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Discovery

The resurrection quest

Discovery

BBC

Science

4.31.2K Ratings

🗓️ 24 April 2023

⏱️ 28 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

‘Can we bring back extinct species?’ wonders listener Mikko Campbell. Well, Professor Fry is pretty excited by the prospect of woolly mammoths roaming the Siberian tundra once more. And everyone is impressed with the science that might make it happen. But Dr Rutherford comes out STRONGLY against the whole thing. Can our expert guests win him over?

Dr Helen Pilcher shares the tale of Celia the lonely mountain goat, and makes the case for cloning to help protect species at risk of extinction. Professor Beth Shapiro sets out how biotech company ‘Colossal’ plans to engineer Asian elephants’ DNA to make a new group of mammoth-like creatures. And we hear how genetic technologies are being used in conservation efforts around the world.

BUT WHAT ABOUT T-REXES? Not gonna happen. Sorry.

Contributors: Dr Helen Pilcher, author of ‘Bring Back the King: The New Science of De-Extinction’, Professor Beth Shapiro from the University of California Santa Cruz, Dr Ben Novak of Revive and Restore and Tullis Matson from Nature’s SAFE.

Transcript

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0:00.0

He's a rule-breaker, a trend-setter. He reshaped art and redefined graffiti.

0:07.4

How does he smell?

0:08.4

I paint.

0:09.4

Has he got any distinction features?

0:10.8

His anonymity.

0:11.8

But who is he?

0:13.2

What's his name?

0:14.0

Banksy.

0:15.0

Apparently I've mentioned twice.

0:16.5

The Banksy story.

0:18.0

Banksy's work is always about the human spirit versus the establishment.

0:24.2

Listen on BBC Science.

0:27.4

BBC Sounds, Music, Radio, Podcasts.

0:33.4

From global current affairs to art, science and culture,

0:38.4

the documentary from the BBC World Service tells the world's stories,

0:43.4

search for the documentary wherever you get your BBC podcasts.

0:50.4

Hello and welcome to the curious cases of Rutherford and Fry on Discovery for the BBC.

0:55.4

This is the programme where you send us in the queries, questions and conundrums that you are curious about.

1:01.4

And we will look into them on your behalf using the power of science.

1:05.4

So please do send us your questions, curious cases at bbc.co.uk and on with the show.

1:17.4

A short but sweet question for today's curious case.

1:20.4

Can you bring back an extinct species?

...

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