No, dire wolves are not back from extinction
The “illusion of competence” + a guide to Eurovision (Issue #332)
In April, biotech startup Colossal Biosciences unveiled two genetically engineered wolf pups, claiming they had brought the extinct dire wolf back to life. Time put the pups on its cover. The word Extinct was crossed out in red. The internet lost its mind.
But two recent articles on Medium convincingly argue that the startup didn’t actually “de-extinct” the dire wolf. Instead, Colossal just made 20 genetic edits to a gray wolf embryo. Geneticist calls the result a “mutant gray wolf,” meaning a modern wolf with a few cosmetic traits from its extinct relative. Biostatistician describes the project as a “poster child for GMOs,” suggesting savvy branding more than scientific rigor. Both Westreich and Dobbs argue that Colossal is less trying to revive a species and more trying to go viral.
Backed by venture capital and valued at $10 billion, the company has promised to bring back the woolly mammoth, the dodo, and now the dire wolf. But as Westreich explains, the real product is not the animals themselves but the underlying gene-editing technology. By demonstrating the ability to modify multiple genes at once, Colossal positions itself to license the method for other uses, such as designing human embryos — a prospect that raises major ethical concerns.
Dobbs warns that when companies overstate scientific achievements, they blur the line between innovation and illusion. Westreich is even more direct: This wasn’t about conservation, it was about attracting investors.
The idea of de-extinction is emotionally charged. It reframes extinction as a technical challenge, not a permanent loss. It makes the past feel editable. But projects like Colossal’s risk turning real ecological grief into biotech spectacle.
What happens when we confuse scientific progress with brand storytelling and believe the headline over the genome?
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Three stories that will make 👏 your 👏 life 👏 easier
- Really trying to learn something new? These four simple steps will give you a framework for better learning: Focus, connect it to your life, vary mediums, and explain it back to someone else. Trying this with the next book I read.
- The second semi-final of the Eurovision Song Contest is today. Curious about how the contest works, or, say, why on earth Australia is competing? Here’s a guide for first-time watchers.
- Finding an alternative to AI-generated imagery is easier than you think; artist Jason McBride offers up 12 free alternatives, including making your own collages (easy, crafty) and simply emailing an artist to see if you can include their work (simple, surprising, collaborative).
⚡️ Your daily dose of practical wisdom on battling writer’s block
When you’re staring down the terrifying emptiness of a blank page, nothing helps quite like having a model — from storyboarding with index cards to an index of ideas in your notes app, a reliable model is a creative’s best friend.
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