Post

Ethan Kocak
@ethankocak.com

I say this every time de-extinction comes up: it makes no sense to devote science to bringing back extinct animals when we can’t be bothered to keep extant ones alive in the first place.

1K reposts4.7K likes

Auntie Babs
@kittykatya.bsky.social

I do get that and you’re right, but I also vainly hope someday we can give the auk and the passenger pigeon a second chance because humans screwed them over. It’s not the pigeon’s fault that it was delicious.

Sean Eric Fagan
@kithrup.bsky.social

Getting flashy animals gets a lot of attention and money. The same techniques, however, could be used to add genetic diversity to an endangered species. I think that's pretty exciting. Although the first zoo to get a mammoth will get my money.

Marie Buhtz
@mbuhtz.bsky.social

The first zoo to create a large tundra biome for their mammoth (hopefully mammoth herd, unless you want a very unhappy mammoth) is going to spend SO MUCH energy on maintaining that biome for show. Bleh

Sean Eric Fagan
@kithrup.bsky.social

Not all mammoths were wooly, and could get by in non-tundra environments. *Especially* if they have an adequate food supply. And... we have polar bears in tropic zoos. It's feasible.

Marie Buhtz
@mbuhtz.bsky.social

And people don't seem to remember that we have destroyed the biomes (all the way down to the microorganisms) that most of these animals would live in. We need to solve the environmental issues to even give them a place to live! But nooooo, let's just create a creature we can't keep alive 😒

royalmilewulver.bsky.social
@royalmilewulver.bsky.social

The gut biome is trillions strong, constantly changing, evolving; it's impossible to know all species & interactions, let alone keep up with them. We have hubris, wrong priorities & values. Human fools play gods, dishonoring natures supremacy. Save the environment for the ultimate artist: Nature.

Tanek
@tanek.bsky.social

Maybe it is the same "logic" as wrecking the environment to support "AI" that will become smart enough to solve climate change for us. Sure, species are going extinct due to our abuses and neglect...but now we can bring 'em back so it is all ok!

royalmilewulver.bsky.social
@royalmilewulver.bsky.social

But we can't. Not really. Most of the DNA was gray wolf, only .1% was Dire. We really don't know DNA as well as they lead you to believe. We are learning more every day, but there is so much more to learn. Now that Trump has destroyed science through Musk, we will never learn the rest.

Tanek
@tanek.bsky.social

That's part of my point. Unextinction is just as much of a thin excuse as AI to fix our climate. It is to justify doing what we want to do rather than what we should do. If we don't work on the issues we have in the present, there certainly won't be a sci-fi future that will magically do it for us.

royalmilewulver.bsky.social
@royalmilewulver.bsky.social

Priorities. Flashy Dire Wolves or Vaccines? There is no easy true fix for extinctions, not even ours if we don't change course. We will never match Natures creations-it's vanity, frivolous, perhaps dangerous self indulgence & diversion from our responsibilities, accepting our place in humility & awe