De-extinction: Is "Jurassic Park" a real possibility?

[Jazzy]

Twenty years ago, Jurassic Park seemed like pure science fiction. Scientists in the movie retrieved ancient DNA from bones, and the movie fantasized dinosaurs could be brought back to Earth.



Not only is Jurassic Park back in theaters next month in 3D, but it turns out some of the science fiction might be about to become reality.



De-extinction is an effort to bring back species that are known to be extinct, things like mastadons, saber-toothed cats, said Ross MacPhee, the curator of mammals at New York's American Museum of Natural History. The screenplay for 'Jurassic Park 4,' I'm sure, is already being written, cause here we have science colliding in a way with our worst fears, but we're so totally fascinated because we're humans, it's so compelling.



Scientists in Australia announced last week they've been able to recreate the embryo of a unique but now extinct frog.



Scientists at Harvard are doing research that might allow them someday to bring back the passenger pigeon, a bird that populated the eastern U.S. starting in 1813, until it became extinct at the turn of the century.



Scientists say it's impossible to bring back dinosaurs, but the woolly mammoth could one day roam outside of a museum.



The kid in me thinks it's totally fascinating, the idea that we could actually a little baby woolly mammoth running around, said MacPhee. But the adult in me wonders why we are doing this?



Carl Zimmer, who wrote the cover story for the April edition of National Geographic titled Bringing Them Back to Life: The Revival of an Extinct Species is No Longer a Fantasy -- But is it a Good Idea, explained that it might just be a few years before we see these creatures. Bringing back extinct animals is a very real possibility.

Full article with video & pictures



Do you think this is a waste of money that could be used to save the endangered species we already have?

 

[Evil Eye]

Not quite. Bringing back extinct animals might not be very useful, but the research might be applicable to other things.

It might still end up being a waste of money, I guess. Won't know till we try, eh?

 

[wirelessguru1]

The search for the God-particle was a much bigger waste of money!

 

[Jazzy]

The search for the God-particle was a much bigger waste of money!

Okay but what about bringing back extinct animals?

 

[Evil Eye]

The search for the God-particle was a much bigger waste of money!

Depends. If they can find some sort of practical application somewhere down the line, it wouldn't have been a complete waste.

 

[wirelessguru1]

Okay but what about bringing back extinct animals?

That means bringing life back, which of course are more important God powers than looking for the God-particle...