Debate: Don't Bring Extinct Creatures Back To Life

What if woolly mammoths could walk the planet once again? De-extinction – or the process of creating an organism which is a member of, or closely resembles, an extinct species – was once a sci-fi fantasy only imaginable in films like “Jurassic Park.” But recent biological and technological breakthroughs indicate that reviving extinct creatures could become a reality. Even if advancements get us there, should we do it?

For the Motion:

• Dr. Ross MacPhee - Curator, Department of Mammalogy, Division of Vertebrate Zoology, American Museum of Natural History

• Dr. Lynn J. Rothschild - Evolutionary Biologist & Astrobiologist

Against the Motion:

• Stewart Brand - Co-Founder, Revive & Restore & Founder, Whole Earth Catalog

• Dr. George Church - Professor of Genetics, Harvard and MIT & Founder, Personal Genome Project