Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

If Extinct Species Can Be Brought Back... Should We?

Posted by samzenpus on from the gone-for-a-reason dept.

retroworks writes "Rebecca J. Rosen interviews experts in this edition of The Atlantic, to ask about the ethics and wisdom of using cloning, backbreeding, or genome editing. Over 90% of species ever to exist on earth are no more. The article ponders the moral and environmental challenges of humans reintroducing species which humans made extinct."

3 of 299 comments (clear)

  1. Huh? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Should we be brought back if we go extinct?

  2. Re:That's easy by ldobehardcore · · Score: 5, Interesting

    While I appreciate the jest, I'm pretty sure that it wouldn't have mattered if the mammoth tasted like boiled gymshorts. They were FUCKING HUGE, and edible. Think about your least favorite food.... Now imagine that was basically the only food around, but in portions that weighed THREE FUCKING TONS. It's basically the only thing to eat, and if you don't like it, you can go without, get sickly, and die.

    --
    Hectice, baby, Mercator says hello to you
  3. Re:If we exterminated them... by aevan · · Score: 5, Interesting

    By the same token, if we as natural animals can restore an extinct species, it's fit to be brought back and so should be? If we're not outside nature and its method to determine what's worthy, then it's natural if we bring them back....

    Pretty sure all extinctions we caused were while tool-using, and now we've just got better tools. We're already past the natural stage of survival and propagation, and fully into the dominate and transform. This would just be the responsibility and restoration aspect. We've been playing god for a while now, might as well go full out and try the life-bringer part.

    Though if we ever cross that goal post we'll need to come up with a good antonym for extinction.