OT: Science types - why is it...

[BigSlizz]

That reading the news today I see that scientists are debating whether or not they should clone a wooley mammoth, but just can't figure out what to do about the declining populations of butterflies, bees, and other pollinators?

Seems like the answer is pretty obvious...

[Riccardo]

2 unrelated issues

That reading the news today I see that scientists are debating whether or not they should clone a wooley mammoth, but just can't figure out what to do about the declining populations of butterflies, bees, and other pollinators?

Seems like the answer is pretty obvious...

nm

[BigSlizz]

Why not just clone bees and butterflies?

[PackWest]

Perhaps its because there are existing butterflies and bees and nobody knows how they would interact/breed/attack/be killed by the clones. Africanized bees didn't work as planned did they ?

Bees & butterflies are the pollinators of crops, farmers wouldn't want you fucking around with their livelihood.

And the small- brains are already up in arms over GMOs, cloned pollinators would likely send them into a seizure.

[Dan Drives a Van]

Also, I would think the sheer number of insects needed to counter population decline would make cloning an unfeasible solution.

I don't know much about the science, but I doubt it's as simple as a Xerox machine, where you plug in your settings, set the number of copies to 100,000 and walk away for a few hours.

[Clemson Foreaker]

hmmm

Why not clone more scientists? Or invent a cure for disability. Seems like 1/2 of Kentucky and Pennsylvania are on some sort of disability.

[TRENT]

well I can tell you what the farmers are doing

seems milkweed has been in Decline and that is a main source for the Monarch Butterfly. So I know we're planting Milkweed all around the treefarm. We have two close friends who are beeKeepers and the Bee's have several problems from poor interaction with certain chemicals used in farming to Cell towers. U can always breed more of them but if the environment can't support them you will still have the problems.

[TerpEagle]

Also, I would think the sheer number of insects needed to counter population decline would make cloning an unfeasible solution.

I don't know much about the science, but I doubt it's as simple as a Xerox machine, where you plug in your settings, set the number of copies to 100,000 and walk away for a few hours.

Even if that were possible, if the decline in pollinator population is due to environmental reasons (their habitats are being destroyed or have become unsustainable for instance) then simply cloning them may not present a real solution.

The newly cloned population would also likely be unsustainable so that you'd have to keep cloning.

[Drama Queen]

I've seen some Monarchs around the yard. They use to be so plentiful and common when we were kids. Now when I see one, it's like a big freakin deal. Sad.