromthepast."
Anotherproblemiswhatkindofanimalsareusedinreallifelaboratories.Doscientistshunt
animalsinthejungletouseinmedicalresearch?"Legally,thispracticeisnolongerused.
Youcanonlywiththeproperauthorizationcapturecertainspeciesfortheirown
conservationandreproductionresearchpurposes.Butithashappenedinpast,"explains
Izar."[Itnolongerhappens]becausethewholestressoftakingtheanimaloutofits
environmentwillcausesomanyphysicalproblemsthatitisnotworthit,"addsMorales.
Readalso:
Newbornchimps'brainsareasimmaturesashumanbabies'
Chimpanzeesusetwiceasmuchhandgesturesaspreviouslyknown
Scientistsdiscoverhowchimpanzessmourntheiryoungoffspringsdeaths
Chimpanzeesliketohelpothers,studysays
Chimpanzeesareawareofdeath,studysays
Youngchimpsplaylikehumanchildren

Thesedays,mice,guineapigs,apesandotherlabanimalsareraisedincaptivity,inspecific
facilitiesandcannotbe"reused"indifferentexperiments,suchaswhathappenstothe
chimpanzeeKobainthefilm."ThisissomethingthatisstatedintheAroucalawandevery
lawthatprotectsresearchanimals:Onceithasbeenusedfortheinitialpurpose,ithastobe
retired.Theinducedstresscancausealteredresultsinanotherexperiment,"saysMorales.
TheUFRJprofessoralsobroughtupascientificerrorthatjeopardizesthemovie'sentire
plot:HowcouldhaveCaesarinheritedhismother'sintelligence,ifithadbeenbroughtonby
atreatment?"Twohypotheses:eitherthesubstancemodifiedhereggsorshewastreated
whileexpectinganinfant,"saysMorales.Thefirstishighlyunlikelyconsideringwhatis
knownaboutgenetherapysofarandthesecondonlyreinforcestheflawedscientific
proceduresinthefilm.
Apesaremorehumanthanyouthink

HowaccuratelyarethechimpanzeesportrayedinPlanetoftheApescomparedtowhat
isknownaboutapesinreallife?Apartfromthe"poeticlicense"ofallthealterations
causedbyRodman'sgenetherapy,muchofwhatisseenisreal.Andwhatsmoreisthat
agoodpartofwhatseemstobe"humanized"behaviorintheirown,accordingtoIzar.
Whatitdoesntmeanisthattherearentfabricationsinthefilm.Asocialanimalsuchasa
chimpanzee,whenraisedincaptivitylikeCaesar,wouldhaveseriousproblemslivingin
thewildwithoutprevioustraining."Hewouldhavenotlearnedthenecessaryskillstolive
inthatenvironment,wouldhavenotknownhowtorecognizepredators,findfood.He
evenmightnotbeabletoclimbatree,"describestheprimatologist.
Thecollaborationamongdifferentspecies,likechimps,orangutangsandgorillas,isalso
notplausible,accordingtoIzar."Wearetheonlyspeciesthathaslearnedhowto
collaborabotewiththosebeyondourkin,"explainsIzar.Anotherprimatefocusisontheir
owngroups,defendingtheirmembersfromoutsidethreats.
Otherbehaviors,suchasestablishinginspeciesalliancesandcontrolingviolent
outbursts,areclosertoreality.IzarcitesstudiesbyAmericananimalbehavioristMarc
Bekoffthatshowedtheplayfulbehaviordemonstratedbyapesanddogs,withtheir
implicitrulesofnotreallyharmingtheother,istheprecursorofmoralbehaviorin
humans."Thereisnounnecessaryviolenceintheanimalworld.Thedisputesare
legitimate:food,females,space,socialstatus,"explainsIzar.
Extensivestudiesshowthatchimpanzeesareabletousesignlanguage(butnotreallytalk,
becausetheylacktheanatomicalstructuresthatallowhumanstospeak),usetools,instruct
thosewhocooperatewiththemandwhodon't,andmakestrategicalliancestogainpower.
"Twochimpscanuniteagainsathird.Therearetreasonstheirpoliticsareverysimilarto
humans,"describesIzar."Chimpsareoneofthefewspeciesthatactuallymakewar.The
malesleavetofightanothergroupandcanendupkillingtheirenemies.Nootherspeciesis
sosimilartous,forgoodandbad."
Theapes'physicalappearanceandmanners,donethroughmotioncapturetechnology
similartowhatwasdoneinTheLordoftheRingstrilogyandAvatar,waswellreceivedby
theexpert."Itwasveryinterestinghowtheproductionrespectedmovementslikethe
orangutangsbrachiation[themovementinwhichtheytransportthemselvesfrombranchto
branchbytheirarms],thebegginggesturesusedbychimps.Theywereasfaithfulasthey
couldbe,Ithink,"concedesIzar,rememberinglater,"Chimpanzessarealotstrongerthan
humanbeings,andthatsnotshown.

Whatisthefilm'smessage?
Atfirst,"PlanetoftheApes"canbeseenasanalertaboutthedangersofscientific
research.Buttheexpertssawanotherissue.Thesciencethereissoludicrousthatitcould
hardlybethepoint,"saysIzar."Thepointiswhatthehumanspeciesdoesorisabletodo
withotherspecies,especiallytheonesclosesttoourown.Canwecapturethem,exhibit
theminazoo,keepthemhomeasacaricatureofthehumanbeing?Therearethepoints
weshouldthinkabout."
"Apesarenotpets.Whoeverhadthechancetoseeaninfantchimpupclose,oranyother
ape,knowsit'shardnottofeelmoved,soIcanunderstandwhythescientistwouldtakeit
homeandtakecareofit,"pondersIzar."Butitdoesntmatterhowgoodyourintentionsare,
thisisjustwrong.Yousavetheanimalbutthenturnitintoapet."
Izarthinkshumansshouldactmorerespectfullytowardsanimalsandtheirwaysofliving.
Shecitesamovementthatpushesgivinghumanstatustothegreatapes,likegorillas,
chimps,bonobosandorangutangs.
Moralesagrees:"Iforgotforamomenttheywerecagedanimals.Theyfeltlikeinmates,that
wastherelationshipoftheoppressorandoppressed,andthatmakesmethinkwhatnotonly
scientistsbuteveryonedotoanimals.Howmanyhaveweexterminated,putinourhouses?
Whicharenottheirnaturalhabitat.Butwhatreallycalledmyattentioninseveralsceneswas
thequestionoflimits,ofhowfarwecangowithmedicineorscience.Weneedto
acknowledgethatthereisalimitthatneedstoberespectedbyeveryone,including
scientists."
Intheend,whatdidtheythinkofthemovie?MoralesandIzaragreeinonething:"Itisa
greatmovie,assciencefictionandnomore".