Another Colossal announcement

Yesterday, gene-editing startup Colossal Biosciences announced a $150 million funding round reportedly valuing it at $1.5 billion. Though the company should change its name to The Walking Dead, because the funds will be used for “de-extinction activities” – aka bringing extinct animals back to life.

Colossal, which has now raised a total of $225 million from investors ranging from the CIA to Paris Hilton, previously announced plans to revive the wooly mammoth and thylacine (Tasmanian tiger). But yesterday it unveiled plans to revive a third extinct species: the dodo bird.

• To create a dodo – which went extinct in the late 17th century – the company plans to try to modify the bird’s closest living relative, the brightly colored Nicobar pigeon, then “re-wild” the animal in its native habitat on the island of Mauritius, MIT Tech Review reports.

🤔 What’s the point?... Colossal co-founder George Church says the research involved to resurrect the animals could help improve conservation efforts and other things, including human health care. But as anyone who's seen Jurassic Park can tell you, it could also have some pretty gnarly implications.

So you tell us: good idea or nah?

Yes

No

Don’t really care