6 ms·
The part about halting pig's aging at one year stopped me in my tracks. The whole article was incredible, but that has been my lifelong dream (for pets) Imagin
by awakeasleep 13y ago
The part about halting pig's aging at one year stopped me in my tracks.
The whole article was incredible, but that has been my lifelong dream (for pets) Imagine a dog that stayed one year old forever. Or a giraffe.
Edit: Guys. I get this isn't an immortal dog. I just want it to stop growing at one year, like the article says. I also understand this isn't a perfect commercialized technology.
- quesera 13y agoThe article says the pigs stop growing at one year. They presumably still die on time, or perhaps even earlier, that doesn't seem to be a consideration. sorry. :(
- geuis 13y agoThat's not what happens. They don't just stay piglets forever. Mammals aren't that simple. They stop growing but they still age. They'll die younger than normal pigs as a result
- mhb 13y agoIt didn't say that aging stops. It said that it stops growing. Big difference.
- ckoepp 13y agoIt is, but still it quite open what happens if you'd deny a normal growth. Animals are no machines where you simply disable a gene and it works like you expect it to work. We're not even sure what a huge amount of the DNA really does (and what it doesn't). So playing around with such stuff is trial-and-error as you see on virtually any such experiments (Orange trees, potatoes, cloned sheeps, etc.).
- bane 13y agoImagine having a baby elephant! A 120kg (260lb) 85cm (33 in) baby elephant. Actually there'd be a tremendous market for perpetual puppies and kittens. Even if their life span is a little on the short side.
- cdash 13y agoGet me a baby tiger.
- gaius 13y agoAn adult tiger trapped in a baby tiger's body. Wouldn't it go insane?
- derefr 13y agohttp://www.smbc-comics.com/?id=3195 http://www.smbc-comics.com/?id=3195
- alexeisadeski3 13y agoWho cares? It's cute!
- waps 13y agoSince animal's size is encoded in a few genes that are specifically marked to evolve very quickly, any ill effects (for non-extreme settings) would be extremely unlikely. Besides, mutations in those genes exist without manipulation too, you have small tigers, and you have large cats. Those animals don't go crazy, so ... Even in humans you have everything. From people who grow 2-3 centimeters from when they are born, to people who grow to 2.5 meters. While most examples have a somewhat short lifespan, it's not drastically short. Even though our skeleton clearly has problems with anything over 2 meters. And you do see that happening. There are a lot of species that have changed size in documented history. The trend seems to be that anything that lives in cities, from tigers to rats, evolves to the size of a large cat, which seems to be optimal for survival. Also their colors change to very dark patterns that are bloody hard to see in the dark (and they only come out in the dark in cities). In nature there is more variation, but as habitats have generally become smaller, animals have shrunk too. References : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_tallest_people http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_tallest_people http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_shortest_people http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_shortest_people Oh and this is just too cute not to mention : https://www.google.com.au/search?q=falabella+horses&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=fCvVUpfZDcGHlAXei4HYCQ&ved=0CAkQ_AUoAQ https://www.google.com.au/search?q=falabella+horses&source=l... (these are neither ponys nor foals, they're fully grown adult horses, no if you're not a baby you can't ride them. They come in sizes varying from 30cm to 120cm. You also have horse races that have a "port"height (meaning their shoulders) of 2m)
- prawn 13y agoKittens forever. Would sell like crazy, then they'd get their butts kicked out on the street. Maybe when they discover how to maintain the playfulness of a kitten in an adult cat forever...
- tehwalrus 13y agothe playfulness of kittens wears thin long before the 6-12 months it takes to wear off - I'm not sure prolonging it would have such an appeal... (note: I love kittens, but I also love adult cats, which I can coexist with much more easily.)
- prawn 13y agoOh, I agree, but pre-sale, the majority will want an official Kitten Forever (tm) cat. Then later pay for the Just Sit Still FFS upgrade.
- lucian1900 13y agoBut ... cats already work like that.
- arethuza 13y agoOur two Burmese cats are eight years old and are still as playful, energetic and affectionate as when we got them as kittens - even though they are now quite a bit larger and heavier. This appears to be a characteristic of the breed: "Burmese maintain kitten-like interests and energy throughout their adulthood." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burmese_%28cat%29 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burmese_%28cat%29 [Should be noted that they are also utterly gorgeous as well]
- DamnYuppie 13y agoI have a Burmese and they are VERY playful and energetic, sometimes too much so. But they are an absolute blast of a pet.
- gaius 13y agoIt seems to me pretty cruel to trap an adult in a child's body. Do you consider yourself to be an animal-lover?
- deleted 13y ago[deleted]
- Luc 13y agoHa, imagine that, a pig that's left to live until it's a year old. That must be a 0.01% occurrence. I bet the average slaughter age is well below 6 months.
- tonyarkles 13y agoHoly crap, I had no idea that they grew so quickly. http://www.thepigsite.com/stockstds/17/growth-rate http://www.thepigsite.com/stockstds/17/growth-rate - 110kg in 22 weeks!
- Eupolemos 13y agoEven more animals bred for cuteness, turning life into a human toy to be perverted and thrown away at whim. It makes me sick to the core.
- tluyben2 13y agoIt's inevitable with all the science we have, but yes, it's a very bad thing. I have seen Christmas this year again; people flock to the pet shops (horribly bred puppies and other species, while there are tons of animals in refuges waiting for homes) to buy 'cute puppies'; three weeks after the kids don't like them anymore and the parents find them 'quite a bit of work' so they dump them somewhere. To end up in refuges or dead (rather have the latter in this case, but then have the fucking balls to do it yourself and not put them out of your car and drive off with it running after you not knowing wtf is going on. GRRRRR).
- rmc 13y agoIf you could make dogs that remained puppies for life you'd become a billionare.
- rubinelli 13y agoIsn't there a theory that dogs are wolves that retain their cub characteristics for life?
- jere 13y agoIt's called neoteny. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neoteny http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neoteny So we've already been doing this for thousands of years. >Some common neotenous physical traits in domesticated animals (mainly dogs, pigs, ferrets, cats, and even foxes) include: floppy ears, changes in reproductive cycle, curly tails, piebald coloration, fewer or shortened vertebra, large eyes, rounded forehead, large ears, and shortened muzzle.
- rmc 13y agoPerhaps, but more so.
- raverbashing 13y ago"I just want it to stop growing at one year" This is called Paedomorphism (thanks Wikipedia) through Neoteny. Humans are a very good example of it. Or cats (though I'm not sure about this one). See how Tiger/Lion cubs behave like regular cats? Moderate aggressiveness, meowing, etc?
- Tohhou 13y agoRelated is Evolution in Action The Silver Fox Experiment: http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=b30_1372049732 http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=b30_1372049732
- achy 13y agoI didn't click on this link, but I really hope the domestication experiment with foxes is not being called 'evolution'.
- gwern 13y agoWhy not? Reproduction with variation and selection (by the humans). Seems like evolution to me.
- achy 13y agoBecause evolution relies on survival of the fittest and genetic mutation. Your Chi-Pom-Poodle-Terrier isn't an evolutionary step for the canine. And most of all I don't want creationists to think that 'hand of god' is a valid evolutionary driver ;)
- gwern 13y ago> Because evolution relies on survival of the fittest Which is defined by the humans in this case. > Your Chi-Pom-Poodle-Terrier isn't an evolutionary step for the canine. Any change is an 'evolutionary step'. You're thinking in dangerously telelogical and moralizing terms.
- guizzy 13y agoYou aren't the first to think about this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gPMvMfehGiw http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gPMvMfehGiw