10 Amazing Facts About Stars

I’ll argue that the biggest mystery is not what was, or what will be—it’s what is.

For thousands of years people have looked at the sky and asked that very question—it’s even in one of the world’s most famous lullabies.

Because that’s what stars do: they fill us with awe and intrigue. They make us wonder about the nature of the universe and ourselves, and although we might not have all our questions answered, we still feel hope and inspiration when we look up… Almost as though being here is enough.

Well, we don’t have all the answers for you, but we’ve got some, and their sure to leave you with the same curiosity that science never fails to deliver. At the very least, these 10 amazing facts about stars will make you the most interesting person in the room.

Oh, and they might also blow your mind.

1. Almost All Matter in The Universe Comes From Stars

The oxygen you breathe in, the calcium that strengthens your bones, and even the nitrogen that forms your DNA—they were all formed in stars long before galaxies even existed.

Stars spend their entire life building elements within themselves, then when they reach the end of their life, they explode and scatter the elements throughout space.

These elements are responsible for creating matter (anything that’s physical).

2. Planets Are Born from Stars—and Depend on Them. The Ones That Don’t, Go Rogue

Planets are created from the leftover gas and dust in a spinning cloud that surrounds young stars.

Incredibly, there are around 100 billion stars in the galaxy, and it’s likely that for every star there are one or more planets. This means that there are more planets than stars, which makes sense because planets sometimes orbit stars—just like the Earth orbits the Sun.

3. You Can Never Actually See A Star; You Can Only See The Light They Give Off

One of the most interesting facts about stars is that we don’t actually see them.

It’s easy to think that you are seeing a star when you look up into the night sky, but don’t be fooled—what you are really looking at is the light that stars give off.

In reality, stars are too far away to see with your naked eye, and even if you were to look through a telescope, you are not actually seeing the sun, moon, or any other celestial object—all you are seeing is their light.

You can only see objects that light has reached the surface of. For example, If you can view Mars with a telescope, then it is only because the light reflected from Mars has reached the distance your telescope can show you. In reality, Mars is way too see with your naked eyes.

A light year is the distance light travels in one year. The stars you see when you look up at the night sky is about 1000 light years away; therefor, they take about 1000 years to reach the Earth, and when they do, they reach your eyes.

But space as a huge place, and some stars are much further than that.

4. The light From Some Stars Travel For Billions of Years and Still Haven’t Reached Us

Light has a speed of 186,000 miles per second.

To put that into perspective, light can travel from the Earth to the Moon in 1.28 seconds, and in that same amount of time, it could travel back and forth between New York and Los Angeles 36 times!

There are stars in deep space—not within our galaxy—that are so far away, that their light has not reached the Earth yet.

5. When You Look at a Star, You Are Looking at The Past

Let’s say that you go outside and begin to look at a star in the night sky.

Since you’ve read our 10 interesting facts about stars, you know that you are only seeing the light of that star, and not the star itself.

If you can only see the light that a star gives off, and it takes a thousand years for that light to reach the Earth, then you are actually seeing that star as it was 1000 years ago.

For you to see what that star looks like right now, you’d need to wait another thousand years—because the light it’s emitting right now would take another thousand years to reach you.

6. It’s Theoretically Possible That Some Stars You See Might Not Exist Anymore

Some stars in deep space are millions of light years away meaning that it will take millions of years for their light to reach the point where you can see them with a telescope.

Stars typically live for a few million years, and If some stars sent out their light a few million years ago, it’s theoretically possible that some of these stars have died and aren’t there anymore. Why?

Because the light has already left the star and is travelling into space, but the star is still in its orbit in a galaxy far far away (unless the poor sucker went rouge).

The light and the star are two independent things. So, you can be looking at a star, but for all you know, that star might have died.

But although it may be gone, you are still able to look at it’s light—it gives you inspiration and leaves you in wonder for as long as you live.

Star Size	Lifespan
Massive Stars	A few million years
Medium-sized Stars	Approx. 10 billion years
Small Stars	Tens to hundreds of billions of years

8. Stars Are One of The Few Things in Existence That Give Off Their Own Light

Planets, moons, asteroids, and even most living things don’t produce light on their own; they reflect light from celestial objects that give off light—like stars.

In other word’s, you can only see other objects largely because stars exist. Without light from stars, your eyes would never be able to capture these objects (or people or thing’s).

Here’s a bonus to go with our 10 facts about stars:

the only reason we can see anything on Earth is because light reflects off objects and into our eyes, and before we invented light bulbs, most of that light came from stars.

Other than infrared and thermal radiation—which can only be seen with some cameras—we as human beings don’t even produce our own light.

9. Stars Are Constantly Battling Gravity, and Gravity Always Wins (Thankfully)

Stars are in a constant battle with gravity throughout their lives.

The core of a star burns hydrogen, and this fuel keeps the star stable by generating an outward pressure. At the same time, gravity is always trying to crush the star by pulling matter inward—creating inward pressure.

Eventually, the star runs out of energy and gives into the pressure where it is swallowed by gravity and implodes.

This explosion spreads elements throughout the galaxy, and elements were responsible for the creation of all matter.

A star literally had to die for you to be here right now.

10. The Final Fact About Stars: A Star Created the Largest Ocean In The Universe—and it’s Floating In Space

The largest body of water in the universe is 140 trillion times the size of all of Earth’s oceans combined, and it’s floating in space around a quasar.

What does this have to do with stars?

Sometimes when stars explode, they create a region in space where gravity is so strong that nothing—not even light—can escape it. This is called a black hole—a term you’re probably familiar with.

The largest body of water in the universe is surrounding a type of black hole called a quasar and it’s moving through space at this very moment.

If Light Cannot Escape a Black Hole, Then How Do We See it?

Nothing can escape a black hole, not even light.

This means that black holes neither produce their own light nor can they reflect it; however, we can see black holes from the lights that are close to it.

This is exactly what happened in 2019 when the first image of a black hole was captured in a galaxy 53.49 million light years away (Galaxy M87).

You see how the red colour looks as though it’s moving? That’s because the gravitational force of the black hole is bending the light passing near it.

In this way, we are able to view black holes because of the lights around it.

A Great Advancement for 3D Printed Organs

3D printing in hospitals is nothing new, but for the first time in history, a woman received a 3D printed windpipe that became a fully functional without the need for immunosuppressants.

Immunosuppressants are used during organ transplants to keep the body from attacking the organ that it see’s as foreign. This means that the organ the woman received was organic and personalized for her, as if she had it her entire life.

This mind-blowing news shows that we are now closer than ever to being able to create full-scale, functional, and complicated 3D printed organs like a heart or lung.

But what about creating a brain?

3D Printing and Organoid Intelligence

Organoid Intelligence, or OI, is an emerging field of study that is focused on creating bio-computers by merging AI with real brain cells called organoids. Organoids are miniature and simplified versions of organs grown in a lab dish. They mimic some of the functions of fully grown organs, like brains. The idea behind OI is that by increase the cells organoids contain, they may begin to function like fully grown brains, and can then be used alongside computers to enhance Artificial Intelligence.

It turns out that the world’s first 3D printed windpipe was so successful that we are now closer than ever to creating the world first organoid intelligent bio-computer.

Here’s why.

The World’s First 3D Printed Windpipe

Transplant patients usually have to take a long course of immunosuppressants that help the body accept the organ. The body see’s the organ as foreign, and so the immune system begins to attack the new organ, which can lead to more complicated health problems.

The woman in her 50’s who received the 3D printed windpipe did so without any immunosuppressants. In just 6 months after the operation, the windpipe healed and began to form blood vessels, and of course, more cells.

The current goal of scientists in the field of Organoid Intelligence is to increase organoids from 100,000 cells to 10 million, and this begs the question:

Can 3D printing help build bio-computers by creating better organoids?

Can 3D Printing Help Build Bio-Computers?

The worlds first 3D printed windpipe shows that advances in 3D printing can create better functioning organs, and this implies that we can also create more intricate organoids to help in the field of Organoid Intelligence and eventually create bio-computers.

Its important to understand the distinction between 3D printing an organ and printing something like a tool or musical instrument.

The difference between printing an organ and printing a non-biological structure depends on the ink being used in the 3D printer.

3D printing non-organic structures will require ink that can be made from plastic, plastic alternatives like PLA, metal, and ceramics. On the other hand, 3D printed organs are made from ink called “bio-inks” that are a mixture of living cells and biocompatible substances like the ones mentioned above.

In the case of the 3D printed windpipe, the ink used was partly formed from the stem and cartilage cells collected from the woman’s own nose and ear. It was because of this bio-ink that the woman’s body did not reject the organ.

The Problem With 3D Printed Organs

Organs created with bioprinting need to function like real organs for the body to safely use them, and this does not happen right away.

The 3D printed organs need to go beyond just a printed structure and become living. They need to form tissues and cells that help create biological functionality, and forming these cells take time.

The problem with 3D bioprinting is that the ink used for the printer needs to be effective at doing this, and if it is not, the organ may not stay functional.

The ink used for the 3D-printed windpipe was made from part bio-ink and part polycaprolactone (PCL), a synthetic polyester material.

PCL is a used in the 3D ink for the purposes of maintain the structure of the windpipe, while the bio-ink is used to help the 3D printed organ to become fully biological in time so that the body can use it.

The PCL maintains the structure while the bio-ink does it’s thing.

The problem with PCL is that it is biodegradable and won’t last forever. In fact, doctors don’t expect the 3D-printed windpipe to last more than five years.

The Solution is Better Bio-ink

The 3D printed windpipe was not just made using PCL, but it contained bio-ink made from living cells too. The hope is that the living cells in the 3D printed organ—which came from the bio-ink—will assist the patient’s body in creating a fully functional windpipe to replace the PCL’s function.

If the organ begins to form cells and tissue by itself, then the function of PCL will be replaced by the biological function of the organ that is growing.

The organ becomes real!

Bio-Ink helps the 3D printed organ mimic it’s natural environment of cells and eventually become a real organ.

3D Printing Organs Will Save Lives

Every year, thousands of people need a lifesaving organ transplant. These transplants cost hundreds of thousand of dollars, and many people who need them don’t make it passed the waiting list.

3D Printing organs could give people the incredible opportunity to receive the help they need when they need it, saving thousands of lives annually, and millions of lives in the long run.

As advances are made in 3D Bioprinting, they will also be made in areas of Organoid and Artificial Intelligence, which shows that the progress being made in one place will once again shine its way to another.

The Extinction Problem

The diversity of the species on this planet is standing at a history-breaking climax that has never been equaled. More species are disappearing than ever before in recorded history. In the last 500 years alone, 869 species have been driven to extinction by human beings. Right now, as many as 16,928 species of plants and animals are known to be threatened with extinction.

The De-extinction Solution

Yet, at the same time, thanks to recent scientific advances in genetic engineering, we might be able to bring back once extinct species.

One company, Colossal Biosciences is doing just that with what can be called a potential “de-extinction solution”. They say they are getting closer to bringing back the dodo Bird, the Thylacine, and even the Woolly Mammoth.

These were a keystone species, and Colossal Biosciences says that using genetic engineering to bring them back could restore entire ecosystems.

What is Colossal Biosciences?

Colossal Biosciences is a biotechnology and genetic engineering company that is focused on de-extinction projects to bring back extinct species. Many extinct species have had a beneficial impact on ecosystems. Colossal claims that bringing them back could greatly help the Earth by curbing extinction and helping strengthen ecosystems.

According to their website, “Through technological and engineering breakthroughs in biosciences and genetics, Colossal is accepting humanity’s duty to restore Earth to a healthier state, while also solving for the future economies and biological necessities of the human condition.”

According to Business Wire, Colossal Biosciences has raised $225 million in funding to put towards their efforts.

Who Founded Colossal Biosciences

Colossal Biosciences was founded by Scientist Dr. George Church and entrepreneur Ben Lamm.

Dr. George Church is a leading scientist in synthetic biology at Harvard University. He is best known for developing the first genomic sequencing method and helping initiate the Human Genome Project—an undertaking to study and map human DNA.

Ben Lamm is a dynamic entrepreneur who has served as CEO of multiple companies that focused on everything from AI in space to marketing and video games.

When Was Colossal Biosciences Founded?

Colossal Biosciences officially opened its doors in 2021 after Dr. George Church and Ben Lamm started discussing the possibility of a de-extinction project.

Two years prior, Dr. Church and Ben Lamm got together for the first time. At that time, Lamm had been the CEO of another company he had founded called Hypergiant. This company’s focus was on aerospace and the military. As part of his work there, he’d been working on a small device that develops algae that can clean as much air as an acre of trees.

It was during this conversation that Dr. Church and Ben started discussing a colossal undertaking.

Where is Colossal Biosciences Located?

Colossal Biosciences has four main locations: Melbourne, Boston, Massachusetts, and Dallas. The company has a lab in Harvard University and another across the globe at the University of Melbourne in Australia.

The Colossal De-extinction Project

De-extinction is a process of creating a hybrid animal using genes from an animal that is similar to the extinct one. The traits these animals display are similar to the extinct species, and are specifically selected by scientists.

In other words, a de-extinct animal will be neither the living species nor the lost one. It will be a scientifically designed combination of the two.

This is a pretty startling thing to think about. It could be incredible to see something like a Woolly Mammoth walking around.

However, Colossal Biosciences has a much more profound reason for their huge undertaking.

Why De-Extinction?

Colossal Biosciences is using de-extinction to fill gaps in ecosystems long vacated by lost species to heal the world.

Every species plays a distinct role in its ecosystem. The natural world is very intertwined in a never-ending series of food chains and cycles. Everything impacts everything else.

When a species is removed from its environment, the impact can be very profound. So much so that people are creating shoes that help play the role that many of these important species fill—like the rewilding shoes.

Plants and animals that relied on the lost species can experience many problems. Overpopulation, a decrease in numbers, or even extinction can result from the loss. The quality of soil, air, and water can be impacted and even downgraded.

Colossal Biosciences believes they can reverse the damage. All they have to do is reintroduce these lost creatures to the ecosystems they left behind. The right animals can restart processes and habits long neglected. Habitats can be returned to an earlier and healthier state, and entire ecosystems formed.

The Process of De-extinction

De-extinction has made some real progress, but some challenges still remain. This makes de-extinction mostly conceptual. Regardless, the process of de-extinction is something that can be broken down into steps.

• Finding Well-Preserved Specimens of the Extinct Animal: The longer a species has been dead, the more degraded its DNA. Frozen tundra and museum samples are often the best sources of DNA for many animals.
• Sequence the Genes from the Extinct Species: Scientists use gene sequencing to compare the DNA of an extinct species to its closest living relative. This identifies the key differences that need to be altered to potentially bring the extinct animal back.
• Find the Closest Living Relative and Sequence its Genes: The genes of the lost animals are then combined with those of a living species to create offspring.
• Gene Editing: Once both sets of DNA have been sequenced, they must be combined or edited. Scientists will take the traits they need from the extinct species and insert them into the DNA of the living species. They will handpick the traits they need in order for the species to help regenerate the ecosystem.
• Create the Embryos: In the case of a mammal, the nucleus containing the DNA will be inserted into the egg, or ova. The egg will then be united with a sperm and implanted into the surrogate mother’s womb. For the bird, edited DNA will be injected directly into the surrogate mother so it can be transferred into the eggs that she lays.
• Birth or Hatching: The surrogate mother will be cared for until the baby is born, or the egg is laid and hatched. What emerges will be an animal that looks and behaves like its ancestors, but which is actually a combination of the extinct and the living species. It will contain all the traits necessary to replenish the earth.

The animals selected for De-extinction by Colossal Biosciences are the Woolly Mammoth, the Thylacine, and the Dodo Bird.

Colossal Woolly Mammoth

Height	6 to 12 Feet
Weight	Up to 6 tons
Extinction Date	Approximately 4000 years ago
Appearance	Resembles elephant with smaller ears. Two layers of fur, humpback, long truck, and stocky build.

There are a few good reasons that Colossal Biosciences has chosen the Woolly Mammoth as one of its first projects.

Woolly Mammoths frozen in the Siberian tundra have often been so well-preserved that they almost looked like they were ready to get up and walk away. For this long gone species, surviving DNA is plentiful.

They also have a living relative that is already their exact clone. The Asian elephant’s DNA sequence is a 99.6% match to that of the Woolly Mammoth. That remaining 4% is still a pretty big hurdle for the scientists at Colossal Biosciences. However, the huge percentage still in place puts them way ahead of the game.

Why Bring Back the Woolly Mammoth?

The Woolly Mammoth lived in an ancient ecosystem called the Mammoth Steppe. Nearly 1600 billion metric tons of carbon are stored in the permafrost that comprises what’s left of the Steppe. Bringing back the Woolly Mammoth would bring back the Steppe, and this could help reduce global warming.

The Mammoth kept these ecosystems alive by trampling down bushes and pushing back trees. They also fertilized the grass with their droppings.

Colossal Biosciences lists 10 goals they expect will be achieved by bringing back the Woolly Mammoth.

·       Slow down the melting of the permafrost.

·       Prevent the escape of carbon trapped in the permafrost.

·       Restore the lost grasslands of the Mammoth Steppe.

·       Restore the Mammoth Steppe to its former, healthier condition.

·       Return the Mammoth Steppe to an ecosystem to defend the Earth against climate change.

·       Better understand the genetic traits of cold-resistant animals.

·       Save modern elephants from extinction.

·       Prove a link between genetics and climate change.

·       Equip Nature to resist the damaging impact of human activity.

·       Drive advancements in genetic editing.

Final Result: The Mammophant

The resulting hybrid creature is already being called a Mammophant. It will be part elephant, but it will also have the traits that made the mammoth the king of the frozen tundra. This will include the thick fur and extra layers of fat tissue.

It will also be big and powerful enough to carry on the work the mammoths left behind. This includes clearing the grasslands and, hopefully, returning them to their original healthy state. The grasslands, in turn, should provide a much-needed opportunity to manage the global warming problem.

Colossal Thylacine:

The Thylacine is an animal of many names. It has been known also as a Tasmanian Wolf or a Tasmanian Tiger, although it’s neither canine nor feline. It’s a marsupial that once lived on Tasmania, an Island off the Southern Coast of Australia.

Height	20” to 27”
Weight	35 to 65 lbs.
Date of Extinction	1936
General Appearance	looks like a cross between a coyote and a tiger. Brown with stripes. Narrow, pointed face and long tail.

How did the Thylacine Go Extinct?

Their story is a tragic one. Through exaggeration and wild tales, the Thylacine developed a reputation for being a fierce predator. It was mistakenly regarded as a huge threat to local sheep farmers on the Island. None of this was true. They mostly ate rodents, lizards, and birds.

The Islanders became determined to defend themselves against this falsely accused menace. At one time, the government even offered a bounty of one pound for each Thylacine killed. Farmers and hunters were more than happy to collect.

The last thylacine died in a zoo in 1936 having lived its last years in solitude and neglect.

Why Bring Back the Thylacine?

The Thylacine was an apex species. This means it was at the top of the food chain in its ecosystem. It played a key role in keeping the populations of other species balanced. When the thylacine went extinct, every animal beneath it on the food chain was impacted, which created a cascading effect called trophic downgrading. Scientists at Colossal Biosciences believe that a reintroduced the Thylacine can end trophic downgrading. Tropic downgrading causes a variety of negative consequence:

·       Increased occurrences of devastating diseases.

·       Increase in the number of wildfires.

·       Decrease in the amount of carbon stored.

·       Introduction of more potentially damaging invasive species.

·       Interruption of the cycles which distribute chemicals and compounds throughout the ecosystem.

Of the three species being brought back first, the Thylacine is the one that’s been gone for the least amount of time. Plenty of embryos and young Thylacines were preserved before they disappeared. So, there’s plenty of intact DNA at hand.

The closest living relative to the Thylacine is a little mouse-like critter called the Fat-Tailed Dunnart. Its DNA is 95% identical to that of the Thylacine. This animal has a strong population and a conservation status of “least concern”. That means there are plenty of specimens and a large supply of living DNA for Colossal Biosciences to work with.

Final Result: The Thylanart

This hybrid doesn’t have an official name, yet. In the tradition of mixing parental names, it could be called a “Thylanart”. This animal, although it will be made from a creature the size of a mouse, will still grow to be as big as a small dog. It will also bear the traits that allowed its ancestor to be an apex animal and can rebalance the Tasmanian ecosystem to its former, natural state.

Colossal: Dodo Bird

The dodo, the only bird in Colossal Biosciences’ initial species index, is something of an iconic symbol for extinct species. It was a large, flightless bird that lived on tiny Mauritius Island which lies off the east coast of Madagascar, the famous Island of Africa.

Height	32” to 38”
Weight	20 to 50 lbs.
Date of Extinction	Approximately 1662 – 1690
Appearance	Thick, curved beak. Course, brownish-gray feathers, and feet.

How did the Dodo Bird Go Extinct?

When humans started to colonize Mauritius Island in the 1500s, the dodo’s future changed forever. Settlers brought with them new species of animals such as rats, pigs, goats, deer, and birds. These creatures threatened the supply of naturally existing plant species, and they developed a taste for Dodo bird eggs. This is not good news for a bird that only lays eggs once a year.

One of the most devastating problems the dodo faced, however, came in the form of hunting rifles. Local settlers developed a liking for dodo bird meat and, fast as the dodo was, it couldn’t outrun a bullet.

Why Bring Back the Dodo Bird?

“Almost a third of Mauritius’ native fruits are no longer being dispersed as no animals are big enough to swallow their seeds.”

These startling words from the Natural History Museum’s website encompass the pressing need many scientists have to bring back the dodo bird. The loss of the dodo and other species is bringing this tropical ecosystem to its knees. Little by little, it’s disappearing simply because of the lack of a Dodo bird.

Final Result: The Docobar

This hybrid bird could be called a “Docobar” because of the mixture of dodo bird and Nicobar Pigeon DNA that it will have. The Nicobar pigeon, a brightly colored bird from India, is the Dodo bird’s closest living relative.

Colossal Biosciences aims to design the Hybrid to thrive on the dodo bird’s old stomping grounds, Mauritius Island. More than that, it should resume the activities of its ancestors such as swallowing and fertilizing seeds.

When Will the Animals Become De-extinct?

How long until the world can expect to see “Mammophants” thundering across the Arctic or to watch the first “Docobar” push its way out of its shell?

Of course, Colossal Biosciences can’t provide a precise birthdate for the world’s first resurrected hybrid animals. However, they’ve given their best estimates.

Woolly Mammoth – 2027-2028: Colossal is pushing hard for the Woolly Mammoth Hybrid to be the first revived. In early 2023, Colossal Biosciences raised an additional $60 million in funding specifically for this project.

Thylacine – 2028: Scientists believe the Hybrid Thylacine won’t be far behind the Woolly Mammoth. They’ve given it a projected birth date of as early as 2028. Marsupials have a much faster gestation rate than most other mammals. This could mean we see them sooner than the Mammoth.

Dodo Bird – Unknown: The dodo bird’s revival is very complicated and challenging due to a lower selection of viable DNA samples. As well, their closest living relative isn’t a closely related as scientists would like. Although new techniques are being developed, it’s not known when there might be a fertilized egg.

De-extinction is becoming a more popular topic of conversation, especially with Colossal Biosciences gaining popularity. It’s a new and strange idea once only possible in the realm of fantasy, and the world is still trying to make sense of it. It could be the miracle the environment needs, or it could be a big mistake.

The Pros of De-Extinction:

There are plenty of arguments as to why de-extinction could be a welcome new phase in our natural history.

• Knowledge: Continued work on the de-extinction project brings new knowledge of DNA and genetics. This new understanding could help us in ways we can’t imagine.
• Environmental Health: The resurrected animals could help us bring the planet back to a state of health not seen in a long time.
• Justice: Humans created the mess that the planet currently finds itself in. It’s only fair and right that humans figure out how to fix it.
• Curiosity: There’s just a certain awe that comes with the prospect of seeing a species never before seen alive.

The Cons of De-Extinction:

At the same time, there are lots of reasons for scientists to proceed with plenty of caution. Colossal biosciences will have to consider the following:

• Animal Rights: The simple fact is, that animals can’t tell us if this is something they want or not. Injury or illness could be caused by inevitable trials and errors.
• Viruses: There is a risk that resurrected genes could also bring back viruses and diseases the world is not prepared for.
• Environmental Health: Scientists can’t be 100% sure how these hybrids will impact the ecosystems they inhabit.
• Political Focus: The introduction of de-extinct species could take attention and resources away from other issues. Current endangered species could be neglected.

The biggest question being asked, however, and the one that needs the most attention is the question of ethics.

The Ethical Debate About De-Extinction:

With all the talk of de-extinction, many people are reminded of a movie that came out in the 1990s. It involved de-extinct dinosaurs running around a tropical Island terrorizing scientists and children.

Over and over again, a thought from that movie has been resurfacing. In a nutshell, we know we can do it. The question is whether we should do it.

A big concern is that, if de-extinction became a reality, people might think there is now an infinite supply of any given species. They might become lax about conserving and protecting wildlife. Money that could be used to solve world hunger or clean up plastics pollution might, instead, go into the next hybrid animal.

Paul and Anne Erlich from the Yale School of the Environment argue in their publication that de-extinction projects— like the one Colossal Biosciences is undertaking—are a terrible idea. If scientists don’t first address problems like destructive mining practices or creating a clean energy future, questions of de-extinction won’t even matter.

The environments these extinct animals left behind have changed vastly while they’ve been away. It’s not even certain that they could survive in the world that exists today.