Slashdot Mirror


Resurrecting the Mighty Mammoth, Cheaply

somanyrobots writes with an interesting followup in the New York Times to the earlier-reported substantial reconstruction of the woolly mammoth genome: "Scientists are talking for the first time about the old idea of resurrecting extinct species as if this staple of science fiction is a realistic possibility, saying that a living mammoth could perhaps be regenerated for as little as $10 million. The same technology could be applied to any other extinct species from which one can obtain hair, horn, hooves, fur or feathers, and which went extinct within the last 60,000 years, the effective age limit for DNA." (The Washington Post article linked from the earlier post was much more skeptical, calling such an attempt "still firmly the domain of science fiction." The New York Times article, while describing the process in similar terms, also calls attention to recent advances in sequencing DNA, as well as recoding DNA for cloning.)

37 of 322 comments (clear)

  1. $10,000,000, eh? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Funny

    Anyone got some amber they want to sell?

    -or-

    Yo mamma so fat, it'd cost 10 billion to clone her!

    1. Re:$10,000,000, eh? by MrNaz · · Score: 5, Funny

      Noah, is that you?

      --
      I hate printers.
    2. Re:$10,000,000, eh? by NotQuiteReal · · Score: 5, Funny

      Like I tell my kids...

      It is not the cost of [insert animal here] it's the maintenance, food, license, vet shots.

      Do you have any idea what your vet will charge to neuter a mammoth?

      And we are talking about full-on GARBAGE bags to clean up after it, on walks.

      --
      This issue is a bit more complicated than you think.
    3. Re:$10,000,000, eh? by AmberBlackCat · · Score: 4, Funny

      Yes, when they streamline the production of mammoths, production costs will go down. But the real question is, are they going to pass the savings on to us or just keep more profits for themselves? And we all know the cost of the premium mammoths isn't going down any time soon. Can you imagine me hanging out with my friends at the Starbucks and everybody else has the good mammoth while I have the regular mammoth? Not going to happen.

    4. Re:$10,000,000, eh? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

      Because whatever it tries to mate with is going to die! - horribly.

    5. Re:$10,000,000, eh? by Zencyde · · Score: 2, Funny

      Then someone else will produce an offbrand premium mammoth for cheap. Of course, they'll probably get sued into oblivion because the original company has a patent on producing mammoths. Not to mention the fact that the DNA has been copyrighted. But, that's okay. I'm just going to wait for the sabertooth to come out. :)

      --
      What day is it? Could you please tell me?
    6. Re:$10,000,000, eh? by barocco · · Score: 2, Funny

      no no no no no... you make a male and take out one of its ribs, good ol' fashion

    7. Re:$10,000,000, eh? by antic · · Score: 4, Funny

      Please don't say "[insert animal here]" in a mammoth topic...

      --
      'Thats they exact same thing a banana wrench monkey.'
    8. Re:$10,000,000, eh? by yoyhed · · Score: 2, Funny

      So you've seen the Mr Hands video...

      --
      WHO NEEDS SHIFT WHEN YOU HAVE CAPSLOCK/ DAMN1
  2. Good! by owlnation · · Score: 5, Funny

    We may well need an army of Mammoths to fight the mutant tool-equipped space spiders from that other earlier story. $10 million is a small price to pay to save humanity from the giant space webs.

    1. Re:Good! by Farmer+Tim · · Score: 4, Funny

      I don't care what kind of cosmic rays they've been exposed to, spiders wielding lubricant guns and hex wrenches are not scary. "Oh, look out, it's going to build some furniture and reduce wear on my bearings!"

      --
      Blank until /. makes another boneheaded UI decision.
    2. Re:Good! by the4thdimension · · Score: 2, Funny

      Rebuilt woolly mammoths duking it out with mutant space spiders?!?

      I'll bring popcorn!!

    3. Re:Good! by Eastree · · Score: 5, Funny

      That's not how the spiders plan to use the lube and wrenches ...

    4. Re:Good! by hkfczrqj · · Score: 2, Funny

      No, that's the beauty of it. When global warming comes, they'll all cook to death!

      There, I fixed it for you.

    5. Re:Good! by Farmer+Tim · · Score: 3, Funny

      Sounds like the annual Sydney Mardi Gras, only with fewer hairy legs. Still not frightening.

      --
      Blank until /. makes another boneheaded UI decision.
    6. Re:Good! by BrokenHalo · · Score: 2, Funny

      No, that's the beauty of it. When winter comes, they'll all freeze to death!

      No, more likely some redneck will come along and shoot it.

  3. stupid by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    man, you americans must be swiming in cash... "only 10 million". This will be called the mamoth bailout

  4. Mmmmmmm by jaxtherat · · Score: 3, Funny

    Mammoth ribs :)

    *goes back to watching Flintstones*

    --
    http://www.zombieapocalypse.tv/
    1. Re:Mmmmmmm by cayenne8 · · Score: 2, Funny
      " Mammoth ribs :)

      *goes back to watching Flintstones*"

      Awww shit.

      I'm gonna have to buy a much LARGER smoker.....

      --
      Light travels faster than sound. This is why some people appear bright until you hear them speak.........
  5. Re:Frankenstein by mobby_6kl · · Score: 2, Funny

    I suggest each one of us gets at least a single mammoth.

  6. Re:Frankenstein by Farmer+Tim · · Score: 4, Funny

    This is Slashdot; creatures with no chance of reproducing are par for the course here, I don't see why another one is so morally outrageous, especially one that's slimmer and less hairy than the average Linux hacker.

    --
    Blank until /. makes another boneheaded UI decision.
  7. Mr. President by airherbe · · Score: 2, Funny

    Mr. President, we must not allow a mammoth gap.

  8. Re:Frankenstein by cayenne8 · · Score: 3, Funny
    "I suggest each one of us gets at least a single mammoth."

    Especially if they taste good!!

    Hell, down here in southern LA, if one of those things shows up, there's bound to be a Cajun fix an etouffee out of it. People down here will eat anything that doesn't eat them first....and make it taste good!!

    --
    Light travels faster than sound. This is why some people appear bright until you hear them speak.........
  9. Re:more exciting by CorporateSuit · · Score: 4, Funny

    But seriously, the prospect of bringing a flawed misfit sentient being into this world and explaining to them "oh, by the way, your species is extinct!" doesn't seem very humane or ethical to me.

    You know... I didn't think I'd be the one to tell you this... but Locke2005, have you ever wondered why you were so much hairier than your "biological" father? Ever wonder why kids giggled when your name "Ug" was read in classrooms, and why you prefer deerskin over cashmir?

    I'm sure you've come to the correct conclusion by now... If you don't believe me, the proof is right before your eyes. You're posting excitedly in a news post about mammoth burgers.

    I'll let you get back to your flint and tinder... and... we're sorry about your entire species.

    --
    I am the richest astronaut ever to win the superbowl.
  10. Re:mmmm Mammoth Burgers... Same thought by John+Hasler · · Score: 4, Funny

    Because most amputees would probably not want their missing limbs replaced with mammoth legs?

    --
    Warning: this article may contain humor, sarcasm, parody, and perhaps even irony. Read at your own risk.
  11. Re:Fuck doing a Mammoth.... by lysergic.acid · · Score: 4, Funny

    why can't we just combine Hendrix's DNA with the Mammoth's?

  12. Re:Frankenstein by sbeckstead · · Score: 5, Funny

    I feel sad at a zoo cause you can't get at the tasty ones.

  13. Re:mmmm Mammoth Burgers... Same thought by John+Hasler · · Score: 3, Funny

    > Why would you think I'm proposing fusing human and mammoth and giving humans hairy legs?

    Because I see no other possible connection with this story?

    --
    Warning: this article may contain humor, sarcasm, parody, and perhaps even irony. Read at your own risk.
  14. Better yet... by SIR_Taco · · Score: 5, Funny

    bring Michael Crichton back! ... man that post anonymously button looks pretty good right now... oh well

    --
    I say don't drink and drive, you might spill your drink. Before you get behind the wheel just stop and think.
  15. Re:Frankenstein by fishthegeek · · Score: 2, Funny

    Announcing the One Mammoth Per Child Project

    --
    load "$",8,1
  16. well yeah by circletimessquare · · Score: 2, Funny

    bank their tissue, and then resurrect as needed. we could have saved the baiji ;-(

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_River_Dolphin

    --
    intellectual property law is philosophically incoherent. it is your moral duty to ignore it or sabotage it
  17. Re:Fuck doing a Mammoth.... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    To get a hairy elephant which ODs just when it is becoming hugely successful?

  18. Whoooooosh! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    [sound of something going over your head]

    1. Re:Whoooooosh! by ozmanjusri · · Score: 4, Funny
      [sound of something going over your head]

      Testicles?

      Or the body of the guy who tried to remove them from the mammoth?

      --
      "I've got more toys than Teruhisa Kitahara."
  19. Re:mmmm Mammoth Burgers... Same thought by RancidPeanutOil · · Score: 3, Funny

    "limb" was a euphemism - he's not talking about legs.

  20. Khm... by denzacar · · Score: 4, Funny

    "Making" mammoths would give us the ability to.. umm... flavor them.
    Buttery mammoth, Bananamammoth, Cinnamammoth, Fruity mammoth, Orange mammoth, Pear mammoth, Pineapple mammoth, Cotton candy mammoth, Wintergreen mammoth, Bitter almond mammoth, Vanilla mammoth with Swiss Mocha Chips & Blueberry Swirl, Chocolate mammoth with Chocolate Covered Coconut Bits & Marshmallow Swirl...

    And that would be just the beginning.

    I can't wait for the streets to be illuminated by phosphorescent, minty flavored, mini-mammoths.

    --
    Mit der Dummheit kämpfen Götter selbst vergebens
  21. Re:Frankenstein by JamesP · · Score: 3, Funny

    No, no, it's one velociraptor per child, haven't you heard???

    --
    how long until /. fixes commenting on Chrome?