Weird & Interesting science, take 2

[Matrix Dragon]

After 10,000 years, dire wolves are no longer extinct.

Sadly, all indications are that this is mostly advertising lies that TIME didn't do the full research on. These are just dogs tweaked a little to look a bit like what we think Dire wolves might have looked like, lighter fur and things like that.

[classicdrogn]

That's addressed in the article, though - that there's no actual splicing in of sampled DNA fragments, but rather editing modern samples with the differences identified from examining ancient samples, and specifically quoting some guy who says "this may be a difference without distinction." Like, if you take the model file for a Superman tabletop miniature and replace the hair and shield logo with Bizarro's before 3D printing it, is it not then a Bizarro mini? (disregarding color, since that's a matter of painting it either way for resin printed minis)

[Matrix Dragon]

So in other words, it is a wolf in cosplay, not a Dire Wolf. There's a reason scientists not affiliated with the company are calling it a PR gimmick and nothing more.

[classicdrogn]

If they breed true after reaching adulthood, at the least they'd be a new species of wolf. Whether they'd also fall under the common name of Dire Wolves is then, indeed, a matter of marketing and PR, like how Pluto got demoted to a background planetesimal after losing the popularity poll in Weekly Astronomy Jump.

[Matrix Dragon]

And as a PR stunt, I can almost understand it. The company is also supposedly working on reviving species like the Tasmanian Tiger, which frankly makes more sense than pretending a few tweaked wolves are now a species that went extinct over 13,000 years ago and were actually more closely related to African jackals. Trying for funding by claiming they made progress on Dire Wolves would make sense. But they got too greedy.

Also, there are no plans to breed them. Which raises my suspicions even more.

[Norgarth]

Why breed them? Are they supposed to introduce them to the wild? Or just keep the growing pack contained in a limited reserve? The latter seems cruel, and the former somewhat irresponsible.

But if they can recreate an extinct species, they should be able to breed more of endangered species, which can hopefully be added to existing populations

So yeah, it's a PR stunt, but that's how you get funding for more useful things.

[robkelk]

Why breed them?

If they can't breed, they aren't a species, by definition.

[Norgarth]

Why breed them?

If they can't breed, they aren't a species, by definition.

I didn't ask if they could (or couldn't) breed, I asked what the point of breeding more would be?

these ones were a mix of proof of concept, proof they can do it repeatably/reliably, and a large helping of PR stunt to gain attention/investors.

Being able to reliably make more of a given species will be important for their stated goal of helping to repopulate several endangered (or more recently extinct) species such as Red Wolves or Tasmanian Tigers.

but why breed more Dire Wolves beyond what they have? 

 I assume their ecological niche has long since been filled/eliminated, and trying to add them to the wild would cause chaos in the existing ecological web.  On the other hand breeding more if they will only live in a cage (even if it's a big cage of a nature preserve) seems somewhat cruel.

[classicdrogn]

but why breed more Dire Wolves beyond what they have? 

asked and answered

these ones were a mix of proof of concept, proof they can do it repeatably/reliably, and a large helping of PR stunt to gain attention/investors.

Being able to reliably make more of a given species will be important for their stated goal of helping to repopulate several endangered (or more recently extinct) species such as Red Wolves or Tasmanian Tigers.

If the edited genetics somehow ends up being sterile or unstable, then that's a problem for the other branches of the project as well. Logically that should not happen, but many things that should not happen do so anyway.

[Bob Schroeck]

All-female crew, including singer Katy Perry, blast off on Blue Origin rocket

[robkelk]

Dimethyl sulfide and dimethyl disulfide detected in the atmosphere of K2-18b

Assuming the scans are correct, of course; they haven't been independently verified yet.

On Earth, these two chemicals are produced in nature only by microbial life (mostly phytoplankton).

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Ancient Pyramid in Mexico Collapsed Into A Pile of Rubble

On the night of July 29, the 15-meter-high (roughly 50-foot-high) square monument located in the state of Michoacán suddenly slumped under the pressure of incessant rain, its south wall crumbling into a pile of rubble.

The pyramid was once one of the best-preserved monuments of the Michoacán Kingdom civilization.

The "incessant rain" is described as a product of climate change.

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British soldiers have successfully taken down drones with a radio-wave weapon.

However, the nature of the technology means that a wide beam is used, which is effective at disabling multiple drones simultaneously, but lacks target discrimination. Hence, Sgt Mayers, the first British soldier to bring down drones using a radiofrequency weapon, described it as "a great asset to Layered Air Defence."

The MOD believes the system, which it estimates costs 10p per shot fired, "could provide a cost-effective complement to traditional missile-based air defence systems."

[Bob Schroeck]

A scanning error has resulted in a nonsensical science term that AI won't let die.

[robkelk]

Solar wind might be making water on the moon, groundbreaking NASA study reveals