Woolly : the true story of the quest to revive one of history's most iconic extinct creatures

Mezrich, Ben, 1969-2017

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Summary

"Science fiction meets reality in this thrilling Jurassic Park-like story of the quest to achieve the genetic resurrection of an extinct species--the Woolly Mammoth. ... From the frozen tundra of Siberia to the cutting-edge genetics labs of Harvard University, a group of young scientists--under the guidance of Dr. George Church, the most brilliant geneticist of our time--is working to make the impossible happen. Their task? To bring the Woolly Mammoth, a creature that has been extinct for three thousand years, back into our world. How will they do it? By sequencing the DNA of a frozen Woolly Mammoth harvested from above the Arctic Circle, and then splicing elements of it into the DNA of a modern elephant. Through this process, they hope to turn the hybrid cells into a functional embryo and bring the extinct creatures to life in our modern world. Pushing the boundaries of gene synthesis, stem cell research, and longevity science, their abilities are no longer confined to reading DNA, but now include writing DNA. Why will they do it? There's poetic justice in bringing back a once-mighty species made extinct by our own ancestors' talent as hunters. But more than that, the return of the Mammoth might be essential to preventing the extinction of the human race as well. The giant creatures will help to defuse an environmental ticking time bomb hidden in the frozen north. More than a story of genetics, Woolly is a scintillating adventure involving a host of extraordinary people, including the intrepid fossil hunters who battle polar bears and extreme conditions in the name of scientific advancement; a world-famous conservationist in California determined to bring back other extinct species; and a genius father-son team of Russian scientists working to turn a tract of the Siberian tundra into 'Pleistocene Park.' In shining a spotlight on the quest to bring back the Woolly Mammoth, Ben Mezrich has located the most intriguing and important scientific discovery story of our age."--Jacket.