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Genetically-Modified Everything
BreadMan writes "The Economist has an interesting article about how the use of GM (genetically modified) plants extends well beyond the food industry. Altered trees that make better paper, insect-resistant cotton, potatoes that contain the right kinds of starches. An interesting read to see where the industry is going in light of problems with having GM foods on the dinner table. There's more industrial uses for agricultural products than you'd think of right away, so this may be a lucrative use for GM technology."
I've got an even better one: GM housecats to look like tigers, cheetas and leopoards. How much would you pay for a housecat that looked exactly like a bengal tiger?
:) ). Of course they cost a fortune right now, expecially for a first generation cross, but maybe in a few years.
Actually you can already get pets like this through traditional breeding. There's a wild cat species called the Serval, which is considerably larger (and smarter) than a house cat but much smaller than the big cats. In the last few years, they have successfully bred Servals with housecats to produce what they call a Savannah cat. The Savannah cats are much larger and smarter than a housecat, have a leopoard-like fur pattern, and several other very exotic characteristics. IMHO they're a gorgeous animal and are supposed to make great pets (if you can proof your home/yard to an animal with the curiousity of a cat coupled with greatly increased intelligence and size
There's also a fairly recent hybrid between housecats and another wild cat species, but I can't remember what it's called, a small relative of the leopard I think.