Project Copycat Clones A Cat 242
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.)"
Marketing At Work (Score:2)
Re:Marketing At Work (Score:3, Funny)
Could that same guy be behind the scenes?
GTRacer :CueCat but never installed CRQ...
- Has a
Re:What about the other 80+ that failed? (Score:2)
Intel has better batch yield (Score:1)
Re:Intel has better batch yield (Score:1)
Re:Intel has better batch yield (Score:2, Insightful)
Price Is Right. (Score:4, Funny)
Re:Price Is Right. (Score:2)
-Paul Komarek
Re:Price Is Right. (Score:1)
"This is Bob Barker reminding you to have your cloned pets pre-spaded or pre-neutered."
Re:Price Is Right. (Score:2)
How do you think he's still around?
;)
Re:Price Is Right. (Score:2)
If you take anything other than a kitten or a puppy, you are almost certainly condeming that animal to death by explosive decompression.
This is one of the greatest unchallenged urban myths: exposure to vacuum leads to explosive decompression. It's simply not true - the kind of pressure forces need to "pop" an animal cannot be generated before the animal breathes and equibrilates with the environmental pressure. What does happen is even worse, in my opinion: while slowly suffocating from lack of oxygen, the animal suffers from severe decompression sickness - dissolved N2/O2/etc. in the blood expands, and can due horrible tissue damage. Divers call this the "bends" and it's a horrible, horrible way to die. But the animal does not die from "explosive" decompression. It's a subtle, but important difference. Important because the use of sensational words like "explosive" will turn more people away from your argument - if I heard somebody say that the local Humane Society were blowing up dogs and cats, I'd dismiss that person as frankly, kind of looney. The point gets across better with accuracy, you see?
sorry about that offtopic ranting - just to stay OT, it seems ludicrous that with all the benefits controlled cloning could give us, one of the first things we do is find some way to succour rich pet owners. Never mind that people are dying on organ wait-lists, let's bring back Muffy the Sheepdog. Sheesh.
Re:Price Is Right. (Score:2)
http://www.ccac.ca/guides/english/V1_93/chap/chxi
for details. FWIW, the practice is now "discouraged" but it wouldn't surprise me if it still happens in lower-income pounds and such...
Re:Price Is Right. (Score:2)
Man, I gotta start using the "Preview" key and actually previewing the stuff I write.
Vacuum Chamber... You *better* beleive it. (Score:2)
I wish I was wrong. I really do. Please remember that the SPCA is not necessarily related to the City-funded Animal Shelter. They may work closely together, for obvious reasons, but animals who are placed in SPCA shelters have a longer 'save' time and a better chance of being adopted.
In my city, the two are actually in the same building, and when you take an animal to the pound, you can opt to pay an additional fee so that they are housed in the SPCA side of the shelter. They get 'lethal injection' rather than decompression when their time is up.
Animals who are left in the city pound or are picked up off the streets don't have nearly such an easy time. They are given days, rather than a weeks or more, and when their time is up, they are placed in the vacuum chamber.
God, I wish it wasn't true. I wish the donations I made to the SPCA would make it not true.
Scarily enough, a common science project for high-schoolers interested in biology in my town is to take an animal carcas from the pound, render the flesh, and then reassemble the skeleton. When I was in high-school, my biology teacher had instructions on how to repair rib bones that had been broken when the animal's chest cavity exploded in the near-vacuum.
This is in Texas, a big state, but the same state that is giving you 'CopyCat'.
Yes, the research is important, and will be useful. But it should *never* be used to create pets or service animals when such an overpopulation of those domestic animals exist.
No problems yet (Score:3, Funny)
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
And the first cloned domestic dog? (Score:1)
Easy (Score:2, Funny)
Dancin Santa
Re:And the first cloned domestic dog? (Score:2)
Re:And the first cloned domestic dog? (Score:1)
Question (Score:5, Interesting)
There are much bigger ramifications in the latter type of "copying" than the former.
Re:Question (Score:2)
Re:Question (Score:2)
Re:Question (Score:2)
Talent and effort huh? Then why's it still illegal to copy britney or nsync?
Anyhow, your theory is bunk.. there's months, perhaps a year of effort in putting out a CD? Several million years for the 'development' of the cat..
Re:Answer (Score:2)
//rdj
Does this mean.... (Score:3, Funny)
The clone wars are going to be fought with a spray bottle and a rolled up newspaper?
Bad Lord of the Sith! Bad, Bad!
Sounds like... (Score:2)
Justification ? (Score:3, Funny)
Shroedinger? (Score:1)
Re:Shroedinger? (Score:1)
- Freed
Where are your priorities? (Score:3, Funny)
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?
Somewhere, horny geeks are disappointed (Score:2)
Obvious Question (Score:1)
...runs and ducks...
This has to violate DMCA (Score:1)
Re:This has to violate DMCA (Score:1)
Success Rate (Score:1)
The other project (Score:2)
Congratulations, CmdrTaco!
Not the first "companion animal clone" (Score:2)
Re:Not the first "companion animal clone" (Score:1)
Re:Not the first "companion animal clone" (Score:2)
And that's the real challenge for genetic engineers, as far as I'm concerned. Who cares if we can clone a person, or make a replacement liver for alcoholics. Stop working on that crap and answer this -- Can we make a bunny with laser eyes?
cheese with my wine please? (Score:2)
Good grief. Talk about lame ass naming pun.
At least he didn't name it CowboyNeal
BBC Story + Pics (Score:3, Informative)
MEoW.
Re: Cc: (Score:3, Funny)
This had to happen (Score:1)
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...
Re:This had to happen (Score:2)
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)
This just in from Reuters - God files lawsuit. (Score:4, Funny)
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.
What are the odds? (Score:2)
Re:What are the odds? (Score:2)
Usual cloning caveats apply (Score:4, Funny)
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.)
Re:Usual cloning caveats apply (Score:1)
Re:Usual cloning caveats apply (Score:2)
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.
Rights? (Score:1)
I mean cats have rights, don't they?
wifes pussy (Score:1)
Great more FAT cats ....next cloning cockroaches (Score:2)
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.....
Re:Great more FAT cats ....next cloning cockroache (Score:1)
http://www.tubcat.com/
RePet (Score:2, Funny)
Great...so there really is going to be a "RePet."
I just hope they don't also actually invent that creepy doll.
Cloning of existing pets (Score:1)
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)
Just what we need. (Score:1, Flamebait)
And now they'll all look alike too.
What a scary world this is turning out to be.
-Restil
Humane Society Objection?!? (Score:2)
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.
Did they change it's name? (Score:2, Funny)
So was it a "Bcc:" when it was born?
- Freed
Re:Did they change it's name? (Score:1)
Warning, DMCA Violation (Score:1)
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)
Re:Hate to break the news to everyone... (Score:2)
This just in!! (Score:3, Funny)
Gawd? Do I have to finish it?
But there are limitations to this technology . . . (Score:1)
And you'd think... (Score:1)
Mixed feelings (Score:1)
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)
Also has a pic of the cat. Its named "Cc:" (seriously).
I have a real problem with this (Score:4, Insightful)
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.
Re:I have a real problem with this (Score:2)
Re:I have a real problem with this (Score:2)
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.
Re:I have a real problem with this (Score:2)
Re:I have a real problem with this (Score:2)
http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/sci/tech/newsi
This article mentions nothing at all about them cloning the cat so that they could profit from it. This one suggests its good because they can study feline aids in comparison to human aids.
Why aren't more stories mentioning the fact they want to clone rich people's pets?
Re:I have a real problem with this (Score:2)
You don't get it. The poster's comment didn't oppose cloning qua cloning, but rather the questionable ethics of going to a lot of trouble to create a creature when so many others of that same sort are destroyed for lack of owners.
Of course, I don't think the point of the CopyCat project was to develop a revolutionary method of cat production. IDNRTA* but I'm guessing it had more to do with biology than somebody's dream of a chain of cat factories.
* I Did Not Read The Article.
Re:I have a real problem with this (Score:2)
No, I get it. The point I was making (in a roundabout way) was that if you're going to make an argument, at least do it clearly and not muddy the waters will irrelevant data.
Precisely. If you're going to question the morals of cloning in general, fine, argue that... but arguing that it's bad BECAUSE that species is already plentiful is just plain silly.
Re:I have a real problem with this (Score:2)
Of course it isn't. It's humane. The poster believes that destroying cats because we can't find owners for them is bad. Widespread cloning of cats would exacerbate that problem. Therefore widespread cloning of cats would be bad.
The math is pretty simple.
As I said before, the CopyCat project isn't about the widespread cloning of cats (I think) so this argument is at best inapplicable. But it's not silly.
In fact, I think it raises a pretty interesting question. Let's assume that cloning is here; the genie is out of the bottle and we're going to have to deal with it. In some situations cloning might be justified, while in others it might not be, not because it's cloning qua cloning, but rather because of the effects that that particular application of cloning technology has on other aspects of society.
At that point, we're moving beyond "cloning is bad" into "cloning in certain situations is bad."
In other words, we've gone from "What can we eat?" to "Where shall we have lunch?"
Re:I have a real problem with this (Score:2)
Oh, okay. Perils of not reading the article. In that case, there certainly are problems with that business plan. Like you said, at that point cloning becomes a very expensive form of breeding.
Bad CopyCat! Go lay down!
Someone had to say it... (Score:5, Funny)
Intriguing names (Score:1)
Ah yes, like the new NFL expansion team, the Houston Texans [houstontexans.com].
Missyplicity (Score:1)
This site [missyplicity.com] has details, and appears to be sponsored by the same organization. [savingsandclone.com]
Cat got your tongue? (Score:2)
Does this violate the DMCA? (Score:2)
All this unauthorized copying...
W
Circumnavigation? (Score:2)
I obviously meant CIRCUMCISION of copy-protection systems.
W
Available on Napser? (Score:2)
Not that tough (Score:3, Funny)
Human Society v. Cloning (Score:2)
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)
Activation Key (Score:2, Funny)
I also heard that the cat won't work until it's activation key has been received from Microsoft.
I wonder (Score:2, Insightful)
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.
control group (Score:2)
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.
Scientists Clone Cat; God Files Suit (Score:4, Funny)
"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.
Biggest potential growth industry (Score:2, Insightful)
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.
Fire up those gene sequencers! (Score:2)
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"
Yeah but.. (Score:2)
Re:Oh, gee! (Score:1)
2002-02-14 17:24:02 Texas A&M Clones a Cat (articles,news) (rejected)
Oh, I guess I did! Wow, and to think that I was actually hoping for consistency with the Slashdot editors. I guess that's too much to ask.
Well, assuming that 17:24 is UTC time and the story was posted only a half hour later at 17:54 UTC there's a strong possibility that texchanchan sent in his version earlier than yours. Don't worry about it, wait about 5 hours. Hemos or Michael will come online for the night shift and post it again.
Funny titles (Score:1)
Your story got rejected because it didn't have a funny title. "Texas A&M Clones a Cat", what kind of stupid title is that? :)
Re:Oh, gee! (Score:1)
Eh, I whored myself all the way up to 50 Karma, and now I'm back down to 40. I've got a little ways to go until I whore myself up again. Whatever.
Fuck Slashdot.
Re:So they want to clone pets for wealthy animals (Score:1)