Why do we insist on trying to play god?

[Slartibartfast]

In a nut shell. If it has eyes, you’re not suppose to eat it. …… so I’ve heard lol.

I like potatoes!

 

[BirdinHand]

I find this fascinating.

Think of the effort spent to save species that are near extinction. Think of being able to prevent those species from going extinct.

If we can manage to bring back a dodo, perhaps we can find a way to bring back other species and ecological life that is now extinct.

You realize that the Dodo bird was the only way that certain trees (now called Dodo trees) in Mauritian forest germinated, right? The Dodo ate their fruits and broke down the shells of the seeds effectively in their digestive track, and once the remnants of the seeds passed through the digestive track, new trees would sprout?

The last dodo birds went extinct in 1681 and no new “dodo trees” have grown since then - there are only something like a dozen left in existence. (Certain breeds of turkey may be able to do the job now…it’s under investigation/experimentation)


The only reason the Dodo went extinct is humans. Why not try to see if we can bring that species back?

It isn’t “playing god”. It is scientific advancement.


My god…we have about 35% of the natural pollinators in the planet in danger. If we can learn how to bring species back, we can make sure we never accidentally kill off all the bees, etc necessary to make sure we have FOOD.

Some people are so simple minded, they can’t imagine the possibilities

 

[Bucky]

In a free market, why is your opinion of “purpose” relevant?

Why do you insist we have a free market?

 

[Grand Mal]

If you haven't heard, Colossal Biosciences is a biotech company trying to bring back to life extinct species.

They have plans to resurrect the Woolly Mammoth, Tasmanian tiger, and the dodo.

First, this is a colossal waste of money. I am not sure what the point of bringing back extinct species is instead of protecting endangered species. What is the purpose? How does it benefit society in a positive way?

Secondly, it is highly unethical. Species like to dodo are extinct for a reason. They have no purpose in the ecosystem and could potentially cause a great disturbance to the ecological nature.

You're wrong about the dodo.
There's a species of tree on Mauritius that was in danger of extinction. They weren't dying, they just weren't reproducing. The youngest individuals were hundreds of years old. After much head scratching some American botanist fed some seeds to a turkey and bingo! the bird shat out viable seeds that germinated and grew! That was the role of the dodo.
The birds went extinct because they were big, slow and flightless and ships used to stop in and slaughter them by the hundreds to stock their larders.

Some of these species haven't roamed the earth for over 3,000 years!

I think it is INSANE to try to play god or enact fantasies of creating a Jurrasic park!

The lack of intellectual curiosity is a hallmark of the educational philistinism of the American right.

 

[Ambig]

Perhaps we should resurrect the eastern puma or saber-tooth so they can take out the deer population, preventing less human death?

When they re-introduced wolves into Yellowstone, it made a huge difference, restoring health and diversity.

The elk would no longer go down by the streams to eat young seedlings. The seedling grew into trees. The beaver returned, making their pools up and down the rivers. The fish returned.

Something like that.

And look at America today. Probably half of its species didn't exist 500 years ago. Yet we still struggle by.

 

[Ambig]

Very lucrative, how? So we can build more zoos like Jurrasic Park? That sure went well.

That was science fiction, I'm pretty sure. Writers made that deal turn out bad.

 

[Grand Mal]

I find this fascinating.

Think of the effort spent to save species that are near extinction. Think of being able to prevent those species from going extinct.

If we can manage to bring back a dodo, perhaps we can find a way to bring back other species and ecological life that is now extinct.

You realize that the Dodo bird was the only way that certain trees (now called Dodo trees) in Mauritian forest germinated, right? The Dodo ate their fruits and broke down the shells of the seeds effectively in their digestive track, and once the remnants of the seeds passed through the digestive track, new trees would sprout?

The last dodo birds went extinct in 1681 and no new “dodo trees” have grown since then - there are only something like a dozen left in existence. (Certain breeds of turkey may be able to do the job now…it’s under investigation/experimentation)


The only reason the Dodo went extinct is humans. Why not try to see if we can bring that species back?

It isn’t “playing god”. It is scientific advancement.


My god…we have about 35% of the natural pollinators in the planet in danger. If we can learn how to bring species back, we can make sure we never accidentally kill off all the bees, etc necessary to make sure we have FOOD.

Some people are so simple minded, they can’t imagine the possibilities

Let this be a lesson to me- read the thread before replying!

 

[Ambig]

I could be wrong but I think the OP's problem is less with the animals themselves and more with the idea of playing God.

A thing we humans do every second of every day.

 

[Ambig]

So, what about cloning humans and putting them on an island in the pacific?

Now you're thinking! I want them to make those Hobbit guys again so we can watch how they act.

 

[Neomalthusian]

If you haven't heard, Colossal Biosciences is a biotech company trying to bring back to life extinct species.

They have plans to resurrect the Woolly Mammoth, Tasmanian tiger, and the dodo.

First, this is a colossal waste of money. I am not sure what the point of bringing back extinct species is instead of protecting endangered species. What is the purpose? How does it benefit society in a positive way?

Secondly, it is highly unethical. Species like to dodo are extinct for a reason. They have no purpose in the ecosystem and could potentially cause a great disturbance to the ecological nature.

Some of these species haven't roamed the earth for over 3,000 years!

I think it is INSANE to try to play god or enact fantasies of creating a Jurrasic park!

1). There is no "god" that we are playing just because we voluntarily decrease an organism's population by killing it or voluntarily increase it by breeding/cloning it.
2) Species don't go extinct for some "reason" or purpose, and it's not necessarily "good" or "bad" that a species goes extinct. It just happens.
3). To suggest that a species should not be brought back from extinction because of effects it would have on other organisms arbitrarily plays favorites with some organisms over other ones.

 

[LouC]

If you haven't heard, Colossal Biosciences is a biotech company trying to bring back to life extinct species.

They have plans to resurrect the Woolly Mammoth, Tasmanian tiger, and the dodo.

First, this is a colossal waste of money. I am not sure what the point of bringing back extinct species is instead of protecting endangered species. What is the purpose? How does it benefit society in a positive way?

Secondly, it is highly unethical. Species like to dodo are extinct for a reason. They have no purpose in the ecosystem and could potentially cause a great disturbance to the ecological nature.

Some of these species haven't roamed the earth for over 3,000 years!

I think it is INSANE to try to play god or enact fantasies of creating a Jurrasic park!

I APPLAUD THEIR EFFORTS!!!

 

[Grand Mal]

Aside from the bird looking exotic, what is the purpose of bringing back the dodo?

Who knows? What's the purpose of studying airborne molds?

 

[Goshin]

If you haven't heard, Colossal Biosciences is a biotech company trying to bring back to life extinct species.

They have plans to resurrect the Woolly Mammoth, Tasmanian tiger, and the dodo.

First, this is a colossal waste of money. I am not sure what the point of bringing back extinct species is instead of protecting endangered species. What is the purpose? How does it benefit society in a positive way?

Secondly, it is highly unethical. Species like to dodo are extinct for a reason. They have no purpose in the ecosystem and could potentially cause a great disturbance to the ecological nature.

Some of these species haven't roamed the earth for over 3,000 years!

I think it is INSANE to try to play god or enact fantasies of creating a Jurrasic park!

Of all the things going on that might be worth wasting a worry on, this isn't really one of them imo.

 

[Loulit01]

If you haven't heard, Colossal Biosciences is a biotech company trying to bring back to life extinct species.

They have plans to resurrect the Woolly Mammoth, Tasmanian tiger, and the dodo.

First, this is a colossal waste of money. I am not sure what the point of bringing back extinct species is instead of protecting endangered species. What is the purpose? How does it benefit society in a positive way?

Secondly, it is highly unethical. Species like to dodo are extinct for a reason. They have no purpose in the ecosystem and could potentially cause a great disturbance to the ecological nature.

Some of these species haven't roamed the earth for over 3,000 years!

I think it is INSANE to try to play god or enact fantasies of creating a Jurrasic park!

 

[Loulit01]

If you haven't heard, Colossal Biosciences is a biotech company trying to bring back to life extinct species.

They have plans to resurrect the Woolly Mammoth, Tasmanian tiger, and the dodo.

Sounds like fun.

First, this is a colossal waste of money.

I doubt it. Scientific research is rarely a waste.

I am not sure what the point of bringing back extinct species is instead of protecting endangered species. What is the purpose? How does it benefit society in a positive way?

Can cloning extinct species benefit humanity? There's a good chance cloning some species could be helpful.

Secondly, it is highly unethical. Species like to dodo are extinct for a reason.

Human killed them off. Why can't humans bring them back?

They have no purpose in the ecosystem and could potentially cause a great disturbance to the ecological nature.

They served a purpose in the ecosystem when they were alive.

Some of these species haven't roamed the earth for over 3,000 years!

Dodos, mammoths and Tasmanian Tigers haven't roamed the earth in thousands of years? Check your calendar.

I think it is INSANE to try to play god or enact fantasies of creating a Jurrasic park!

You're entitled to your opinion.

 

[jaypatriot]

I find this fascinating.

Think of the effort spent to save species that are near extinction. Think of being able to prevent those species from going extinct.

If we can manage to bring back a dodo, perhaps we can find a way to bring back other species and ecological life that is now extinct.

You realize that the Dodo bird was the only way that certain trees (now called Dodo trees) in Mauritian forest germinated, right? The Dodo ate their fruits and broke down the shells of the seeds effectively in their digestive track, and once the remnants of the seeds passed through the digestive track, new trees would sprout?

The last dodo birds went extinct in 1681 and no new “dodo trees” have grown since then - there are only something like a dozen left in existence. (Certain breeds of turkey may be able to do the job now…it’s under investigation/experimentation)


The only reason the Dodo went extinct is humans. Why not try to see if we can bring that species back?

It isn’t “playing god”. It is scientific advancement.


My god…we have about 35% of the natural pollinators in the planet in danger. If we can learn how to bring species back, we can make sure we never accidentally kill off all the bees, etc necessary to make sure we have FOOD.

Some people are so simple minded, they can’t imagine the possibilities

SAVE THE DELTA SMELT!!!
IGNORE FARMERS' DEMANDS FOR MORE WATER!!

 

[reflechissez]

Of all the things going on that might be worth wasting a worry on, this isn't really one of them imo.

This thread is when scientific ignorance meets right-wing outrage.

There are some interesting posts, though not by the OP. He just keeps repeating himself.

 

[Gatsby]

If you haven't heard, Colossal Biosciences is a biotech company trying to bring back to life extinct species.

They have plans to resurrect the Woolly Mammoth, Tasmanian tiger, and the dodo.

First, this is a colossal waste of money. I am not sure what the point of bringing back extinct species is instead of protecting endangered species. What is the purpose? How does it benefit society in a positive way?

Secondly, it is highly unethical. Species like to dodo are extinct for a reason. They have no purpose in the ecosystem and could potentially cause a great disturbance to the ecological nature.

Some of these species haven't roamed the earth for over 3,000 years!

I think it is INSANE to try to play god or enact fantasies of creating a Jurrasic park!

Humans were playing god when they drove those animals to extinction in the first place.

 

[ttwtt78640]

Humanity giveth, and humanity taketh away, or the other way around. The anthropic extinction of predators and megafauna has had a deleterious effect on many ecosystems, and there's a good argument to be made that reintroducing extinct keystone species can have positive impacts on endangered species. Reestablishing Thylacine populations in Tassie would slow the defoliation of native forest by Brushtail Possums, especially in the face of Devil population declines, which would have a positive impact on endangered species like the Yellow-bellied Parrot. Reintroducing mammoths on the Siberian tundra would convert it from the current, post-anthropocene moss and shrub biome back to grassland, which would slow permafrost thaw and sequester far more carbon.

Hmm… nothing with roots can grow in permafrost (aka tundra).

Tundra & Permafrost - Arctic Arts Project

www.arcticartsproject.com

 

[Bucky]

Sounds like fun.

I doubt it. Scientific research is rarely a waste.

Funding for science has been historically lowest under Obama and Clinton. Under the most recent Democtic administration, science has been embarrassing low, much lower compared to , Reagan, Bush, and Obama.

 

[Ambig]

Funding for science has been historically lowest under Obama and Clinton. Under the most recent Democtic administration, science has been embarrassing low, much lower compared to , Reagan, Bush, and Obama.

My politicians are way better than your politicians.

(By the way, you've got Obama on both sides of the equation.)

 

[Deuce]

Very lucrative, how? So we can build more zoos like Jurrasic Park? That sure went well.

They can do some good or some bad. Look at what bringing the mongoose had done for Hawaii's ecology.

...are you worried that the horrible Dodo Birds will break out of containment and overrun the earth?

 

[Deuce]

Funding for science has been historically lowest under Obama and Clinton. Under the most recent Democtic administration, science has been embarrassing low, much lower compared to , Reagan, Bush, and Obama.

Oh you mean the Democrats who had a Republican congress cutting everything?

 

[psikeyhackr]

Some of these species haven't roamed the earth for over 3,000 years!

I think it is INSANE to try to play god or enact fantasies of creating a Jurrasic park!

I am somewhat disinclined to listen to someone calling this playing god. The people investing the money to do it must have their own motives.

I would think eliminating planned obsolescence from would be more socially useful but try pointing that out to most people. How much would a billionaire pay to have the only Tasmanian devil in the world? Yeah, I think it would be weird but lots of stuff is weird.

 

[Checkerboard Strangler]

Look at deer. How many deer cause car accidents because they are overpopulated?

Ummm, that's because people have been playing God by eradicating WOLVES, BEARS, MOUNTAIN LIONS, all of which are more than happy to eat all the deer that that can catch.