How To Clone A Mammoth
17:41 minutes
Subscribe to Science Friday
As an expert in the field of “ancient DNA,” molecular paleontologist Beth Shapiro finds herself answering one question more than any other: “Can we clone a mammoth?” In her new book How to Clone a Mammoth: The Science of De-extinction, Shapiro not only answers that question—she provides a roadmap for what real-life “de-extinction” might look like. She joins Ira to discuss all the questions de-extinction raises, from what species should be resurrected, to whether de-extinction is something we should consider in the first place.
Segment Guests
Beth Shapiro
Beth Shapiro is author of How to Clone a Mammoth: The Science of De-extinction (Princeton University Press, 2015) and associate professor of ecology and evolutionary biology at the University of California, Santa Cruz in Santa Cruz, California.
Meet the Producer
About Annie Minoff
@annieminoffAnnie Minoff is a producer for The Journal from Gimlet Media and the Wall Street Journal, and a former co-host and producer of Undiscovered. She also plays the banjo.