Here There Be Dragons

ThisNukes4u writes "The Economist reports that scientists in California are coming closer to creating real-life mythical animals. Basically, they re-create the natural selection process through a computer simulation and then clone the resulting set of DNA in a donor animal." From the article: "Each computer starts with a search image (dragon, unicorn, gryphon, etc), and the genome of the real animal most closely resembling it (a lizard for the dragon, a horse for the unicorn and, most taxingly, the spliced genomes of a lion and an eagle for the gryphon). The virtual genomes of these real animals are then tweaked by random electronic mutations. When they have matured, the virtual adults most closely resembling the targets are picked and cross-bred, while the others are culled."

Comments

I Like Pickles!!!

[DAldredge]

I Like Pickles!!!

Please mod me up to +5!!!!

Re:I Like Pickles!!!

[PapayaSF]

Then you'll love the mysterious pickled dragon.

First P....

[toadlife]

...Hahahaha! Gotcha!

April Fools!

Finally a way to finish the collection

[buxtehude]

Hey this is great, I can now finish off my lifesize Polly Pocket collection with a real life Unicorn....thats...like...YEAH!!

Mermaids

[Jedi Alec]

I'll have 2 please. Grilled, preferably.

Ha!

[Ctrl Alt De1337]

They will be nothing compared to mighty Trogdor! Those things wouldn't know majesty if it came up and bit 'em in the face.

Zardoz

[KajiCo]

Won't they also need Sean Connery's vocal chord genes?

"To the stars Bowen, to the stars."

An interesting observation....

[rune2]

You know it's gotta be April Fool's when there are no dupes and people actually RTFA... (besides the whole color scheme thing that is)

genetic algorithms

[Snof]

That's so much more awesome than the genetic algorithms I worked with when I studied AI. Technology has come a long way in the past... few hours.

"Haemaurin" and "aurinase"

[Anonymous Coward]

From http://www.economist.com/science/displaystory.cfm? story_id=348179 :

The firm's first product is a goldfish that is genuinely gold, not the shade of orange that currently passes for that colour in ichthyological circles. To create this animal required two things. The first was the introduction of a gene for a genetically modified version of haemoglobin which Paolo Fril, GeneDupe's boss, has dubbed haemaurin. The second was the introduction of a gene for a synthetic enzyme that he calls aurinase.

Unlike haemoglobin, which has an atom of iron at its centre, haemaurin contains an atom of gold. The haemaurin circulates in the fish's blood until it reaches the skin. There, it is degraded by the aurinase, and metallic gold is deposited in the animal's pigment cells. (This also opens up a lucrative sideline for GeneDupe, since its so-called RealGold fish must be fed with a special fish food that contains traces of the metal.)

aurinase = "you're an ass," I think, but what's the joke with haemaurin? And while we're at it, what about "San Melito"? And "Paolo Fril"? Are these in-jokes? I don't get it.

Yes, I'm the type of person who needs every joke patiently explained.

Re:"Haemaurin" and "aurinase"

[Durinthal]

Actually, I believe the aurinase and haemaurin names come from the word aurum, which is the Latin term for gold.

Re:"Haemaurin" and "aurinase"

[ozmanjusri]

Yes, I'm the type of person who needs every joke patiently explained.

"Paolo Fril" is an anagram of "Happy Easter"

"San Melito" is French for "Without filtered coffee", a comment reflecting on the state of mind of the OP.

HTH, Oz.

Re:"Haemaurin" and "aurinase"

[Luis Cypher]

haemaurin aurinase. = Hey moron you're an ass

Damn liberals

[Aqua OS X]

This is just another sign of the liberal pro-unicorn agenda.

I hope the president takes a stand against this just as he has so powerfully taken a stand against human animal hybrids.

Got to respect The Economist

[archgoon]

High quality articles, even when they're fake. :)

Re:Got to respect The Economist

[Raul654]

Pffft, the New York Times is clearly superior. They ran fake articles for months before anyone caught on.

Obligatory Quote

[Raul654]

"Why couldn't she have been the other kind of mermaid, with the fish half on top and the lady half on the bottom?" -- Fry, Futurama

Re:Obligatory Quote

[WaKall]

Do you mean like this mermaid?

Re:Obligatory Quote

[saforrest]

"Why couldn't she have been the other kind of mermaid, with the fish half on top and the lady half on the bottom?" -- Fry, Futurama

See Wikipedia's entry on the "mermaid problem".

virgins and unicorns

[artificialj]

You know, only a virgin can catch a unicorn (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unicorn). Seems fitting that this gets posted on /.

Number of Chromosomes?

[Khyber]

I'd like to see a nice, hot mermaid with 69 chromosomes. Till then, I've gotta stick with Carmen Electra's less superior 26 pairs.

fire!!

[deopmix]

it's about time someone came up with a more efficent way to create fire. It's now just a simple 6 step process.

1) google an image of a dragon
2) find an animal that looks like a dragon
3) input 1 and 2 into computer, run simulation
4) take output genome and synthesize DNA
5) place DNA into cell and allow cell to reproduce
6) use resulting dragon to create fire

It's quite simple really, even the new /. demographic could do it.

Yum

[FrankDrebin]

Combine this genetically with healthy bacon, and we are on our way to Jurassic Pork. Trademark rights to the highest bidder.

More April Fools Jokes

[Urgo]

For the third year in a row, Urgo's list of April Fool's Jokes on Websites contains the most complete list of April Fool's Day pranks websites have created. Featured by news.com.com.com.. and Microsoft, the site strives to list EVERY joke site, and is updated every few minutes with new verified jokes. wikipedia also contains a sizeable list.

Sample
tveps.net - Isaac 'Chef' Hayes not leaving southpark after all. Comes clean that it was a publicity stunt.
thinkgeek.com - USB Tanning Center, RFID Blocking T-shirt, Grow Your Own 1up Mushroom Kit, Caffeine Inhaler, and more
theregister.co.uk - customise The Register to suit your needs - from blocking ads, to selecting the kind of stories you really want to read.
worldofwarcraft.com - Blizzard to put Wisps as a playable race for World of Warcraft.
tvpredictions.com - Ready for X-ray TV? New TV picture technology even clearer than HDTV; you can actually see through people's clothing on TV.
blizzard.com - BLIZZARD ENTERTAINMENT® PRESENTS BURGERCRAFT(TM)
bolloxcomics.co.uk - Myspace parody
bolloxcomics.co.uk - YTMND parody
wiebetech.com - 5 TB iPod
sideshowtoy.com - Half a Darth Maul Figure Exclusive?
slashdot.org - OMG!!! PONIES!!! (and pink layout)
whirlpool.net.au - Telstra will only release 2mbit ADSL2+ in Australia.
forums.worldofwarcraft.com - World of Warcraft 1.11 patch notes leaked
mymsnsearch.com - fake (but hilariously accurate) search results
gearlog.com - Laptop Lingerie: Bringing Tech & Pleasure Together
googlesystem.blogspot.com - Google Browser is finally launched. Installer 1.68MB
sordeo.com - mirror image and the title says, 'Now optimized for those afflicted with Dyslexia'
eternal-lands.com - Free Software Foundation buys Eternal Lands

puff teh magic dragon

[atarione]

http://www.geocities.com/EnchantedForest/Cottage/3 192/Puffdragon.html ** Sing along YAY

PUFF, the magic dragon lived by the sea And frolicked in the autumn mist in a land called Honah Lee, Little Jackie Paper loved that rascal PUFF, and brought him strings and sealing wax and other fancy stuff.

OH PUFF, the magic dragon lived by the sea And frolicked in the autumn mist in a land called Honah Lee, PUFF, the magic dragon lived by the sea And frolicked in the autumn mist in a land called Honah Lee,

Together they would travel on a boat with billowed sail Jackie kept a lookout perched on PUFF's gigantic tail, Noble kings and princes would bow whenever they came, Pirate ships would lower their flag when PUFF roared out his name

OH, PUFF, the magic dragon lived by the sea And frolicked in the autumn mist in a land called Honah Lee, PUFF, the magic dragon lived by the sea And frolicked in the autumn mist in a land called Honah Lee,

A dragon lives forever but not so little boys Painted wings and giant rings make way for other toys. One grey night it happened, Jackie Paper came no more And PUFF that mighty dragon, he ceased his fearless roar.

PUFF, the magic dragon lived by the sea And frolicked in the autumn mist in a land called Honah Lee, PUFF, the magic dragon lived by the sea And frolicked in the autumn mist in a land called Honah Lee,

His head was bent in sorrow, green scales fell like rain, PUFF no longer went to play along the cherry lane. Without his life-long friend, PUFF could not be brave, So PUFF that mighty dragon sadly slipped into his cave.

Oh! PUFF, the magic dragon lived by the sea And frolicked in the autumn mist in a land called Honah Lee, PUFF, the magic dragon lived by the sea And frolicked in the autumn mist in a land called Honah Lee

now i remember why i hate april fool's day so much.... kthnxbye

What about a troll?

[craXORjack]

Each computer starts with a search image (dragon, unicorn, gryphon, etc), and the genome of the real animal most closely resembling it (a lizard for the dragon, a horse for the unicorn...

If I commissioned them to build me a troll, I wonder whose genes they would start with?