Welcome to 2025, where billionaires are not just building rockets¡ªthey are also fangirling over prehistoric creatures on social media.
Elon Musk, the ever-curious (and occasionally chaotic) tech mogul, is back at it again¡ªthis time reacting to what could be one of the wildest scientific flexes of our time: the alleged resurrection of the dire wolf. Yes, the same iconic beast that once roamed the Ice Age and later dominated pop culture thanks to Game of Thrones.
In a pair of dramatic posts on X (formerly Twitter), Musk responded to a company¡¯s bold claim that they have genetically engineered wolves that resemble the long-extinct dire wolves. His verdict? Simply ¡°cool.¡± But of course, Musk being Musk, he could not stop there. He went on to express his desire for a miniature pet woolly mammoth¡ªbecause who does not want a pocket-sized Ice Age icon waddling around their living room?
The initial post he shared included a Time Magazine-style cover with a majestic white wolf and the word ¡°Extinct¡± cheekily crossed out. The second image was even spicier: two fluffy wolf pups lounging on a mock-up of the Iron Throne, giving off serious Westeros vibes. The message was clear¡ªthese wolves are back, and they are serving looks.
The mastermind behind the supposed ¡°world¡¯s first de-extinction¡±? Colossal Biosciences. The company claims to have revived three wolf cubs, genetically edited to match the dire wolf genome. The names? Two boys called Romulus and Remus (yes, the twin founders of Rome), and a two-month-old girl named Khaleesi¡ªbecause of course she is.
According to the company, this breakthrough involved reconstructing the dire wolf¡¯s DNA using fossils dating back over 11,000 years. They are calling it a historical revolution and aim to become pioneers in using CRISPR to bring extinct species back to life.
But not everyone is convinced. Biologist Vincent Lynch, who was not involved in the research, pointed out that what is happening is more lookalike cosplay than actual resurrection. He said the creatures may resemble dire wolves on the outside, but it is unlikely they are biologically identical to their extinct ancestors.
Still, social media is living for the drama. Fans chimed in with memes, fake photos of Musk walking his woolly mammoth, and even requests for other Ice Age icons like a ¡°micro hippo¡± or, wait for it¡ ¡°Jurassic Park IRL.¡±
Well, with all this hype now, someone please bring Elon his tiny mammoth already.