Mutating Chickens Into Dinosaurs

[Redstar]

This topic is the second in a series that discusses the real-world feasibility of the science seen in the film. The first can be seen in Mutations Make Evolution Reversable.

As that thread discussed, "devolution" is an impossible concept. As organisms evolve their genetics also change on a fundamental level. New genes are expressed while old ones are used in different ways. Others are blocked off and wouldn't have the same effect if simply be turned back on.



However, as paleontologist Jack Horner elaborates on, birds are the true descendants of dinosaurs. By simply manipulating the hormonal development of chickens one can emulate the basic appearance and behavior of a small dinosaur. By switching on or off different genes and controlling hormones, you could easily develop a chicken with fingers that never merge into wings, teeth and a long tail. Horner dubs such a beast the "Chickensaurus."

[Serum]

De-evolution is basically just mutation, anyway. It reverts life to a "simpler form," not necessarily the original form from with it came from. Like the Goombas are mutants who have been genetically altered to act in a primitive way-- loyal, lethal and stupid.

Then again, the "Goomba" could be to the lizard people of the Mushroom Kingdom what the ape is to the people of Brooklyn... I never thought of it that way. But on the other hand, the de-evolution machine has the ability to forward the evolution process-- which means it could be run on some sort of oracle-based system that can access the entire Akashic Records (the Mind of God) and give anyone anywhere any information they please-- but not necessarily the correct information, as the equation that Spike proposes is incorrect, though that may just be a joke they left in as an out-take.

[Redstar]

De-evolution is basically just mutation, anyway. It reverts life to a "simpler form," not necessarily the original form from with it came from. Like the Goombas are mutants who have been genetically altered to act in a primitive way-- loyal, lethal and stupid.

Evolution is "basically just mutation;" de-evolution doesn't exist.

The idea of reverting life back to a "simpler form" is absurd. All life is infinitely complex, even supposedly simple single-cell organisms. I wouldn't go so far as to call Koopa stupid, but he is certainly wrong. It's probably all just propaganda anyways.

[Serum]

I know I'm going to get a lot of flak for this, but I don't particularly believe in evolution in the same way that it's presented by so many scientists. I actually believe that humanity came from the planet Mars, before its seas dried up and its sky was scorched with red clouds I believe Mars was a beautiful, Earth-like planet that had a race of super-beings living on it that were torn apart by nuclear war and before the entire race was destroyed, they sent single-celled organisms to the only other inhabited planet in the Solar System-- Earth, and from there they evolved into the beings we traditionally believe humanity originated from today.

[Redstar]

What you're describing is basically panspermia with a sci-fi twist; it's a theory that doesn't necessarily negate the idea of evolution, which has already been proven in some forms.

[Serum]

What you're describing is basically panspermia with a sci-fi twist; it's a theory that doesn't necessarily negate the idea of evolution, which has already been proven in some forms.

Oh, you haven't even heard the gist of my "sci-fi twist" to my origin story, yet. Furthermore, I believe the Martians named the capsule they sent to Earth "Genesis," and that to them, they called the planet Mars "Eden" and that "original sin" was "nuclear war," as nuclear weapons were "the forbidden fruit."

The "serpent" was the man or woman who perpetrated the nuclear war and pushed the Martians to touch on what ought not have been touched. "Adam" and "Eve" were the names of the nations that first struck different parts of "Eden" with the nuclear weapons, as tempted by the "serpent." I know it all sounds stupid, but it's what I believe.

[Prime Evil]

I know it all sounds stupid, but it's what I believe.

Well, with any luck, you'll be able to relieve a few gullible movie stars of some of their money. I'll root for you!

(I only wish I'd thought of it...)

[Serum]

I know it all sounds stupid, but it's what I believe.

Well, with any luck, you'll be able to relieve a few gullible movie stars of some of their money.

It's funny you would say that. An ancestor of mine, a science-fiction author by the name of Abraham Merritt was supposedly at the lunch roundtable discussion with Isaac Asimov and L. Ron Hubbard when they came up with the idea for Scientology.

So if that's true-- I'm in a way, indirectly responsible for Scientology. Don't get me wrong though, I've read "Dianetics," and I actually found it pretty interesting. I'm not one to bash Scientology, because I think it really works for some people, however I do think they overcharge people for their services. It's a pity, because if they weren't so expensive, they would probably rival Christianity and other "mainstream" religions.

But yeah, my ancestor, Abraham Merritt was a big inspiration to writers like L. Ron Hubbard, he wrote a book called "The Moon Pool" which was the inspiration for the TV show "Lost." Unfortunately they didn't credit him in any way and furthermore the book has long since fallen into the public domain so I'm not getting any royalties anyway. What were we talking about again? Something about chickens and dinosaurs?

[Prime Evil]

Wow. You got some interesting blood in you.

EDIT: PS: If your idea really takes off, I call first dibs on the elaborate underwater city.

[Serum]

:shock:

Wow. You got some interesting blood in you.

EDIT: PS: If your idea really takes off, I call first dibs on the elaborate underwater city.

Oh, it gets weirder, another ancestor of mine, a Frenchman by the name of Christopher Meret wrote a book called "Anatomie de Meret," which in modern English translates to "Merritt's Anatomy." He was a rival of Henry Gray- who wrote "Gray's Anatomy," but Gray won that battle and "Anatomie de Meret" was lost to time and banished to obscurity.