Back in 1984 author David Brin began exploring the concept of artificially, either via surgery or genetic manipulation, increasing the intelligence of simians and, later, dolphins. Unlike the many works of fiction on that subject, ranging from the story of the Golem to Frankenstein, Brin took an optimistic view of how things would work out. It wasn't all Pollyanna, but it held more hope than you might expect given the subject matter. There is a character named Fiben Bolger, an uplifted chimpanzee, whom I would buy a beer if he existed in the real world. But, alas and alack, he does not. What does exist is a group of orangutans who are … [Read more...]