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  • Biotech firm says it can resurrect extinct woolly mammoth

    A technology entrepreneur and a geneticist on Monday launched a new biotech firm which they say will bring the extinct woolly mammoth back to life.

    What do we know about the project?

    Calling itself Colossal, the biosciences company claims CRISPR genetic technology can be used to bring back the animal, which went extinct during the Holocene epoch over 11,000 years ago.

    "Never before has humanity been able to harness the power of this technology to rebuild ecosystems, heal our Earth and preserve its future through the repopulation of extinct animals," technology entrepreneur and Colossal co-founder Ben Lamm said in a statement.

    Harvard University geneticist George Church is also a co-founder of the company.

    "Colossal leverages the exponential progress made in technologies for reading and writing DNA and applies it to iconic ecological conservation and carbon sequestration issues," Church said.

    Scientists have managed to find mammoth tusks, bones and other material to try to sequence the animal's DNA. This DNA would then be inserted into the genome of the Asian elephant to form an "elephant-mammoth hybrid," according to the company.

    The firm says it has managed to raise $15 million (€12.6 million) so far from investors.

    Advocates of "de-extinction" say the process could help humans gain new knowledge regarding biology, evolution and technology. Supporters may also believe it is morally just to bring back species that went extinct due to human activities.

    The resurrection of extinct species could also repair damaged ecosystems. In the case of the woolly mammoth, Colossal believes the animal could revitalize the Arctic grasslands, whose properties can mitigate global warming. The company offered no details on how.

    Could there be downsides to de-extinction?

    The idea of de-extinction could have its drawbacks, however.

    A March 2017 study published in the Nature Ecology & Evolution journal found that de-extinction programs would be incredibly expensive.

    The scientists behind the study believe the public or private money spent on de-extinction efforts would be better used to protect existing species.

    Other downsides include resurrected animals carrying new pathogens that could possibly infect humans, along with how they will impact the environment. De-extinction may also raise animal welfare concerns, along with those who see the process as "playing God."

    The United Nations said in a 2019 report that 1 million animals, plant and fungi species face extinction in the coming decades. Climate change is also taking a toll on species such as polar bears, cheetahs and green turtles.
    The Colossal bioscience company claims CRISPR genetic technology can be used to de-extinct the animal, which died out in the Holocene epoch.


    Next: T-Rex and Raptors. What could go wrong?


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    • Originally posted by BeBro View Post
      Next: T-Rex and Raptors. What could go wrong?




      Keep on Civin'
      RIP rah, Tony Bogey & Baron O

      Comment


      • Uncle Sparky
        Uncle Sparky commented
        Editing a comment
        Raptors play basketball in Canada...

    • Portland removes ‘Merge Simpson’ sign from NW Portland freeway ramp



      Click image for larger version

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      Apolyton's Grim Reaper 2008, 2010 & 2011
      RIP lest we forget... SG (2) and LaFayette -- Civ2 Succession Games Brothers-in-Arms

      Comment


      • Too bad, it looks kinda nice...maybe distracting tho.
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        • You'd think that org crime allows for a luxury lifestyle with only the best food available, but:

          Police carrying out a drugs raid on a cannabis farm in southern Italy have seized a stash of 235 frozen dormice - said to be a mafia delicacy.

          After discovering more than 700 cannabis plants, police searched outbuildings and found cages of dormice and freezers filled with carcasses.

          Three people at the site were arrested.

          Wildlife groups say baked dormice are served to honour high-ranking gangsters at banquets organised by the powerful Calabrian 'Ndrangheta mafia clan.

          (...)
          Italian police search a cannabis farm and seize a stash of 235 frozen dormice - a mafia delicacy.




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          • Oooomph. Alec Baldwin. Prop Gun. Sad News.
            Blah

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            • I seem to recall the same thing happened to Bruce Lee's son Brandon.
              Try http://wordforge.net/index.php for discussion and debate.

              Comment


              • Originally posted by Dinner View Post
                I seem to recall the same thing happened to Bruce Lee's son Brandon.
                yep.
                I am not delusional! Now if you'll excuse me, i'm gonna go dance with the purple wombat who's playing show-tunes in my coffee cup!
                Rules are like Egg's. They're fun when thrown out the window!
                Difference is irrelevant when dosage is higher than recommended!

                Comment


                • Uncle Sparky
                  Uncle Sparky commented
                  Editing a comment
                  We have an exceptional armorer in Manitoba. You are 100% safe with him on a set. He has impressed (and pissed off) some very big names (including an Oscar nominee who was peeved with the amount of time that went into safety checks.)

                • Egbert
                  Egbert commented
                  Editing a comment
                  The unwritten rule for guns is always assume it is loaded, to be on the safe side.

              • What exactly is the difference between a prop gun and a real gun?

                Comment


                • Unfortunately, none in this case
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                  • Moose crashes through window of Sylvia Fedoruk School in Saskatoon
                    Officials say 1 student sustained minor injuries, classes continuing as normal
                    I am not delusional! Now if you'll excuse me, i'm gonna go dance with the purple wombat who's playing show-tunes in my coffee cup!
                    Rules are like Egg's. They're fun when thrown out the window!
                    Difference is irrelevant when dosage is higher than recommended!

                    Comment


                    • I think Moose education is an often overlooked issue.
                      Blah

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                      • Camels escape circus and wander Madrid streets

                        Eight camels and a llama were found walking the streets of Madrid in the early hours of Friday after escaping from a circus, police said.

                        Eight camels and a llama were found, with managers blaming their escape on animal rights activists.
                        I am not delusional! Now if you'll excuse me, i'm gonna go dance with the purple wombat who's playing show-tunes in my coffee cup!
                        Rules are like Egg's. They're fun when thrown out the window!
                        Difference is irrelevant when dosage is higher than recommended!

                        Comment


                        • Man found naked inside wall of New York state theatre

                          A man has been rescued after being trapped inside the walls of a theatre in Syracuse, New York state.
                          Authorities said the man had been trapped for two days before he was heard calling for help.

                          I am not delusional! Now if you'll excuse me, i'm gonna go dance with the purple wombat who's playing show-tunes in my coffee cup!
                          Rules are like Egg's. They're fun when thrown out the window!
                          Difference is irrelevant when dosage is higher than recommended!

                          Comment


                        • Originally posted by Broken_Erika View Post
                          Camels escape circus and wander Madrid streets
                          It's easy to confuse them with tourists:



                          Blah

                          Comment


                          • Uncle Sparky
                            Uncle Sparky commented
                            Editing a comment
                            It reminds me more of Munich...
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