New Scientist Podcasts
Weekly: Dire wolves (not) brought back from extinction; US science in existential crisis; how to pour the perfect coffee
Apr 11, 2025
A company claims to have reintroduced dire wolves through genetic engineering, sparking debates on whether these pups are truly dire wolves or just grey wolves in disguise. Meanwhile, U.S. scientific agencies face significant budget cuts, raising alarms about the future of public health. On a lighter note, physicists unveil the ideal method for pouring coffee, promising perfect brews. It's a mix of ethical dilemmas, funding crises, and the pursuit of the perfect cup that keeps listeners engaged!
21:53
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Quick takeaways
- Colossal Biosciences' creation of genetically modified pups as dire wolves raises ethical questions about the authenticity of de-extinction claims.
- Recent budget cuts in U.S. scientific agencies threaten public health initiatives by eliminating crucial programs and experienced personnel.
Deep dives
De-Extinction and Genetic Engineering
A company named Colossal Biosciences has claimed to have created three genetically modified pups they refer to as dire wolves. These animals are not true dire wolves, as they were engineered from grey wolf DNA and had only a limited number of genetic changes, specifically around 15 to alter their size and muscle structure. This raises questions about the scientific validity of labeling them as a resurrected species, considering that true dire wolves went extinct 10,000 years ago and the grey wolf genome still constitutes 99.5% similarity. Critics argue that just a few genetic edits cannot equate to bringing a truly extinct species back to life, challenging the notion of what it means to be a species in the context of de-extinction efforts.
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