this post was submitted on 17 Nov 2025
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[–] drolex@sopuli.xyz 244 points 1 week 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 129 points 1 week 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 1 week ago

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

[–] user224@lemmy.sdf.org 18 points 1 week ago (2 children)

great white shark

I see what you did here.

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[–] SaveTheTuaHawk@lemmy.ca 19 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week 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 154 points 1 week 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 51 points 1 week ago (2 children)

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

[–] ordnance_qf_17_pounder@reddthat.com 26 points 1 week 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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[–] MooseWinooski@lemmy.ca 13 points 1 week ago

I'll allow it.

[–] TheFogan@programming.dev 27 points 1 week 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 1 week 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 21 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week 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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[–] einlander@lemmy.world 62 points 1 week ago (2 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 20 points 1 week ago

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

[–] lmmarsano@lemmynsfw.com 10 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Is this called whataboutism? Henrietta Lacks may be why we argue this, eg, do the arguments on Henrietta Lacks apply as much to Hitler?

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[–] rizzothesmall@sh.itjust.works 47 points 1 week 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 30 points 1 week 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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[–] Njos2SQEZtPVRhH@piefed.social 25 points 1 week ago (12 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.

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[–] ryathal@sh.itjust.works 20 points 1 week ago (6 children)

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

[–] Valmond@lemmy.world 12 points 1 week ago (3 children)

USA: IP right is 100 years after the creators death.

So when did hitlers parents die?

[–] ryathal@sh.itjust.works 17 points 1 week ago

US IP rights are only a good example of a bad example.

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[–] nathanjent@programming.dev 20 points 1 week 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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[–] Harvey656@lemmy.world 18 points 1 week ago (10 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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[–] Phineaz@feddit.org 16 points 1 week 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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[–] BodyBySisyphus@hexbear.net 15 points 1 week ago (1 children)

The results, which are now under peer review, are indeed fascinating.

It is the first time Hitler's DNA has been identified, and over the course of four years, scientists were able to sequence it to see the genetic makeup of one of the world's most horrific tyrants.

What is certain, experts say, is that Hitler did not have Jewish ancestry - a rumour that had been circulating since the 1920s.

Another key finding is that he had Kallmann syndrome, a genetic disorder that, among other things, can affect puberty and the development of sexual organs. In particular, it can lead to a micropenis and undescended testes - which, if you know the British war-time song, had been another rumour flying around about Hitler.

Kallmann syndrome can also affect the libido, which is particularly interesting, said historian and Potsdam University lecturer Dr Alex Kay, who is featured in the documentary.

"It tells us a lot about his private life - or more accurately, that he didn't have a private life," he explains.

Hi, yes, question from the back of the room here: why is Hitler's right to privacy the main controversy and not the fact that this work in no way shape or form represents an advancement in scientific knowledge? What's "fascinating" about findings that he "might have" had a micropenis or the possibilities that entails for his sex life? Why is this how supposedly intelligent people are choosing to spend their time?

[–] ZeroHora@lemmy.ml 9 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Nazism is when no sex? Great study. Anything negative or positive they can find changes nothing, is pure bullshit.

[–] BodyBySisyphus@hexbear.net 10 points 1 week ago (1 children)

I'm not really seeing any purpose other than trying to paint him as some sort of aberrant freak, and I don't see any purpose in that beyond trying to absolve the greater social milieu (which included a great many Brits!) in what happened.

[–] axont@hexbear.net 10 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (1 children)

There's an obsession with painting Hitler as a unique figure whose rise to power and fascist crimes were the result of a confluence of personality disorders, family history, his experiences in WW1. It's mainly a liberal thing because they really need the history of fascism to be the history of singular evil figures, rather than the result of imperialist capitalism eating itself. It would be very useful for the liberal world order to place blame on genetics or individual psychology for the machinations of history. Rather than the consequences of things like economic conditions, imperialism, class struggle, etc

So yeah you've got it right. For the longest time blame was placed on Hitler's supposedly hypnotizing public speaking skills. I guess now extrapolating his gene sequence is supposed to shed light on if being evil or fascist is hereditary, which itself sounds like eugenics

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[–] Doomsider@lemmy.world 13 points 1 week 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 1 week ago (21 children)

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

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[–] gedaliyah@lemmy.world 13 points 1 week ago (1 children)

What a pointless question. There's literally nothing we could hope to learn from examining his specific DNA.

This is like how some scientist stole Einstein's brain to see what made him so smart and didn't find anything. Pointless.

The fact that this is being used as an argument against right to privacy is an ad absurdum strawman.

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[–] plinky@hexbear.net 12 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (4 children)

There have also been raised eyebrows at the very name of the documentary, especially the second part: Blueprint of a Dictator.

Prof King said it wasn't a name she would have chosen, and historian Prof Thomas Weber, who is featured in the programme, told the BBC he was surprised at the title, given they had stressed there is "no dictator gene".

"We should do whatever we can to understand past extremism," Prof Weber believes.

did the dictator gene infect 12 million german army, ignoring volunteer corps in all of europe as well? smh, some twerp will clone hitler probably in not so distant future.

p.s. there is something deeply ironic in trying to trace hitler's shit (or jewishness) to dna though, good bit.

[–] LeninsBeard@hexbear.net 14 points 1 week ago

That Trotsky quote about a particle of Hitler being lodged in every disgruntled Petit Bourgeoisie except it's an actual strand of DNA

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[–] Kolanaki@pawb.social 12 points 1 week ago (2 children)

Do dead people have rights? 🤔

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[–] 7bicycles@hexbear.net 12 points 1 week ago

or his descendants

this is a stupid question even removed from the hitler conundrum. love to say "no, fuck off" my whole life until they can track down a twice removed cousin failson to say "he didn't mean it like that" after I croak

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

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

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[–] chgxvjh@hexbear.net 9 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (1 children)

No but not because he deserves privacy but because some freaks would try to clone him.

And what else are you going to do with that information anyway? Some anti-Hitler eugenics? That's the worst take on that history I've seen recently.

[–] 4am@lemmy.zip 12 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (1 children)

If he has any offspring or family, even those that disavowed what he was and did but couldn’t stop him, his DNA has privacy implications for them.

That’s why shit like 23andme is extra bad. All it takes is like one relative per couple branches and they could probably build a copy of anyone’s DNA.

Now there’s a database that psychotic world leaders can use for “purification research”. But surely nothing will go wrong guys, that’s just science fiction.

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