Bring Back the King: The New Science of De-extinction
4.5/5
()
About this ebook
De-extinction – the ability to bring extinct species back to life – is fast becoming reality. Around the globe, scientists are trying to de-extinct all manner of animals, including the woolly mammoth, the passenger pigeon and a bizarre species of flatulent frog. But de-extinction is more than just bringing back the dead. It's a science that can be used to save species, shape evolution and sculpt the future of life on our planet.
In Bring Back the King, scientist and comedy writer Helen Pilcher goes on a quest to identify the perfect de-extinction candidate. Along the way, she asks if Elvis could be recreated from the DNA inside a pickled wart, investigates whether it's possible to raise a pet dodo, and considers the odds of a 21st century Neanderthal turning heads on public transport.
Pondering the practicalities and the point of de-extinction, Bring Back the King is a witty and wry exploration of what is bound to become one of the hottest topics in conservation – if not in science as a whole – in the years to come. READ THIS BOOK – the King commands it.
Helen Pilcher
Helen Pilcher is a tea-drinking, biscuit-nibbling science and comedy writer. She has a PhD in Cell Biology from London's Institute of Psychiatry. A former reporter for Nature, she now specializes in biology, medicine and quirky off-the-wall science, and writes for outlets including New Scientist and BBC Focus. Unusually for a self-proclaimed geek, Helen also used to be a stand-up comedian before the arrival of children meant she couldn't physically stay awake past 9pm. She now gigs from time to time, and lives in rural Warwickshire with her husband, three kids and besotted dog. @HelenPilcher1
Related to Bring Back the King
Related ebooks
Life Changing: SHORTLISTED FOR THE WAINWRIGHT PRIZE FOR WRITING ON GLOBAL CONSERVATION Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Evolution Underground Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Re-Origin of Species: a second chance for extinct animals Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Lure of the Thylacine: True Stories and Legendary Tales of the Tasmanian Tiger Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Lost Frogs and Hot Snakes: Herpetologists' Tales from the Field Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratings11 Explorations into Life on Earth: Christmas Lectures from the Royal Institution Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe First Men in the Moon Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsSex, Drugs, and Sea Slime: The Oceans' Oddest Creatures and Why They Matter Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5A Cultural History of Heredity Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsDeep-Sea Fishes Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsRestoring the Wild: Sixty Years of Rewilding Our Skies, Woods and Waterways Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Survivors: The Animals and Plants that Time has Left Behind (Text Only) Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5How High Can a Kangaroo Hop? Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Change of Formation Never Enough Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Letters from the emu war Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsLife in the Dark: Illuminating Biodiversity in the Shadowy Haunts of Planet Earth Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsIn Pursuit of Early Mammals Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Discovery of Australia Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Second Star Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsGrasshoppers and Crickets Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Fossil Chronicles: How Two Controversial Discoveries Changed Our View of Human Evolution Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Earth's Deep History: How It Was Discovered and Why It Matters Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Sentinels of the Deep Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsCall of Nature: The Secret Life of Dung Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5On the Backs of Tortoises: Darwin, the Galapagos, and the Fate of an Evolutionary Eden Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsFuture Sea: How to Rescue and Protect the World’s Oceans Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Zombie Makers: True Stories of Nature's Undead Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Scenes from Deep Time: Early Pictorial Representations of the Prehistoric World Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Honours Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Trilobite Book: A Visual Journey Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratings
Biology For You
The Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural History Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Winner Effect: The Neuroscience of Success and Failure Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Why We Sleep: Unlocking the Power of Sleep and Dreams Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Gut: The Inside Story of Our Body's Most Underrated Organ (Revised Edition) Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Soul of an Octopus: A Surprising Exploration into the Wonder of Consciousness Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Grieving Brain: The Surprising Science of How We Learn from Love and Loss Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5All That Remains: A Renowned Forensic Scientist on Death, Mortality, and Solving Crimes Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Ultralearning: Master Hard Skills, Outsmart the Competition, and Accelerate Your Career Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Lifespan: Why We Age—and Why We Don't Have To Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5"Cause Unknown": The Epidemic of Sudden Deaths in 2021 & 2022 Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Dopamine Detox: Biohacking Your Way To Better Focus, Greater Happiness, and Peak Performance Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Woman: An Intimate Geography Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Peptide Protocols: Volume One Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Lies My Gov't Told Me: And the Better Future Coming Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Obesity Code: the bestselling guide to unlocking the secrets of weight loss Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5A Letter to Liberals: Censorship and COVID: An Attack on Science and American Ideals Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5This Will Make You Smarter: 150 New Scientific Concepts to Improve Your Thinking Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Homo Deus: A Brief History of Tomorrow Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5A Crack In Creation: Gene Editing and the Unthinkable Power to Control Evolution Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5How Emotions Are Made: The Secret Life of the Brain Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Anatomy 101: From Muscles and Bones to Organs and Systems, Your Guide to How the Human Body Works Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Suicidal: Why We Kill Ourselves Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Mother of God: An Extraordinary Journey into the Uncharted Tributaries of the Western Amazon Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Code Breaker: Jennifer Doudna, Gene Editing, and the Future of the Human Race Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Blood of Emmett Till Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Fantastic Fungi: How Mushrooms Can Heal, Shift Consciousness, and Save the Planet Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Other Minds: The Octopus, the Sea, and the Deep Origins of Consciousness Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Anatomy and Physiology For Dummies Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5
Related categories
Reviews for Bring Back the King
12 ratings2 reviews
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Bring Back the King: The New Science of De-extinction by Helen Pilcher is a terrific science book that is full of humor and science that kept me interested on every page. The science, which I admit I love anyway, was written so everyday Joe's and Jane's can understand and the humor was witty, clever, and refreshing. I learned a lot in this book and I read a lot on this subject so I already knew some of it but what she brought up was new and exciting. Lots of extinct animals, extinctions, cloning, new science and possibilities on the way. Very exciting stuff! I enjoyed the layout and the writing style. A totally refreshing style for a science book. Thanks NetGalley for suggesting this book to read. Loved it.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Fantastic book. I’m a science nerd and have always wanted my stegosaurus as a pet. Helen Pilcher tells the path of which scientists dared to bring back an extinct animal. Easy to follow along she adds in humor and irony to keep the pace moving. I remember hearing about these pioneers in their field and glad to see their accomplishments are contained in this book.