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Science

Project Copycat Clones A Cat 242

Posted by CmdrTaco from the i-wish-copycat-cloned-a-chicken dept.
texchanchan writes: "'Copying' is not limited to other people's proprietary files. Soon you'll be able to 'share' their prize Siamese. From Yahoo news: "A domestic cat was cloned late last year in a Texas A&M University research program called CopyCat....Cloning research at the university has been funded with more than $3.5 million in investments from John Sperling, an 81-year-old financier who formed Genetic Savings & Clone Inc." (These Texans know how to name things, too.)"
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Project Copycat Clones A Cat More

Project Copycat Clones A Cat

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  • Anyone who can raise that much funding for a feline cloning program called 'CopyCat' has a real future in marketing or political fundraising.
  • The article says it takes over 100 tries to get one cat pregnant? Sheesh...
    • Oops.... not that article... but this one [yahoo.com] does. 188 tries, 82 embryos, one cat. If they're going to that much trouble, bring back Morris from the old 9 Lives commercials... that was a cool cat.

  • Price Is Right. (Score:4, Funny)

    by clinko ( 232501 ) on Thursday February 14, 2002 @03:56PM (#3009314) Journal
    I bet Bob Barker is furious.
    • Unless they find a way to clone spading or neutering, too.

      -Paul Komarek
      • They can genetically altered the DNA so that it is born neutered already.

        "This is Bob Barker reminding you to have your cloned pets pre-spaded or pre-neutered."
    • Nope... Bob Barker was the first secret test subject.

      How do you think he's still around?

      ;)

  • No problems yet (Score:3, Funny)

    by Dancin_Santa ( 265275 ) <DancinSanta@gmail.com> on Thursday February 14, 2002 @03:57PM (#3009322) Journal
    Dancing with the Devil leads you to obesity and liver problems.

    Procreate, don't recreate. Of course, for humans Procreation is recreation. :-)

    BTW, the cat doesn't look like its adult version because womb conditions dictate the formatting of the fur.

    Dancin Santa
  • CopyDog? That doesn't sound right...

  • Question (Score:5, Interesting)

    by PowerTroll 5000 ( 524563 ) on Thursday February 14, 2002 @03:58PM (#3009329)
    Why is it wrong to copy a CD, but not a living creature?

    There are much bigger ramifications in the latter type of "copying" than the former.
    • And what if you encoded, say, a CD's worth of information into the "junk" DNA of a clone? (It wouldn't be an exact clone with the extra info, of course, but close enough.)
    • cause the original cat (or it's creator/inventor) isn't likely to sue for copyright infringement.

  • Does this mean.... (Score:3, Funny)

    by lumpenprole ( 114780 ) <.moc.liamg. .ta. .elorpnepmul.> on Thursday February 14, 2002 @03:59PM (#3009339) Homepage Journal

    The clone wars are going to be fought with a spray bottle and a rolled up newspaper?

    Bad Lord of the Sith! Bad, Bad!

  • Justification ? (Score:3, Funny)

    by hexa00 ( 319213 ) <hexa00@vidMOSCOWeotron.ca minus city> on Thursday February 14, 2002 @03:59PM (#3009347)
    Are they going to justify this by saying that it's essential for cat parents who can't have a baby the traditional way ?

  • What happens if you put a cloned cat in the box? The cosmic implications are mind boggling.

  • Where are your priorities? (Score:3, Funny)

    by Eharley ( 214725 ) on Thursday February 14, 2002 @04:00PM (#3009353)
    Posted by CmdrTaco on Thursday February 14, @2:45PM

    Sr. Taco,

    You have just been engaged. For God's sake, man, why are you not taking the rest of the day off to reflect upon this life-altering decision that has been wrought?
  • Clone your favorite pussy,click here!
  • If you clone a Siamese, as suggested above, does that make it a Siamese twin?

    ...runs and ducks...
  • As biotech firms are abusing the patent process to make genetic sequences their intellectual property, this violated DMCA by facilitating the unauthorized reproduction of copyrighted material.
  • According to the BBC article [bbc.co.uk] only one of 87 kitten emrbyos to survived. Given that success rate, and that Dolly the cloned sheep is developing problems only now, I think theres a long way to go until this becomes "useful", in any sense of the word.
  • Texas A&M announced that a similar project, CopyCmdr has commenced today with the agreement of one Kathleen Hent to consent to marry CmdrTaco of Slashdot fame.

    Congratulations, CmdrTaco!

  • Oh, how quickly we forget Alba [stanford.edu], the first cloned pet. Of course, the Alba story was much more interesting because he was an albino rabbit with jellyfish genes to make him glow.
    • Alba only actually growed under special light (what kind of special light I don't know). Unfortunatly Alba also died. Alas, there goes my dream of a glowing steak:)
  • "John Sperling, an 81-year-old financier who formed Genetic Savings & Clone Inc."

    Good grief. Talk about lame ass naming pun.

    At least he didn't name it CowboyNeal

  • BBC Story + Pics (Score:3, Informative)

    by Pilferer ( 311795 ) on Thursday February 14, 2002 @04:03PM (#3009387)
    Here [bbc.co.uk] is a link to the BBC story, with a picture of the cat (named "Cc:").

    MEoW.
  • Scientists around the world have already cloned mice and various livestock, but the Texas cat would be the first cloned companion animal.

    Clearly these cats are being cloned to eat all of the cloned mice they've been making... I guess they'll be cloning rotweillers to take care of the cats, Hatchbacks to take care of the rottweilers, SUV's to take care of the Hatchback, Semis...
    • >>Hatchbacks to take care of the rottweilers, SUV's to take care of the Hatchback, Semis...

      and the beauty of it is that the Semis freeze to death come winter!

  • It's always good to have a backup (Score:5, Funny)

    by MonkeyInTree ( 554926 ) on Thursday February 14, 2002 @04:07PM (#3009412)
    There are times when frustration gets the better of you and you just need to kick the cat. It's comforting to know that in the future we can make backups first ;)

  • God files suit in Texas court, cites numbers copyright violations on the part of Texas A&M University.

    The Almighty God (Yaweh, The Big Guy, Jehovah) filed a suit in a Texas court today, seeking to block further progress on the CopyCat project, a cloning experiment out of Texas A&M University.

    "I'm PISSED!" God was quoted as saying. "It took me days, well a day, to come up with the design of the Cat. It's mine Dammnit! My Cat profits are going to plummet!"

    A representative from Texas A&M could not be reached for comment.

  • Both John Sperling and George Soros on the same Slashdot page and neither article is about their involvement in Medical Marijuana [emory.edu]. Give me a Peter Lewis and we'll have the complete set.

  • Usual cloning caveats apply (Score:4, Funny)

    by maggard ( 5579 ) <michael@michaelmaggard.com> on Thursday February 14, 2002 @04:11PM (#3009445) Homepage Journal
    1. This is a genetic clone, the same as an "identical twin"
    2. Even "identical twins" are often not actually identical; for example hair and pigment patterns often differ. The same is true for clones.
    3. While temperament and other characteristics are likely somewhat inherited prenatal nutrition and womb environment have significant if poorly-understood effects
    4. Furthermore how the animal is raised (nurture) also has a profound influence on the temperament and behaviors of an animal
    So, while this critter may indeed may be a clone it is not the original reincarnated and will differ in any number of ways.

    Finally, contrary to any number of unimaginatively-written SF& Horror stories clones haven't shown any special abilities or to be any more susceptible to demonic possession (though with Siamese cats this may be moot - who could tell if they're being unnaturally evil?) However there is a high rate of failure and the produced animals have shown a greater susceptibility to illness and abnormalities (again, with Siamese cats this is also about par for the course already.)

    • But the clone will have a death wish twords the original, blindly going after and killing until the original is destroyed. Unless of course the clone and mother collide in which case they will explode as the same matter cannot occupy the same space. Thank you Einstein very much sir!
    • Ok for the temper of the little beast. It will probably not be the same as the original one's.

      But what about its talents? Like having an exceptional sharp ear? Or being able to walk on a rope? Walk on a ball? I can imagine that a Circus, for one, would be extremely interested in cloning an animal that turns out to be exceptionally skilled in being trained.
  • Will this cloned cat have the same rights as other cats?
    I mean cats have rights, don't they?
  • I wonder if John Sperling cloned his wife's pussy?
  • This will be funny, the errors that are appearing in genetic replication that lead to obesity,

    Ever notice the more dysfunctional someone is the fatter their cat ?

    This will be hilarious, first a genetic predisposition to obesity, followed by some loon that just cant let go of "Fluffy" I can see it now CAT-KONG (Its a funny childrens book)

    An 80 lb cat, a shortened life span and an already neruotic owner that couldnt let go thie first time around, watch this become a really sad vicious cycle, copies of copies, getting fat and dying yet faster than the last time around. Maybe I should go after a Vet Liscence.....

  • RePet (Score:2, Funny)

    by Brian Knotts ( 855 )
    Sperling plans to offer the technology first to wealthy individuals seeking to replace beloved pets

    Great...so there really is going to be a "RePet."

    I just hope they don't also actually invent that creepy doll.

  • I've known a number of people who consider their pets to be as close, or closer, than other family members. It came up in a discussion a while back that with all the advances in cloning- would you bring back a lost pet again, if there was a service that could do so?

    All Pet Sematary images aside, it seems like if someone could prey on all the emotion behind the lost of a loved family member, people would be willing to pay a load of money to experience the joy of raising beloved Whiskers again from the beginning.

  • Big Mistake!!! (Score:3, Funny)

    by toupsie ( 88295 ) on Thursday February 14, 2002 @04:14PM (#3009477) Homepage
    They cloned the wrong Pussy!!! [operagloves.com]

  • Just what we need. (Score:1, Flamebait)

    by Restil ( 31903 )
    More cats.

    And now they'll all look alike too.

    What a scary world this is turning out to be.

    -Restil
  • From the article "The Humane Society of the United States opposes pet cloning, the Journal said, because of the danger of overpopulation."

    I don't understand why they are really worried about this. It is quite apparent that a person who is willing to spend big bucks on having their pet cloned obviously loved the animal in the first place.

    I could however understand an objection to say a pet breeder having prize animals cloned, but they never made any distinctions and this technology does have practical applications for grieving pet lovers. :-)

    I know I would love to have a copy of my dog Mookie who died a few years ago. ;-(

    - I'll bash you in the face.
  • "The 2-month-old kitten called "Cc:" is the first successful product of a program..."

    So was it a "Bcc:" when it was born?

    - Freed

  • I'm pretty sure this is illegal under the DMCA:

    section 4.3.B
    Biological material, having a copy
    protection scheme provided by their
    Creator, shall not be copied. Doing
    so shall be a violation of this act,
    punishable by fine, jail time, or an
    eternity in the fiery pits of Hell.

  • Hate to break the news to everyone... (Score:1, Informative)

    by Anonymous Coward
    ..but these animals are not clones unless the donor egg used in the conception is from the same animal. If not, then the so called "clone" does not share the mitochondrial DNA of their "parent" and thus is not a clone. Now back to your regularily scheduled ignorance.

  • This just in!! (Score:3, Funny)

    by erroneus ( 253617 ) on Thursday February 14, 2002 @04:22PM (#3009524) Homepage
    Said to be a member of yet another Jesus-freak-christian-cult, an unidentified man has destroyed the cloned kitty in the name of God. Authorities have already begun their investigation and until the man is identified, he will be known as ...

    Gawd? Do I have to finish it?
  • This is not an infinitely repeatable process. In this case (since they now have two) they will only be able to create seven more . . . .
  • You'd think they'd name it carbon copy, since it is a carbon based life form...
  • As far as domesticated animals go, cloning is actually pretty silly. First off is the aforementioned fact that this is not true cloning in the pulp science fiction sense, but rather a time-delayed clone. The personality and fur pattern will more than likely be different; I'm certain the first few people will be disappointed because the cat won't be the same, even though it has the same DNA.

    As far as service animals go, its similarly a silly point. It's far cheaper to rescue animals from animal shelters and train them. The methods already in place for getting them is already very good, cloning will only lead to service animals being more expensive.

    Yes, it's interesting technology, but essentially, is a waste of money.

  • Better Link... (Score:3, Informative)

    by FortKnox ( 169099 ) on Thursday February 14, 2002 @04:25PM (#3009550) Homepage Journal
    ... is here [yahoo.com] as per my journal [slashdot.org].

    Also has a pic of the cat. Its named "Cc:" (seriously).

  • I have a real problem with this (Score:4, Insightful)

    by LordNimon ( 85072 ) on Thursday February 14, 2002 @04:30PM (#3009584)
    There are an estimated 6 to 8 million cats and dogs [sniksnak.com] killed every year because they are not adopted. That's right, every year, millions of cats are purposely killed because no one will adopt them. So if your cat dies, the right thing to do would be to adopt another cat. Save the life of another animal, please!

    People who would clone their cat rather than adopt another one disgust me. According the article, the new cat probably won't look the same anyway! And whether it will behave the same is also questionable. So in other words, it is both unethical and pointless to clone your cat.

    • Do you also oppose regular pet breeding, then? Should we stop producing domestic animals by any deliberate method until all the strays are adopted?
    • I agree completely that people should adopt pets whenever possible (I suggest using petfinder.com [petfinder.com] - free for non-profits like shelters and rescue groups around the US), but your argument is not sound.

      There are plenty of sheep in the world too. Yet why did they clone Dolly? I'm sure the reason behind that project and this one - has nothing to do with overpopulation. It has to do with research. We learn how something works, not necessarily so we can reproduce the effect.

  • Someone had to say it... (Score:5, Funny)

    by brogdon ( 65526 ) on Thursday February 14, 2002 @04:31PM (#3009594) Homepage
    There's just no end to the lengths geeks will go to get a little pussy... :)
  • (These Texans know how to name things, too.)

    Ah yes, like the new NFL expansion team, the Houston Texans [houstontexans.com].
  • I knew I had read something very similar [wired.com] to this in a dead-tree copy of Wired Magazine a couple of years back...it made me wish I was rich enough to do this with my aging mutt.

    This site [missyplicity.com] has details, and appears to be sponsored by the same organization. [savingsandclone.com]

  • Jack Valente announced today that the MPOA will sue the cat cloners to fore them to include Digital Right's Management technology in all cloning equipment: "Breeders put a lot of work into those cats. If anyone can make copies, who will breed cats?" Microsoft announced that code in Windows Media Player is not to blame for mysteriously well-targeted banner ads for cat food aimed at people who play more than the usual amount of soft rock.
  • And is it too late to sue Watson and Crick for publishing proprietary information that's clearly leading to the circumnavigation of DNA-based copy-protection systems?

    All this unauthorized copying...

    W
  • Soon you'll be able to 'share' their prize Siamese.
    Are they going to make the cat available on Napster? That would explain the mysterious cat logo... the music-sharing service was just a clever stealth cover for their impending pet-sharing business. (insert assorted "nine lives" and "landing on their feet" jokes)

  • Not that tough (Score:3, Funny)

    by uslinux.net ( 152591 ) on Thursday February 14, 2002 @05:00PM (#3009790) Homepage
    I mean, cats practically clone themselves if left outdoors. Just look around my neighborhood
  • "The human society is against closing pets because of the dangers of overpopulation."

    Why? This is the smartest idea for pets ever. Think about it -- the Human Society encourages everybody to spay or neuter their pets to discourage overpopulation. Now what if we engineered pets that are genetically incapable of breeding? There's no danger of "accidents," no need to be cruel to unwanted pets. There's a much better means of discovering the nature of a pet. Want a dog that's good with children? Don't pay for a "breed" that's good with children, only to get a monster like my parents adopted(a stubborn 95 pound Airedale terrier). Pay for exactly the dog you want. Get exactly the size and colour animal that will fit your lifestyle, and don't worry about "cloned" personalities as personalities are developed through training.

    Sound sickening? It shouldn't. Cloned pets are a direct extension of breeding. It's not the orwellian nightmare that cloning humans is. And if all the cloned pets are cloned sterile (which, I might add, is a great deal for both the cloners and the pet loving public), there's no danger of overpopulation. It's not like a cloning machine can meet another cloning machine under the hedge and make whoopy.

    Think of it like seedless watermelons.

  • Cat Sues Texas A&M (Score:3, Funny)

    by Oink.NET ( 551861 ) on Thursday February 14, 2002 @05:11PM (#3009891) Homepage
    The cat recently cloned by Texas A&M University filed a lawsuit against the university, claiming its DNA was illegally reverse-engineered. When asked for his opinion, the cat said, "I did not give my consent for those scientists to use my DNA, which has been a carefully guarded family secret for generations. How am I supposed to produce unique offspring now? Those gene sequences are MINE, dammit! I demand that the copycat be destroyed immediately. If I find out my gene sequences are available on Morpheus, I'm gonna be REALLY ticked. I'll fight this one all the way to the supreme court if I have to, if it takes me all nine of my lives."

  • Activation Key (Score:2, Funny)

    by dcocos ( 128532 )
    I heard that the scientists were in trouble with the BSA, because the "mother" cat was clearly labeled with "Do not make illegal copies of this cat"

    I also heard that the cat won't work until it's activation key has been received from Microsoft.

  • I wonder (Score:2, Insightful)

    by MsWillow ( 17812 )
    Given the problems already showing up with Dolly the sheep, already having problems associated with old age, why not try cloning from a stem cell?

    I'd think that, by using the nucleus of an adult stem cell, you'd get all the DNA needed. Every strand of the DNA would then still have the telomers on it that gradually get "used up" when a normal cell divides. Perhaps that way, all the cells in the cloned animal would start out eactly the same as a normal embryo's cells.

    Perhaps that's the way to go, not by taking the nucleus out of just any old cell, but by using an adult stem cell. They seem to have found these in several sites on the adult body - in fat removed by liposuction, and in the fat behind the kneecap in humans. I'm sure they can find them in analogous places on animals.
  • The one thing I'm surprised that more cloning advocates don't bring up is the use of cloned organisms in research. Clones should have the same DNA, the same genome. That's a given. Feed one clone a bunch of crap. Don't feed the control clone said crap. See who gets cancer if at all.

    Finally be able to say you controlled the experiment fully. None of those pesky but group x got cancer and group y didn't but group x was more prone to cancer kind of issues. Both the experimental group and control have the exact same predisposition. So feeding clones crap causes cancer end of story.

  • MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - In a brief press conference outside his part-time home in downtown Milwaukee, God, known to his devotees as the Lord Almighty, announced he was filing suit against a group of researchers at Texas A&M University. God alleges that the domestic cat is his unique creation and that the recent duplication of one of these common animals is a "serious infringement of [his] intellectual property rights". God went on to say that the his research laboratories, Scientology Labs, are hard at work on designing 'uncopyable' creatures which cannot be duplicated outside of the strict guidelines God has set down.

    "Ripping and sharing DNA is a crime, and it hurts Me on both a financial and a personal level," intoned the Deity, "and while it pains Me that I must file suit against My children, I must protect My intellectual property from drifting into the public domain, where it could be used by My competitors." God refused to specify which competitors he feared, or what they might do with the genetic algorithms.

    "God is simply trying to hold on to an illegally-gained monopoly," stated longtime competitor Satan at a press conference held shortly after in Redmond, Washington. "He's afraid that if genetic protocols are opened for public use, the market would be flooded with non-God organisms, which would of course detract from his brand," added Satan, better known by his stage name, "Prince of Darkness", or by his ubiquitous online handle, "PrttyKtty666". Satan claimed that numerous studies had shown great demand for a wider variety of animals, and that this is the scientific breakthrough that could eventually lead to world populated by Elves, Unicorns, and Dragons. "People love dragons. People love Unicorns. Hell, people even love dinosaurs! Did you ever see Jurassic Park?", opined the source of all evil.

    Other major figures in this field have yet to make their voices heard; Religious leaders Buddha, Krishna, Jesus of Nazareth, the Dalai Lama, and Oprah refused to take a stance one way or the other.
    The darkness drops again; but now I know
    That twenty centuries of stony sleep
    Were vexed to nightmare by a rocking cradle,
    And what rough beast, its hour come round at last,
    Slouches towards Bethlehem to be born?
  • Granted, there are going to be people that will have serious issues with the idea of cloning pets. But once the process is perfected for dogs and cats, pet cloning will be one of the biggest industries in the country.

    Think about this. How many people out there would pay serious money to have a chance to "hit the reset button" if something happens to a cherished pet. I've had a dog that died, like all dogs do. Nothing could replace her because she was unique and there are some things that even cloning can't copy. But I would have moved heaven and earth to have a chance to start over again with a puppy that would have at least grown up to look like her. Dare I say that my parents would have even taken out a 2nd mortgage on the house for the money if cloning was an option.

    This is more than just the "gee-whiz" factor of having the fastest PC or a TIVO with 2 Terabyte RAID storage. This is dealing with people's emotions and people with money will spend it like drunken sailors if they know that a few thousand dollars can get them an exact living, breathing, physical copy of their pet after they die.

  • In other related news..

    The Free Software Foundation announced Thursday the beginning of a new 'software' project known as "gnuCat' and a related project 'CatGNiP'. From RMS's announcement, "Building the perfect feline companion through a collaborative community effort will ensure that the species' genetic code remains free of restrictive licensing and that users will be able to modify and extend their cats to suit their needs.' For example, users of gnuCat will be able to configure the cat's color, size, obesity, and proclivity to scratch furniture, using a simple ncurses menu system. gnuCat developers are already discussing a new way to automatically configure the cat's code based on the user's personality. One group is already working on a branch of the CVS tree for a cat that has no claws or teeth and eats only an inexpensive paste made from common household ingredients. Another developer is working on a pre-emptive patch for gnuCat which allows it to be more responsive in deciding whether it wants to go outside or stay in. Project leader Felinus Hairballs says, "We're hoping to have gnuCat litter trained out-of-the-"box" by version 2.0"
  • don't we already have enough Katz?

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