Bring Back the King
The New Science of De-extinction
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- 11,99 €
Beschreibung des Verlags
If you could bring back just one animal from the past, what would you choose? It can be anyone or anything from history, from the King of the Dinosaurs, T. rex, to the King of Rock 'n' Roll, Elvis Presley, and beyond.
De-extinction – the ability to bring extinct species back to life – is fast becoming reality. Around the globe, scientists are trying to de-extinct all manner of animals, including the woolly mammoth, the passenger pigeon and a bizarre species of flatulent frog. But de-extinction is more than just bringing back the dead. It's a science that can be used to save species, shape evolution and sculpt the future of life on our planet.
In Bring Back the King, scientist and comedy writer Helen Pilcher goes on a quest to identify the perfect de-extinction candidate. Along the way, she asks if Elvis could be recreated from the DNA inside a pickled wart, investigates whether it's possible to raise a pet dodo, and considers the odds of a 21st century Neanderthal turning heads on public transport.
Pondering the practicalities and the point of de-extinction, Bring Back the King is a witty and wry exploration of what is bound to become one of the hottest topics in conservation – if not in science as a whole – in the years to come. READ THIS BOOK – the King commands it.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Pilcher, a British science journalist and comedian, details how scientists are using the latest advances in molecular genetics and reproductive biology to explore possibilities in the realm of de-extinction. Though de-extinction isn't an established scientific field at least not yet Pilcher reveals that researchers are finding ways to re-create genomes of extinct species and figuring out how to turn such genomes into living, breathing organisms. They're also attempting to increase the reproductive capacity of endangered species that are not yet extinct. In accessible prose, Pilcher describes many of those techniques as well as the passion of those involved in these efforts. She also explores the current technical limitations and explains why we will likely never be able to bring back extinct species of dinosaurs and the vast majority of species that have been lost. Pilcher presents an insightful discussion of the ethical and ecological reasons why it might not make sense to do so even if we could. Whether she's dealing with wooly mammoths, peculiar Australian frogs, Neanderthals, or Elvis Presley, she asks provocative questions about both the nature of science and what it means to be human. Pilcher uses humor effectively to keep readers engaged, and there is a great deal here to entertain and educate them.
