Elon Musk’s comment on ‘Jurassic Park’ startup idea rekindles debate on de-extinction
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A brief social media exchange involving Elon Musk has revived debate about whether science could one day recreate extinct species similar to those depicted in the film Jurassic Park.
The discussion began after technology entrepreneur Nikita Bier posted on X that the idea of building a real Jurassic Park-style project might now be “fundable.”
Musk responded to the post by writing, “I hope someone makes this work,” a comment that quickly drew attention online and prompted renewed discussion about the possibility of bringing extinct species back to life.
The concept of creating dinosaur-like animals through biotechnology has circulated in the tech world before.
In 2021, Max Hodak, a former co-founder of Neuralink, wrote on social media that advances in biotechnology could eventually allow scientists to engineer unusual new animal species.
Hodak suggested that something resembling a Jurassic Park-style environment might theoretically be created through genetic engineering and selective breeding over many years. However, he said such creatures would not be genetically authentic dinosaurs. He also raised questions about biodiversity, arguing that scientists could intentionally create new biological diversity rather than only preserving existing species.
Scientists say recreating dinosaurs remains extremely difficult despite progress in cloning and genetic engineering. Researchers have cloned several animals, including sheep, wolves, cats, and monkeys. One of the most well-known cases is Dolly the sheep, which was cloned in 1996.
More recently, scientists have cloned endangered animals such as the black-footed ferret in the United States as part of conservation work.
However, researchers say dinosaur DNA cannot survive for tens of millions of years. Genetic material breaks down long before fossils form, making the resurrection of dinosaurs far beyond current scientific capability, even as the idea continues to capture public imagination.