InternetJeff On Tuesday, Colossal announced that its scientists have simultaneously edited seven genes in mice embryos to create mice with long, thick, woolly hair. They nicknamed the extra-furry rodents as the “Colossal woolly mouse.”
I think that this is incredibly bad by those scientists.
(Seriously).
Suppose some of these mice escape and prove themselves to be more of a pest to humankind compared to normal mice.
It won’t be an issue in a few months or a few years, but long term who knows.
Look at what a few rabbits did to Australia.
Or the aggressive Starling birds introduced in North America from Europe. They drive out native bird species, especially attacking nests.
These “mighty mice” are being engineered to have superior cold resistance, so even winters wouldn’t slow down a wild outdoor population.
Ethically it’s as bad as the Wuhan folks doing “gain of function” research.
TL/DR: Science is great, but must also be tempered with ethics and with common sense.
