De-Extinction: Good Idea or Huge Mistake?

[IsaacT]

So I read today about scientists finding a baby Wooly Mammoth frozen. It was so well preserved, its blood is still liquid and there is still milk from the mother in its belly. For those who wish to read the article, you may do so HERE.

This raises the topic of De-Extinction, or bringing a species back via cloning the DNA left in the remains. Apparently this particular specimen offers a very good opportunity due to the liquid nature of the blood.

Cloning does, of course, have many supporters and opponents due to the ethical questions creating life brings up.

What do you think? Should we recreate the behemoths of the past, giving a second chance to the species which have fallen? Or should we do what Lennon suggested and simply "Let It Be"?

I for one think this is an amazing opportunity and look forward to seeing what comes of this. When we bring a species back from the ashes of extinction, I believe our world will experience a shift of perspective.

Thanks,
Isaac

 

[mhemling33]

I would pay to go to Jurassic Park!

 

[IsaacT]

Thats my thinkin

 

[Lazerbeak]

I am really, really torn on this. I grew up absolutely fascinated by dinosaurs, I would draw them, read about them and memorize all their names.

I actually did fairly well in biology because I saw genetics as the way to make these dreams real. With that being said, the more I learned about genetics pro and con, I also saw how dangerous the technology is. Forget about genetically engineered super bugs and things designed for a purpose. I believe that altering the genetic code is too dangerous because it is an organic thing. Life has the ability and drive to survive, in ways that we can't even begin to speculate on at the moment. There are already numerous conspiracy theories floating around that may indicate we have already gone to far.

This also brings up Transhumanism and altering our own code and enhancing ourselves with technology. Seems great, but some very smart minds have some serious concerns regarding this. Basically the danger is that these enhanced "beings" will eventually evolve into something very different and superior to what we are now. We will cease to be relevant.

AI and the singularity also raises a similar question. It is not that we will create something "Evil" but that a sentient machine or Post Human will be so alien to us and our condition that we will simply become insignificant. There are Metaphysical concerns as well that I won't bother mentioning.

~ LB

 

[sinner]

Voted its a bad idea , because the of the cost & benifit , I would rather save a small population in rural 3rd world and beyond where humans are suffering from diseases you dont want to hear , families and generations in the lowest of bmi's and bsa's.. just my opinion!

 

[chipdouglas]

I think it is a ridiculous idea. Let's try keeping the animals we already have alive. Tigers, elephants, bald eagles, sea turtles... et cetera

Michael

 

[InfinitusEquitas]

Voted indifferent.

I think the genetic code should be stored, and I'm sure it will be, and I think it is an incredible find, but I do not believe cloning this animal would be an appropriate use of resources.

AI and the singularity also raises a similar question. It is not that we will create something "Evil" but that a sentient machine or Post Human will be so alien to us and our condition that we will simply become insignificant. There are Metaphysical concerns as well that I won't bother mentioning.

Many of those people, far smarter than me, would argue that we are already well past the singularity event. Especially with the emergence of the internet past us.

The splintering of what we consider to be our species, to a greater degree than it already exists, is inevitable, and natural.

Personally I'm all in favor of aggressive research into genetics.

Implementation of said research, that's a different matter.

If you haven't already seen it, watch Gattaca. You'll also enjoy the books of Alastair Reynolds, to a lesser degree Peter Hamilton, and in terms of genetics, you may find the book the Swarm to be interesting, although personally I found the descriptions of deep ocean itself to be tedious. (Only so many ways to describe "It's dark".)

 

[Lazerbeak]

Thanks for the recommendations Infinitus :beer: Gattaca is one of the few Sci Fi movies I haven't seen. I thought "Splice" was pretty interesting and scary in terms of how possible the scenario was...

I don't read too much these days but audiobooks work for me. I'll check those out

Many of those people, far smarter than me, would argue that we are already well past the singularity event. Especially with the emergence of the internet past us.

This is something that I haven't really considered but the more I think about what is out there especially AIs like Wolfram Alpha, Siri and Cloud computing... :thinking:

The splintering of what we consider to be our species, to a greater degree than it already exists, is inevitable, and natural.

Human - Transhuman - Posthuman
Arthur C. Clarke wrote a novel called "Childhoods End" a rather interesting book. As an interesting side note. Years after the book was initially published, Arthur C. Clarke changed the forward to include the fact that the ideas in the novel were not his own? :tinfoil:

Childhood's End - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

~ LB

 

[IsaacT]

Gattaca was a very good movie, you will enjoy it Lazerbeak.

 

[Lazerbeak]

Thanks Issac I'll see about finding a copy tonight op:

~ LB

 

[IsaacT]

Pretty sure it is on netflix :beer:

 

[ARG]

Voted for bad idea.

Every time we introduce a species that doesn't belong bad things have happened.

Natural selection killed them for a reason.

 

[Lazerbeak]

Pretty sure it is on netflix :beer:

Netflix, gotcha Thanks Issac...

ARG...

Voted for bad idea.

Every time we introduce a species that doesn't belong bad things have happened.

Natural selection killed them for a reason.

"Wut?"

~ LB

 

[scumbagatheist]

I voted yes, with the condition (in my head anyway) that if money is going to be spent on this (which will not be tax dollars, btw), then it should be used to reintroduce those species that were not wiped out by natural selection, but rather unnatural selection. Ie: the species we've wiped out. Discoveries with benefits to medicine and ecology are found from newly discovered species, and even those we've forgotten to pay attention to.
The ability to revive a species that we were too stupid to allow to exist should be here, and if we can put it back, with or without direct benefit, then we should. We have no way of calculating the unknown damage to the ecosystem already caused by the species we've wiped out.
That being said, let's not go nuts or anything!

 

[Lazerbeak]

"Why thank you Sir! I tip my hat to you"

~ D. Dodo

 

[Eudaimonium]

I think it's a good idea. Technology for that should be researched and advanced, because somehow it just feels better knowing that we can do CTRL-Z if we ever f**k up something real bad. Like species that are already about to be extinct, as mentioned by Chip here.

Gattaca and Splice, thanks people. Gotta torr-- err, I mean, acquire those somewhere.