OK, my dad found an intresting article in the Science And Technology section of The Economist. Apparently this company called GeneDupe (based in Melito, California) are apparently going to try to make real dragons using a new thing called 'Virtual Cell Biology'. Basically, it's a fancy mix of using a computer to mae genomes and all. I'll post more (it's late here) but apparently they'll tweak lizard DNA to get a dragon.

Thoughts on this?

*claws at screen*

must....have....DRAGONS!!!!!

Sounds quite interesting too, hope it works.

Sounds cool! But I wonder what subspecies they're trying to make...

IC.. well. I wounder what makes these scientists think that
A: doing this would be good.. &
B: that they have the right to play God by creating some thing that was been dead for over 22,000 years ago..
On paper it sounds Kool. but I don't think I would want to see one runing or flying around. :P

That could require some combinations of DNA, wouldn't it? Just tweaking around with DNA isn't going to get the dragons of mythology, or is that not what they're after?

I am not sure what they are trying to create.. and frankly don't care!
Playing with Non-Human DNA is very dangerous! Only God know what kind of creater that could result! And there is the ever present danger of creating some mutent strain of DNA that could destruy the whole human race if it where to be released. Man has no right to play God like that..

Hmm, well my first question would be whether this is the April 1st issue of The Economist. In particular, there is no such city as Melito, California. Many periodicals like to have a little fun in the April issues. :D

Being from Canada.. I not aboput that State.. But I hope your theory on it being an April fools type of thing is right! ;) If it is true.. just the thought of the global implications of this prject scares me. This would open a door on wide range of DNA manmipulation, this kind of door is very hard to close once it opened. <_<

There's the classic ethics question here, so let's look at it just for fun. ;)

Let's say that instead of genetically engineering something frivolous like a dragon, let's say that this same company was engineering a virus that selectively attacked only cancer cells (and let's assume for the sake of argument that it could be engineered to be perfectly selective and totally fail safe). It is estimated that 7 million people die each year worldwide due to cancer. So if such a cure could be made, 7 million people would be saved each year. Would this be scary or would it be wrong to play God in this case when you could save 7 million lives a year?

Hmm... Interesting thought problem. And one I believe will have to be addressed some day since I'm certain the technology will eventually be there to do this (though not in any of our lifetimes).

Ok… here is a topic I have to watch my self on. Don’t want to get sued.
First of all let me say this… despite what the FDA & the drug companies what you to think, there are already ways to fight and beat cancers now using nothing but natural remedies and foods. A topic for another day!
OK... If man can make a “genetic” cure for cancer in the future, tell me this: How are we going to feed the 7 Million people we will save. 1/3 of the world’s population has not got enough to eat now. By the year 2103 it is figure that only 1/3 of the world’s population will have enough food to eat. So it might nice to save these people.. but you open a new problem!

This is tangential to the ethics question of whether or not a genetically engineered cure should be made. Putting that aside for a second, if the natural remedy you mentioned exists, would you withhold the knowledge from the world because of the problem of how to feed the extra 7 million people who would now live due to an all natural cure?

Anyway, I don't want to go much further with this discussion since this is a Dragon Booster forum and not an ethics discussion forum. ;)

In any event, I'd say the article is a spoof, or perhaps a belated April fools joke from SilverDragon. :D

For the cancer cure thing, i say we let evolution take care of this, it;s worked so far, just wait until someone developes genes that can recognise cancer cells and kill them, or stop them multiplying.

For the dragon thing.
If this works, how long do you think it will be until they can be bought as pets?

on the first point.. Agreed
on the second point, I don't think it will ever happin

Unless they can figure out how to, and if and when they figure, how to make more, these animals will probably never be bought and sold as pets. If they succeed, it would depend on what types of genes. If the dragons are modified monitor lizards, those could be considered dangerous and not be sold.

Although it would be cool to go around bragging that "I've got a dragon and you don't!" :P

As soon as it became economically feasible and practical. People are always willing to pay money for exotic pets. Of course, most of them make lousy pets and cost too much, so that tends to keep the demand in check. But if they were as cheap and easy to care for as say a dog or a horse, then they would become prevalent I think.

I personally wouldn't be interested unless the animal had at least the intelligence and social temperament of a dog. Otherwise, they'd just be something fun to look at and I'd just stick with dogs for pets. :)

...or if they do come hostile, I see a Jurasic Park 3 like event in the future. :P


I thought about the dna thing and what they might use, this is what I thought up in school: Wings - bat, body - Komodo Dragon?, tail - snake. :lol:

OMG OMG OMG OMG!!!!! Must add dragon to super market list!!!

I WANT THAT DRAGON!!!...well I want one.....hehehehhee

Thank you! This is what my parents do (sucessfully) for a living. :)

Unfortunatly for all of you, the man in charge of the project is named Paolos Frill, which can also spell...

APRIL FOOL :angry:

It fooled me, that's for sure. <_<

Anyway, two other intresting bits of news.

Firstly, the writer of that article was tragically killed. The cause is unknown.

Secondly, (well it's a little old, but hell), they've been seeing dragons over Tibet and China.

Lol. Well, that could've been interesting. :D

On the playing God ethics issue, if you take that to the extreme we'd have to be sitting in a mud puddle with no technology. That's no fun. :P But I can definately see why playing with stuff and taking it too far when you don't understand it fully. Anyone watch 'Surface'? They had these uber big dragon sea creatures, which apparently humans had made... and then they started playing it really late, so I don't know what happened. <_<

NOOOHOHOHOHOHO!!!!!!!

*slams head on desk*

*crys*

there there ICE...
They will make real dragons one day...

Maybe.. In a galaxy far far away, a long time away :P I am leaving the planet if they get here before I am dead. .. Scarry thought to have dragons raoming the eath eathing people.

They've seen apparently real dragons over Tibet and China. I put those links up in the last post.

As long as they stay there I don't care :P They come over here.. they become my lunch, I recon they go good with Ketchup :D

:o :o
how dare you say such a thing!!
just you wait till dragons rule the earth...
they will eat you for lunch! B)
MUHAHAHAHAHA!!

The Power of FIRE

You slayed a dragon in D&D FIRE.....XD
DRAGON SLAYER!!

LMAO!!!

Hey!
I didnt want to kill him...
he was a very handsome dragon he was..
i had to kill him to keep playing.. and i cried when i did kill him!! TT_TT

The Power of FIRE

I don't want to kill them! I just don't want them killing me.. :o :blink: *Crys while hiding in corner from dragons*

Then why did you want to eat them for lunch??
You cannibal! XD

The Power of FIRE

Well if you kill it to save your life.. no sense in letting it go to waste! Here in the country you don't waste any thing that can be eaten! :P And any thing can go godd with Ketchup :D

your mean to dragons...

The Power of FIRE