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Maglev
Skeptic Friend
Canada
65 Posts |
 Posted - 11/18/2003 : 10:51:16 [Permalink]
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quote:
TOKYO (July 16) - Japanese scientists seeking to clone prehistoric wooly mammoths were preparing their first frozen DNA samples Tuesday in bid to bring the beasts back to life.
I hope they'll clone one of the larger beasts... 'Cause it's gonna be much much harder to hide than Rael's human clones 
Are they trying to "revive" the specie? If so, I suppose that they will make more than one clone; you know like, a male and a female so they can "do it" and have lots of baby mammoths (i'm sure they will be very cute, like really enormous puppies  ).
But wait, I guess that genetic diversity is important here, so they will have to clone more than two (males or females) from different DNA samples...
But wait! We know absolutely nothing about the mating habits of these animals... What if the one male doesnt like the females (or vice-versa)? Do we actually know why they're extinct? Maybe they had a problem similar to chinese black and white bears (cant remember the name just now). I guess they'll find out...
Maybe that mammoths, like many animals, learn part of their "knowledge" from their parents... Cloning an animal that has no living relatives might prove problematic for that very reason... (No living relatives... why does it sound so nice to my ears?  )
The more I think about it, the less plausible it sounds. Not that it's impossible, just very very complicated, like "man on the moon" complicated. And still no cure for cancer!
So what do think? Is it a publicity stunt? Or maybe my skeptic switch is set to "high"?
In closing, two words; Jurasic Parc! |
Maglev
"The awe it inspired in me made the awe that people talk about in respect of religious experience seem, frankly, silly beside it. I'd take the awe of understanding over the awe of ignorance any day."
--Douglas Adams, on evolutionary biology. |
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