Opinion The Third Edit: Mammoths, mice and dystopias becoming reality

For about two years now, people have been promised a discount Jurassic Park, come to life. The woolly mammoth, which has been extinct for about 4,000 years, has been on the verge of being “brought back”. The company that is seeking to achieve this feat has received much publicity for its claims. Perhaps that’s why, to sate an eager public, it has “created” woolly mice as a trailer to the much larger main attraction in years to come. But, as science imitates science fiction, it might do well to look at the lessons from the latter.

The new species — mice that sport a luxurious coat (imagine the pesky rodent with the fur of a chestnut golden retriever) — has been created through gene editing. Colossal Biosciences, the company behind the creature, has cited the critter as further support for the case for bringing back the mammoth before the end of the decade. Questions, though, remain. First, a species isn’t just about how it looks. Will “de-extinct” mammoths behave in ways that the originals did? A mammoth that doesn’t act like one is just a hairy elephant. More important than the how, though, is why. Why bring back animals that have died out? Wouldn’t working towards preserving the ones that are still around be a better bet?

Advertisement

In recent years, there has been a sense that the sci-fi future is now. Unfortunately, it often appears to be a dystopic one. Advances in AI and robotics make it seem like artificial consciousness is in the offing. While tech bros may revel at the thought, for many it’s the threat of being obsolete that looms large. And that’s without thinking of The Terminator. There are no flying cars, and EV comes with the complications of mining the minerals that make up the batteries — and where they are concentrated (think Frank Herbert’s Dune). Perhaps, before a gene-edited mammoth is unleashed, it might be worth rewatching Jurassic Park.