this post was submitted on 17 Nov 2025
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[–] drolex@sopuli.xyz 234 points 4 days ago (5 children)

And additional question: even if it was technically feasible, was it really ethical to surgically implant Hitler's cloned brained into the body of a silverback gorilla and make it fight against Tigerstalin?

[–] state_electrician@discuss.tchncs.de 126 points 4 days ago (5 children)

Everybody's so concerned with preserving Hitler's brain. But when you put it into the body of a great white shark, ooh, suddenly you've gone too far.

[–] drolex@sopuli.xyz 21 points 4 days ago

Ah! I knew it was not a novel approach. Thanks Pr. Farnsworth, you crazy sciency trailblazer.

[–] user224@lemmy.sdf.org 18 points 4 days ago (2 children)

great white shark

I see what you did here.

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[–] SaveTheTuaHawk@lemmy.ca 18 points 4 days ago* (last edited 4 days ago) (1 children)

But in the 80s, we transplanted Donald Trump's brain into a house cat addicted to cocaine.

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[–] frezik@lemmy.blahaj.zone 140 points 4 days ago (25 children)

Is there any value to analyzing his DNA? The idea that evil is genetic is itself feeding into some Nazi ideas about eugenics that are deeply wrong.

[–] roguetrick@lemmy.world 47 points 4 days ago (2 children)

Maybe we want to clone Hitler but raise him to be antifa.

[–] ordnance_qf_17_pounder@reddthat.com 26 points 4 days ago (4 children)

Reminds me of a classic AskReddit aneurysm post.

If Hitler was Hitler today, and Hitler cloning machine. You hold world hostage with Hitler Clone Hitler Unlimited Hitler. What hold hostage with exchange for Hitler Hitler?

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[–] TheFogan@programming.dev 24 points 4 days ago

Yeah to me that's the biggest objection... he's long dead, he has no surviving family that wants good for him to my knowledge. So to me that's kind of on the same level as, digging up mummies. The evil actions he commited in life don't really come into play here, and agreed it's really stupid idea to think that his behavior is genetic.

Kind of reminds me of when most of the nazi generals swore to have no kids to not carry on their DNA, except one, who said "No I won't sign that pledge, that's eugenics which is nazi ideology".

[–] DaedalousIlios@pawb.social 17 points 4 days ago (1 children)

I don't think this is about "is evil genetic." The first psragraph of the article states it's about his underlying health conditions. Which I think is absolutely worth studying, if it means spotting the early warning signs and intervening before another person ends up like Hitler.

But then I remember the world we live in and realize it's probably not at all going to end up like that. So who knows? But they're definitely not going to find "the Evil Gene."

[–] infinitesunrise@slrpnk.net 18 points 4 days ago* (last edited 4 days ago) (4 children)

The "underlying health conditions" they mention are a possible predisposition for schizophrenia, autism, bipolar disorder, and kallman syndrome. Things that most certainly do not create hilters, and if it's being argued by anyone that they may then it is indeed apologia for fascist ideology. The thing that actually does create hitlers.

I think that his genetics might somewhat illuminate or inform historical events, but having it out there in our media environment just begs to have it abused and misconstrued by the wrong people for the wrong reasons.

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[–] Njos2SQEZtPVRhH@piefed.social 21 points 3 days ago (10 children)

If it turns out Hitler had some bad genes his relatives' descendants will get a bad name. This is obviously a joke, but it's actually true as well. They've all distanced themselves from the name Hitler, but surely some people know about their relation to Adolf. I guess the questions is: how bad is it when you're grandfathers half-brother or whatever his DNA is public. There is a legitimate privacy concern there, that shouldn't be too easily dismissed because 'haha hitler & privacy'.

the question if you need relatives consent to make your dna public is interesting. I have my opinions, but the question of an historical dead figure has rights to privacy is another.

However, seeing if there's an "evil" gene is both cartoonishly naive and smells of eugenics. Hitler would have approved said study.

[–] philpo@feddit.org 7 points 3 days ago

His relatives actually decided to not have children collectively afaik.

They appeared to be fairly nice chaps - a friend of mine interviewed one of them 20 years ago for a uni research project.

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[–] einlander@lemmy.world 54 points 4 days ago (3 children)

I find it curious that they talk about privacy for Hitler but don't mention Henrietta Lacks who this very thing happened to. Her cell cultures are being used to this day.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henrietta_Lacks

[–] Venat0r@lemmy.world 17 points 4 days ago

that's how you know the whole argument is a dog whistle...

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[–] rizzothesmall@sh.itjust.works 45 points 4 days ago

Does this neolithic prehuman have a right to privacy? If they can't give consent, what does it say about this project?

[–] Tiempo@lemmy.dbzer0.com 25 points 4 days ago (6 children)

For fuck sake.... Genetists needs to read some social science. What is all with this making Hitler the biggest reason for the existence of Nazism and the occurrence of the Holocaust? This is why people believe that you can beat fascism with a vote, as if it is a leadership problem and not a complete social movement and social transformation problem

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[–] nathanjent@programming.dev 20 points 4 days ago (3 children)

The whole study is weird. Do they think there is a correlation between his DNA and the horrible acts he did? Are we going to start rounding up anyone with that genetic marker? Put them in camps?

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[–] Honytawk@feddit.nl 8 points 3 days ago (3 children)

Doesn't a criminal give up their right to freedom by doing crimes?

So why wouldn't a war criminal give up their right to privacy by doing war crimes?

[–] ReversalHatchery@beehaw.org 1 points 11 hours ago* (last edited 11 hours ago)

that sounds good until laws are weaponized against freedom and normal people

but dont even go that far. you are now a criminal for saying something mean to a public figure on the internet, for jaywalking, for making a mistake in reporting your taxes, ...

[–] _cryptagion@lemmy.dbzer0.com 12 points 3 days ago (3 children)

Uh, IDK about anywhere else, but in the US prisoners are supposed to retain their bodily autonomy even while imprisoned. the actual reality is that that is often ignored by the government, but that's what the law says, at least.

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[–] Piafraus@lemmy.world 4 points 3 days ago (1 children)

Is it already proven that they are criminals or do you want to remove someone right in order to prove they are criminals?

[–] Stitch0815@feddit.org 2 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Rights of people are regularly taken away to prove they are criminal.

Searching peoples homes for evidence is probably the most common way.

It's also proven that Hitler was one of the worst human beeings ever to walk the earth.

[–] 0x0@infosec.pub 1 points 2 days ago

It's also proven that Hitler was one of the worst human beeings ever to walk the earth

That's only caused we haven't searched the right home yet.

[–] Harvey656@lemmy.world 18 points 4 days ago (9 children)

Does Tutankhamun's DNA need consent?

Disregarding the fact that he was evil, Im not sure historical figures qualify for the same rights as we average people do. I think at most, we should respect what they respected, and Hitler did not respect privacy, so get fucked nazi, your DNA is ours.

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[–] psud@aussie.zone 2 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Other dead people have no right to privacy, especially dead famous people

[–] DeathsEmbrace@lemmy.world 2 points 2 days ago

This means release the Epstein files.

[–] Doomsider@lemmy.world 11 points 4 days ago (1 children)

Why are we even talking about Hitler's DNA? Out of all the news why this. We are seriously weird.

[–] BanMe@lemmy.world 9 points 4 days ago (3 children)

Researchers sequenced his DNA recently from a bloodstained couch cushion, we've been getting glimpses into it lately.

[–] faintwhenfree@lemmus.org 8 points 4 days ago (9 children)

Also he's dead, why do dead people deserve anything, any rights? What harm happens to Hitler? He's dead. Did we ask dinosaurs to look at their DNA, for all we know they were sentient? The whole argument is stupid.

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[–] echodot@feddit.uk 7 points 4 days ago (9 children)

Presumably the insights are just that he was a human and not a space alien.

What are they looking for exactly?

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[–] ryathal@sh.itjust.works 20 points 4 days ago (9 children)

He's been dead for 80 years, that's plenty long enough for anyone's feelings to not matter.

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[–] Atlas_@lemmy.world 8 points 3 days ago (1 children)

Who is harmed by this? No one living. Maybe you could argue Hitler has some right to not have his remains disturbed, but DNA testing isn't very invasive and we do it at crime scenes without consent all the time, so it's minor even if relevant.

What could we learn? Nothing of value. Even if there is some "psychopath gene" or "genocide gene" you'd need 100s of examples to show the effect and far easier to just pick such candidates from living, diagnosed people who can consent.

So then should we do it? Probs not. No real reason to, even though there's little reason not to.

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[–] Kolanaki@pawb.social 12 points 4 days ago (2 children)

Do dead people have rights? 🤔

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[–] Phineaz@feddit.org 16 points 4 days ago (5 children)

I think that's an easy one: Hitler is dead and, as far as I know, never had any direct descendants or relatives that could object on valid reasons.

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[–] kn0wmad1c@programming.dev 11 points 4 days ago (1 children)

According to the GOP, since the dead pay no taxes to America, they have no rights.

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