US Trends

are they trying to bring back the woolly mammoth

Yes, scientists are actively working to bring back the woolly mammoth through de-extinction efforts. Colossal Biosciences leads this charge, aiming for a cold-adapted elephant-mammoth hybrid by 2028.

Project Origins

Harvard geneticist George Church co-founded Colossal in 2021 with $15 million in funding. The goal: edit Asian elephant DNA with mammoth genes for traits like thick fur and fat layers to restore tundra ecosystems.

Key Milestones

  • 2025 Progress : Colossal created "woolly mice" with mammoth-like cold tolerance traits, a step toward elephant modifications.
  • Genome Editing : They use CRISPR to insert mammoth genes into elephant cells, targeting revival via artificial wombs or surrogates.
  • Earlier Efforts : Revive & Restore laid groundwork from 2013-2021 before handing off to Colossal.

Scientific Rationale

Revived mammoths could trample snow to preserve permafrost, fighting climate change by trapping carbon. This "rewilding" might boost biodiversity in Arctic regions abandoned since their extinction 4,000 years ago.

Challenges and Debates

Ethical concerns swirl: Is it right to create hybrids vulnerable to modern threats like poaching? Critics question resource allocation versus saving endangered species today.

"Could the woolly mammoth really be brought back to life? Ben Lamm thinks so." – Colossal CEO on de-extinction impacts.

Public Buzz

Forums light up with reactions. Reddit threads mix excitement ("Herds on the tundra!") and jokes ("T-Rex next for climate skeptics?"). TikTok sparks "what if" cringe videos, while paleontology subs debate feasibility.

Trending Context

As of January 2026, mammoth revival trends amid biotech advances—no calves yet, but woolly mice fuel hype. Safe speculation: 2028 target holds if elephant stem cells scale up.

TL;DR : Yes, Colossal's pushing hard for mammoth-like elephants by 2028 to aid ecosystems, with real progress like woolly mice.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.