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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.)
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.
Noah, is that you?
I hate printers.
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.
I feel sad at a zoo cause you can't get at the tasty ones.
Why bother
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.