Daily Question Thread - February 2023 - (GTKY)

[Chaoswolf]

59 minutes ago, TGP said:

Question: Feb 3rd:

Dodos. The Bird. Do you think SCIENCE should try reviving them from their DNA? Good idea? Mad idea?

Why?

I'm not sure what ecological niche they fill, but there are probably better ways to spend the money/time/resources.

 

Also, as mentioned just because we CAN, doesn't necessarily mean we SHOULD. 

[malefactus]

1 hour ago, TGP said:

Question: Feb 3rd:

Dodos. The Bird. Do you think SCIENCE should try reviving them from their DNA? Good idea? Mad idea?

 

We would only wind up killing them off anyway, but it would be cool to see one.

[Jasper_the_2nd]

1 hour ago, TGP said:

Question: Feb 3rd:

Dodos. The Bird. Do you think SCIENCE should try reviving them from their DNA? Good idea? Mad idea?

Seems safer than starting with dinosaurs....

 

I expect their environments have moved on and they wouldn't necessarily fit back in.

In the interest of advancing the science, it would certainly be interesting.

 

[ttuckerman]

14 hours ago, strawhat said:

 

The whistlepig lies.  Plus he's only right about 40% of the time.  More evidence of lying.

 

He is always right.  They only say if he sees his shadow there are six more weeks of winter.  If he does not see his shadow, there are also six more weeks of winter.  (The Vernal Equinox is six weeks from Groundhogs Day.)

2 hours ago, TGP said:

Question: Feb 3rd:

Dodos. The Bird. Do you think SCIENCE should try reviving them from their DNA? Good idea? Mad idea?

Start with the Passenger Pigeon.  It was around less time ago.  Also it was better adapted than the Dodo.  Hunting killed the Passenger Pigeon.

[ejala]

Bringing back dodos and other such long gone species? A definite maybe yes with a big caveat. Keep them secure in zoos. The environment they lived in in the wild has changed significantly in the 100 years dodos've been gone, even more for mammoths. If the habitat even still exists. Reintroduction of a species where it hasn't been for so long is as irresponsible as introducing a new invasive species and could be as devastating. 

Now, if this technology can be used to increase the population, and especially genetic diversity, of species on the brink of extinction, all systems go.

Though I'd rather they didn't increase any spiders, or at least don't put them in the wild in the great lakes/midwest region. 

[Glitterwolf]

4 hours ago, TGP said:

Question: Feb 3rd:

Dodos. The Bird. Do you think SCIENCE should try reviving them from their DNA? Good idea? Mad idea?

 

Hmmm on the one hand we might finally get the chance to taste one, I mean we ate them into extinction so they HAVE to taste good right?

 

On the other hand, what could go wrong?

 

 

[Inarah]

5 hours ago, TGP said:

Question: Feb 3rd:

Dodos. The Bird. Do you think SCIENCE should try reviving them from their DNA? Good idea? Mad idea?

 

Not sure why we would, what purpose would it serve? 

 

[chaosscorpion]

5 hours ago, Thoramel said:

 

No, because "science" is just a systematic way of studying the world through observations, hypotheses, and testing. And for some reason it always annoys the crap out of me when folks say science like it is a physical thing. And there's my mean scientist rant over for the day.

 

Now do I think biologists in the field of de-extinction (weird word, but it's a thing) should try and generate a new species that resembles an extinct one from processes like genome editing or cloning? Heck yes! I'm pretty certain the Dodo is extinct as a result of human activity, either hunting or through the introduction of invasive species to their native habitat. So kind of our fault they're gone in the first place. And I'm one of those people who thinks if something's your fault, it's also your responsibility. Also, We are currently in the midst of a major extinction event with something like 15% to 40% of all species of animal and plant either extinct or on the brink of extinction in the last hundred years or so (which is way above the background extinction rate). If we make it as a species and manage to get our crap together and stop or slow this catastrophe, then it would be nice to know that the field of de-extinction has moved forward enough that we can undo some of this in the future. So I say yes, bring everything back we possibly can, the Dodo, Passenger Pigeon, Small Solomon's Seal, Robber Frogs, etc... I want it all back and I want the processes behind that developed and refined to the point where we can bring as much back as possible.

 

Admittedly, I may be a little biased on this one. Part of my job is trying to protect habitat where known endangered species exist so I take it a little personally when something goes extinct on my watch.

As a means of correcting man's over harvesting or destruction of habitat.  I'm for it but it only matters if the current habitat is capable of sustaining them.

[Pezler the Polychromatic]

On 2/2/2023 at 12:02 PM, Corsair said:

Quizzle for 2 February 2023 [Groundhog Day USA]

Did you watch Punxatawny Phil today?

No, but our prairie dogs here have predicted that Spring will start on March 20th, and they're eerily accurate all the time. Also, we don't need to disturb their sleep by dragging them out of their burrow to ask them questions.

[Count Urlik]

16 hours ago, TGP said:

Question: Feb 3rd:

Dodos. The Bird. Do you think SCIENCE should try reviving them from their DNA? Good idea? Mad idea?

I’m fine with it, but only if they first restore enough habitat for any new strains to be self sustaining in the wild.  I have no interest in seeing live specimens restored for some version of a zoo.

 

FWIW, as a scientist, it raises the hackles on my neck when people talk about what SCIENCE can do.  Science is just an approach to studying things…

Edited February 4 by Count Urlik

[Pezler the Polychromatic]

17 hours ago, TGP said:

Question: Feb 3rd:

Dodos. The Bird. Do you think SCIENCE should try reviving them from their DNA? Good idea? Mad idea?

I'm more interested in the Tauros Programme, which is about reviving aurochs though with a different method. Think of the steaks we could have!

[TGP]

19 hours ago, TGP said:

Question: Feb 3rd:

Dodos. The Bird. Do you think SCIENCE should try reviving them from their DNA?

Danny Anduza who streams on Twitch tv as Paleontologizing had this queued up as the topic for the evening last Monday. 
 

And coincidentally Feb 3rd was feed the birds day. 
 

It turns out Dodos are genetically close to pigeons. If they try this they’ll be using pigeons eggs somehow or other. There are several places the story is echoed, here are three. No idea if any of these are paywalled. 
 

https://www.chron.com/life/wildlife/article/revive-extinct-dodo-bird-17753840.php
 

https://amp.theguardian.com/science/2023/jan/31/gene-editing-company-hopes-to-bring-dodo-back-to-life

 

https://amp.cnn.com/cnn/2023/01/31/world/dodo-bring-back-from-extinction-colossal-scn/index.html

 

Scientific American had a version of it. 
 

It would be interesting to hear what Dodos sound like, see if they’d breed true, and such. But I worry that these guys are considering messing about with code they did not write, don’t have the full manual for, and don’t fully understand. 
 

Computer analog: Imagine grabbing sections of machine language from many different sources, cobbling / pasting it together, and then hoping the resulting code runs with no errors. 

[TGP]

Weekend Breakfast Questions:

Feb 4th: 
Ice Cream for breakfast—ever done that?  Good idea? Mad idea?

 

Feb 5th:

(Showoff a snapshot of?) What did you have for breakfast this weekend?

[ratsmitglied]

1 hour ago, TGP said:

 

Computer analog: Imagine grabbing sections of machine language from many different sources, cobbling / pasting it together, and then hoping the resulting code runs with no errors. 

In my experience that's most code ...

[aku-chan]

21 hours ago, TGP said:

Question: Feb 3rd:

Dodos. The Bird. Do you think SCIENCE should try reviving them from their DNA? Good idea? Mad idea?

 

Probably not.

I don't think it's a bad idea, but humanity would find some way of wiping them out again, it's what we do.