December 11, 2019
In Season 2, Episode 8 of their Overheard Podcast, National Geographic explores cryotechnology and the possibilities it holds for resurrecting extinct species. Stuart Pimm of Saving Natures argues for caution.
The Frozen Zoo
San Diego is home to the world’s first frozen zoo—a genetic library where scientists are racing to bank the tissues and stem cells of disappearing animals. What does conservation look like as we head into what some scientists may believe to be our next great extinction?
This podcast by National Geographic explores the role of cryotechnology in reversing the unprecedented loss of species at the hands of mankind.
Stuart Pimm shares his views on the extinction crisis and the moral hazards of embracing the potential for de-extinction as the silver bullet.
Can we just keep species alive as frozen embryos then bring them back at will, if we lose the last populations in the wild? It’s complicated — I’m all for trying new ideas, but keeping species in the wild is the ultimate aim.”
