NationStates Jolt Archive

Pig and jelly fish hybrid...did you see this? according to the BBC, Chinese scientists have used genes from pigs and jellyfish to make a pig that GLOWS GREEN in the dark....

and even worse..if thats possible...a GOAT - SPIDER hybrid, so that when you milk the goat it produces spider silk....ARGHHHHHHHHHHH

The BBC don't have this much of a sense of humour to make it up and it's not even April 1st...what the hell is going on!?

Id like them to create a spider human hybrid with a psychopathic personality. Now that would be really scary.

Pig and jelly fish hybrid...did you see this? according to the BBC, Chinese scientists have used genes from pigs and jellyfish to make a pig that GLOWS GREEN in the dark....

and even worse..if thats possible...a GOAT - SPIDER hybrid, so that when you milk the goat it produces spider silk....ARGHHHHHHHHHHH

The BBC don't have this much of a sense of humour to make it up and it's not even April 1st...what the hell is going on!?


Heheh don't worry about it, it's just geneticists playing around to see what ahppens. It's science mate innit!

Spidergoat.
Scientists have combined the DNA from a goat and spider to create an animal which produces silk five times stronger than steel. The fibre, from the goat's milk, harnesses the huge strength, relative to their size, of silk from spiders.

The silk-milk fibre can be used to make body armour far tougher than normal bullet-proof vests made from Kevlar while weighing little more than a cotton shirt. The hybrid goats were created by inserting a gene from an orb-weaving spider into a goat embryo. The goats are outwardly normal, but carry the gene responsible for production of a spider silk protein. Each goat is 1/70,000th spider. Nexia, the Canadian biotech company which produced the goats, hopes the fibre - dubbed Biosteel - could take a large chunk of the $2.6 billion market in industrial fibres. It plans to produce ropes and nets, sporting goods and equipment, fishing lines and surgical stitches.

BBC green pig article (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/4605202.stm)

I see no ethical problem with this, and think it is awesome. Someone should invent one of those cows from that Simpsons episode so that chocolate or vanilla ice-cream comes straight from their udder. Obviously that is impossible. But still...

Pig and jelly fish hybrid...did you see this? according to the BBC, Chinese scientists have used genes from pigs and jellyfish to make a pig that GLOWS GREEN in the dark....

and even worse..if thats possible...a GOAT - SPIDER hybrid, so that when you milk the goat it produces spider silk....ARGHHHHHHHHHHH

The BBC don't have this much of a sense of humour to make it up and it's not even April 1st...what the hell is going on!?I remember you! I haven't seen you in ages. You're the isle o' wighter, yes?

Anyway, meh. The Japanese already have glow in the dark bunnies. At least I think they do.

Hello Infinite Dunes! Yes I am! well remembered....have a new job that takes me into the realm of real world...but am off today!

Pig and jelly fish hybrid...did you see this? according to the BBC, Chinese scientists have used genes from pigs and jellyfish to make a pig that GLOWS GREEN in the dark....

and even worse..if thats possible...a GOAT - SPIDER hybrid, so that when you milk the goat it produces spider silk....ARGHHHHHHHHHHH

The BBC don't have this much of a sense of humour to make it up and it's not even April 1st...what the hell is going on!?

carisbrooke! :eek: YAY! i missed you :fluffle: :fluffle: :)


aaaaanyway, i say they should make cows with chlorophyll in their skin. they'd be green but they'd photosynthesise while they munch on grass. why the hell not? :P

Hey PM! How are things? Isn't the weather crap!

Spidergoat.
Scientists have combined the DNA from a goat and spider to create an animal which produces silk five times stronger than steel. The fibre, from the goat's milk, harnesses the huge strength, relative to their size, of silk from spiders.

The silk-milk fibre can be used to make body armour far tougher than normal bullet-proof vests made from Kevlar while weighing little more than a cotton shirt. The hybrid goats were created by inserting a gene from an orb-weaving spider into a goat embryo. The goats are outwardly normal, but carry the gene responsible for production of a spider silk protein. Each goat is 1/70,000th spider. Nexia, the Canadian biotech company which produced the goats, hopes the fibre - dubbed Biosteel - could take a large chunk of the $2.6 billion market in industrial fibres. It plans to produce ropes and nets, sporting goods and equipment, fishing lines and surgical stitches.
I did a search - found this: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/889951.stm

The date is August 2000. Don't you think it's a bit late to be stressing about it? Besides, it's clearly been done with a good reason - it's not as if they were just in the lab one day, flicking paperclips at one another when someone suddenly said "I know! Let's make a spidergoat!"

what if it goes horribly wrong and we get pigs that sting or use buoyancy glands to float the world oceans!?

Hey PM! How are things? Isn't the weather crap!

you're telling me :( its so cloudy i can't even see you accross the water ;)

but things are pretty good. going on holiday with glitziness next month to celebrate 1 year anniversary, and... stuff :)
hows about you?

I did a search - found this: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/889951.stm

The date is August 2000. Don't you think it's a bit late to be stressing about it? Besides, it's clearly been done with a good reason - it's not as if they were just in the lab one day, flicking paperclips at one another when someone suddenly said "I know! Let's make a spidergoat!"

While that's all well and good, a Monkopotamus would be better.

what if it goes horribly wrong and we get pigs that sting or use buoyancy glands to float the world oceans!?

Then somebody mixed up some test-tubes.

I for one welcome our new Spidergoat overlords.

I for one welcome our new Spidergoat overlords.
Not really that new. In fact, almost as old as that joke. :p

Good and bad PM..

Love life is great, congrats on the anniversary with the lovely Glitziness! Having some other shit going on in real life, and am glad to have work to hide in to be honest....as to it being a 2000 story...I only HEARD about it yesterday in the car and it made me go 'wtf!' so that's why I did this thread...I live in a time warp...I make only meagre apologies for that

...and send cake to PM!!!

Spidergoat.
Scientists have combined the DNA from a goat and spider to create an animal which produces silk five times stronger than steel. The fibre, from the goat's milk, harnesses the huge strength, relative to their size, of silk from spiders.

The silk-milk fibre can be used to make body armour far tougher than normal bullet-proof vests made from Kevlar while weighing little more than a cotton shirt. The hybrid goats were created by inserting a gene from an orb-weaving spider into a goat embryo. The goats are outwardly normal, but carry the gene responsible for production of a spider silk protein. Each goat is 1/70,000th spider. Nexia, the Canadian biotech company which produced the goats, hopes the fibre - dubbed Biosteel - could take a large chunk of the $2.6 billion market in industrial fibres. It plans to produce ropes and nets, sporting goods and equipment, fishing lines and surgical stitches.

that sounds awesome. i honestly don't understand the ethical dilemma with this. i mean people say it's playing god, but we are god, so why the hell not? the only problem i can see arising is if the hybrids were allowed to breed with the normal goat or pig population, then you might get some unpredictable and potentially nasty mutations. properly contained i think this is a good direction for scientific research.

Good and bad PM..

Love life is great

yay!

congrats on the anniversary with the lovely Glitziness!
thank you :)

Having some other shit going on in real life, and am glad to have work to hide in to be honest....
sorry to hear that :-S
for what its worth, i hope you're ok :fluffle:

I live in a time warp...I make only meagre apologies for that
doesn't everyone on the isle of wight? ;) :D

...and send cake to PM!!!
woo!!

sorry to hear that :-S
for what its worth, i hope you're ok :fluffle:








I am sort of...I almost lost it totally to be honest...but I have been getting help and love and support, and even though I can't change the total shit of a situation, I am happy to be loved and cared for. X

And you are right about the Isle of Wight...it's still 1956 here...

A glowing pig?

That is so damn cool. I want one.

I REALLY want a genetically modified elephant that is the size of a cat and that I can pet and take care of.....


does that make me odd?

I made my first EVER poll......"YAY"

Pig and jelly fish hybrid...did you see this? according to the BBC, Chinese scientists have used genes from pigs and jellyfish to make a pig that GLOWS GREEN in the dark....

and even worse..if thats possible...a GOAT - SPIDER hybrid, so that when you milk the goat it produces spider silk....ARGHHHHHHHHHHH

The BBC don't have this much of a sense of humour to make it up and it's not even April 1st...what the hell is going on!?

it has some important applications for research of cancer iirc

Id like them to create a spider human hybrid with a psychopathic personality. Now that would be really scary.

Nothing like having IRL Driders.

it has some important applications for research of cancer iirc

GFP (green fluorescent protein) mice and rats are useful in all sorts of research. Pigs could be as well.

The spidergoat thing, on the other hand, that sounds more like a straight industry thing.

GFP (green fluorescent protein) mice and rats are useful in all sorts of research. Pigs could be as well.

The spidergoat thing, on the other hand, that sounds more like a straight industry thing.

wow i didn't read the thread and thought the spidergoats where a joke.

I have an animal hybrid curled up near my feet right now, he keeps them warm.:p

What I think is hilarious is that protesters in the Western nations think that by protesting GM, they can stop this.

The East is going ahead with it, and fuck anyone who is opposed to GM.

Spidergoat.
Scientists have combined the DNA from a goat and spider to create an animal which produces silk five times stronger than steel. The fibre, from the goat's milk, harnesses the huge strength, relative to their size, of silk from spiders.

The silk-milk fibre can be used to make body armour far tougher than normal bullet-proof vests made from Kevlar while weighing little more than a cotton shirt. The hybrid goats were created by inserting a gene from an orb-weaving spider into a goat embryo. The goats are outwardly normal, but carry the gene responsible for production of a spider silk protein. Each goat is 1/70,000th spider. Nexia, the Canadian biotech company which produced the goats, hopes the fibre - dubbed Biosteel - could take a large chunk of the $2.6 billion market in industrial fibres. It plans to produce ropes and nets, sporting goods and equipment, fishing lines and surgical stitches.... all you need is a genetic throwback and you have a goat with the diet of a spider...

A dwarf giant squid would be cool too.

I have an animal hybrid curled up near my feet right now, he keeps them warm.:p

a Poi Dog (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poi_dog)?

a Poi Dog (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poi_dog)?

no, obviously a liger (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liger)

a Poi Dog (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poi_dog)?

wolfdog (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wolfdog)

A dwarf giant squid would be cool too.
Or a giant pygmy hippo.

wolfdog (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wolfdog)

Oooohhh... Nice. might be the only dog I would like to own.

Oooohhh... Nice. might be the only dog I would like to own.

you have to be careful, it's easy to get a dud. :p

wolfdog (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wolfdog)

awesome!

awesome!

he is actually a red wolf, German shepherd, chow mix, and before anyone starts in about the red wolves being endangered I know it, I didn't ask for the dog, he found me.


http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c389/Smunkee/Buddy2.jpg

you have to be careful, it's easy to get a dud. :p

Knowing my luck... it's most likely! :p

Beautiful dog btw.

he is actually a red wolf, German shepherd, chow mix, and before anyone starts in about the red wolves being endangered I know it, I didn't ask for the dog, he found me.


http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c389/Smunkee/Buddy2.jpg

that's a cool looking dog.

Pig and jelly fish hybrid...did you see this? according to the BBC, Chinese scientists have used genes from pigs and jellyfish to make a pig that GLOWS GREEN in the dark....

and even worse..if thats possible...a GOAT - SPIDER hybrid, so that when you milk the goat it produces spider silk....ARGHHHHHHHHHHH

The BBC don't have this much of a sense of humour to make it up and it's not even April 1st...what the hell is going on!?
Oh noes! Science is doing new things! WON'T SOMEONE THINK OF THE CHILDREN!

But in all seriousness folks:

Sometimes someone does something. And it leaves you thinking "why would anyone do that?"

But... to other people whatever they're doing seems perfectly normal.

*Shrug*

Goat silk... can't wait to wear some of that!

Goat silk... can't wait to wear some of that!

hope it lasts... I can just imagine some poor sap wearing a Goat Silk suit... and have the thing desolve just as he starts his nationwide televised speech...

well, they already invented the phrase "Wardrobe malfunction" :D

A dwarf giant squid would be cool too.

Wouldn't that be a squid?

Aaaannyway...

Rise of Alba!
http://www.ekac.org/albagreen.jpeg (http://www.ekac.org/gfpbunny.html#gfpbunnyanchor)
The GFP Bunny!

Pig and jelly fish hybrid...did you see this? according to the BBC, Chinese scientists have used genes from pigs and jellyfish to make a pig that GLOWS GREEN in the dark....

and even worse..if thats possible...a GOAT - SPIDER hybrid, so that when you milk the goat it produces spider silk....ARGHHHHHHHHHHH

The BBC don't have this much of a sense of humour to make it up and it's not even April 1st...what the hell is going on!?

What the hell? That's just wrong.

What the hell? That's just wrong.

Why?

Why?
because if it produces spiders silk instead of goat's milk, then it can't nurse it's young.

unless you give it a spider's reproductive system, thus it lays thousands of eggs.


if it still produces milk... then where does the spider's silk come out from... and why am I feeling sorry for the person who has to collect it?

(reread the article... so they have to extract the silk protiens from the milk... I wonder if those protiens are still digestable in the kids stomachs.)

because if it produces spiders silk instead of goat's milk, then it can't nurse it's young.

unless you give it a spider's reproductive system, thus it lays thousands of eggs.


if it still produces milk... then where does the spider's silk come out from... and why am I feeling sorry for the person who has to collect it?

(reread the article... so they have to extract the silk protiens from the milk... I wonder if those protiens are still digestable in the kids stomachs.)
So it's thus wrong to farm chicken eggs as the chicken will never get to look after it's young?

I imagine that silk goats won't be breeding goats. The majority of domesticated animals are not bred - only the specimines most suitable for breeding get bred. And I highly doubt that any hybrid animals would be able to produce viable offspring.

Whoa.

Don't you bash hybrids!

I'm warning you.. http://www.politika.be/forum/images/smilies/extra/threaten.gif

Nothing like having IRL Driders.

Crap, you beat me to it. :p

Oooohhh... Nice. might be the only dog I would like to own.

My grandparents used to have one, have Timber Wolf, half German Shepard. My grandfather had to be real strict with him while he was still a puppy, in order to bring his wolf half under control. He was a beautiful dog. He died about four years ago. I was there to help bury him.

*gets all depressed*

what if it goes horribly wrong and we get pigs that sting or use buoyancy glands to float the world oceans!?

This is where the 12 gauge comes in.

I imagine that silk goats won't be breeding goats.

They will be if you want more silk-producing goats. Of course, the milk thing wouldn't really be an issue. If the offspring cannot feed off of the mother, the industry will find another way to feed them.

The majority of domesticated animals are not bred - only the specimines most suitable for breeding get bred. And I highly doubt that any hybrid animals would be able to produce viable offspring.

Why would you doubt that? We aren't talking about adding lots of spider features - just one. In fact, the article made it clear that they were hoping to breed the animals they had. None of the GFP-mice or rats have any reproductive problems. In fact, I haven't heard of any GFP animals having reproductive problems as a result, and it allows us to set up "hybrid" strains for specific uses.

For the record, spidersilk proteins are perfectly digestible.

I love this genetic modification stuff. The fish genes keep my tomatoes from freezing.

Plus, this is just one more data point that says we've entered Tech Level 8 in the GURPS ruleset.

I for one welcome our new Spidergoat overlords.

The Simpsons! I thought it was Futurama at first, and that it was that alien presenter for the news, but then I realised is was Kent Brockmen.

Cookie?:(

Neat! I'd heard about various glowing animals before, but this is the first time I've seen a decent picture of any of them. The green piggies are rather cute. :)

he is actually a red wolf, German shepherd, chow mix, and before anyone starts in about the red wolves being endangered I know it, I didn't ask for the dog, he found me.

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c389/Smunkee/Buddy2.jpg

Aw, he's a cutie. How could anyone want to shoot at him?

So it's thus wrong to farm chicken eggs as the chicken will never get to look after it's young?

I imagine that silk goats won't be breeding goats. The majority of domesticated animals are not bred - only the specimines most suitable for breeding get bred. And I highly doubt that any hybrid animals would be able to produce viable offspring.according to the article, yes, the goats are supposed to breed.

the concern I had was that the silk proteins might be detrimental to the young say... clumping or restricting the absorption of nutrients. However, the point is now moot since...

For the record, spidersilk proteins are perfectly digestible. That's good to hear...

hmmm... spider cows... they produce more millk... :D

Smurfs are pretty cool. :cool:

Pig and jelly fish hybrid...did you see this? according to the BBC, Chinese scientists have used genes from pigs and jellyfish to make a pig that GLOWS GREEN in the dark....

and even worse..if thats possible...a GOAT - SPIDER hybrid, so that when you milk the goat it produces spider silk....ARGHHHHHHHHHHH

The BBC don't have this much of a sense of humour to make it up and it's not even April 1st...what the hell is going on!?

Pig and Elephant DNA just won't splice. :)

:D (http://www.moviewavs.com/php/sounds/?id=gog&media=WAVS&type=TV_Shows&movie=South_Park/Episode_105_Elephant_Makes_Love_To_A_Pig&quote=105_loverboy.txt&file=105_loverboy.wav)

They will be if you want more silk-producing goats. Of course, the milk thing wouldn't really be an issue. If the offspring cannot feed off of the mother, the industry will find another way to feed them.

but what if the goats get free into the wild, have babies and their poor little babies starve because there is no human to bottle feed them

Why would you doubt that? We aren't talking about adding lots of spider features - just one. In fact, the article made it clear that they were hoping to breed the animals they had. None of the GFP-mice or rats have any reproductive problems. In fact, I haven't heard of any GFP animals having reproductive problems as a result, and it allows us to set up "hybrid" strains for specific uses.

when 2 different species mate (like a donkey and a horse) their children(mules) are unable to reproduce.

Pig and Elephant DNA just won't splice. :)

:D (http://www.moviewavs.com/php/sounds/?id=gog&media=WAVS&type=TV_Shows&movie=South_Park/Episode_105_Elephant_Makes_Love_To_A_Pig&quote=105_loverboy.txt&file=105_loverboy.wav)

well, that's because the project was contaminated (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/An_Elephant_Makes_Love_to_a_Pig)... :D

because if it produces spiders silk instead of goat's milk, then it can't nurse it's young.

Silk won't be coming out of the udders the way it comes out of a spider's ass, although it would be really cool to see a goat coming down from the ceiling hanging from its udders. The milk will have silk protein mixed with it that can be extracted and spun with a simple process; but will remain perfectly digestible by baby goats.

What the hell? That's just wrong.

Nah...besides, if you kill the goat's uncle while the spidergoat could have done something about it he'll go on to fight goat-crime.

Silk won't be coming out of the udders the way it comes out of a spider's ass, although it would be really cool to see a goat coming down from the ceiling hanging from its udders. The milk will have silk protein mixed with it that can be extracted and spun with a simple process; but will remain perfectly digestible by baby goats.
my concern was the protien in the milk, and the adverse effects it could have on the young. but that point was answered. :)

Nah...besides, if you kill the goat's uncle while the spidergoat could have done something about it he'll go one to fight goat-crime.but will spidergoat do a stint for the WWE first?

... all you need is a genetic throwback and you have a goat with the diet of a spider...
Chupacrabia better watch out!

but what if the goats get free into the wild, have babies and their poor little babies starve because there is no human to bottle feed them

Natural Selection in action. Plus, spidersilk proteins are digestible, as I already stated.

Natural Selection in action. Plus, spidersilk proteins are digestible, as I already stated.
Besides can't goats stomachs digest basicly anything?

Besides can't goats stomachs digest basicly anything?

Most things that are edible, yes. They'll eat things that aren't that they can't digest though, like the glue on tin cans, and, by extension, the tin can itself. Their stomaches will pulverise most of the things they eat that they can't digest, though.

when 2 different species mate (like a donkey and a horse) their children(mules) are unable to reproduce.

Indeed. But that's not what this is. This is a situation in which a single gene (or, in time, perhaps a set of genes) from one creature is added to another. We've done it with GFP in numerous species now, with no problems whatsoever in breeding.

Natural Selection in action. Plus, spidersilk proteins are digestible, as I already stated.

"Natural" selection??!
Its not natural when people force it to happen. If an animal can't adapt to natural changes in its natural environment, then, tragically, that animal goes extinct.
But whats happenning here is that we are changing an animal genetically so that it has no chance of survival without humans. So, we are basically dooming it to die :'(

"Natural" selection??!
Its not natural when people force it to happen. If an animal can't adapt to natural changes in its natural environment, then, tragically, that animal goes extinct.
But whats happenning here is that we are changing an animal genetically so that it has no chance of survival without humans. So, we are basically dooming it to die :'(

We've done that with domestication. So?

"Natural" selection??!
Its not natural when people force it to happen. If an animal can't adapt to natural changes in its natural environment, then, tragically, that animal goes extinct.
But whats happenning here is that we are changing an animal genetically so that it has no chance of survival without humans. So, we are basically dooming it to die :'(

They'd still be able to use their silky udders to hunt.

Hmm... Much like a woman I knew once.

"Natural" selection??!
Its not natural when people force it to happen. If an animal can't adapt to natural changes in its natural environment, then, tragically, that animal goes extinct.
But whats happenning here is that we are changing an animal genetically so that it has no chance of survival without humans. So, we are basically dooming it to die :'(

1. All things are doomed to die, save for those things that were never alive or are already dead.

2. Animals are better off having no chance of survival without humans than they are having no chance of survival with.

1. All things are doomed to die, save for those things that were never alive or are already dead.

2. Animals are better of having no chance of survival without humans than they are having no chance of survival with.

1. Not entire species. and not as hungry newborns

2. If humans hadn't caused these changes neither of those would happen

They'd still be able to use their silky udders to hunt.

Hmm... Much like a woman I knew once.you knew a woman with silky udders?!? :eek:

you knew a woman with silky udders?!? :eek:

And she used them to hunt human prey, yes.

1. Not entire species. and not as hungry newbornsre read the article, it's silk protiens in the milk, not silk webs.

And she used them to hunt human prey, yes.
http://forums.massivehq.com/images/smilies/misc/hidesbehindsofa.gif

So, we are basically dooming it to die :'(

How many goddamn times do I have to say that goats can digest the silk proteins in the milk, meaning that they will not starve, before it gets into your skull? Jesus Christ.

How many goddamn times do I have to say that goats can digest the silk proteins in the milk, meaning that they will not starve, before it gets into your skull? Jesus Christ.

oooh Jesus Christ I must be dumb. /12yearoldskank The facts didn't matter as we seemed to be argueing the hypothetical situation where goats didn't produce anything edible and some people seemed to think this was Not a bad thing.

oooh Jesus Christ I must be dumb. /12yearoldskank The facts didn't matter as we seemed to be argueing the hypothetical situation where goats didn't produce anything edible and some people seemed to think this was Not a bad thing.

I'm sorry, but we weren't arguing that hypothetical, because that hypothetical was stupid.

I want a human prostitute/bunny hybrid.

They would have luxurious fur, hump like rabbits and you could pay them with carrots.

On the hypothetical issue, it probably wouldn't matter it the goats were dependent on humans. Nature has a variety of cases where one lifeform depends on the existence of another to survive or supports a different species for its own benefit; symbiosis is not a dirty word.

On a lighter note, make a dish combining thousand-year-old Chinese delicacies with your fluorescent pigs and you've got green eggs and ham! :D

I want a human prostitute/bunny hybrid.

They would have luxurious fur, hump like rabbits and you could pay them with carrots.

and breed like rabbits......

yep. mad as a hatter. let us all be frankensteins!

"Natural" selection??!
Its not natural when people force it to happen. If an animal can't adapt to natural changes in its natural environment, then, tragically, that animal goes extinct.
But whats happenning here is that we are changing an animal genetically so that it has no chance of survival without humans. So, we are basically dooming it to die :'(

isn't almost every domesticated animal doomed to die if we would release it in nature?
modern cows can't even give birth without a caesarian section.

oooh Jesus Christ I must be dumb. /12yearoldskank The facts didn't matter as we seemed to be argueing the hypothetical situation where goats didn't produce anything edible and some people seemed to think this was Not a bad thing.

If we breed a species of goats for our own purposes that doesn't produce anything edible. It isn't a bad thing. Their young would probably only die in the wild, which is probably a plus. We wouldn't want to end up with a wild population of spider-goats would we.

I want a human prostitute/bunny hybrid.

Viera?

How many goddamn times do I have to say that goats can digest the silk proteins in the milk, meaning that they will not starve, before it gets into your skull? Jesus Christ.

What is rainbows jesus?

isn't almost every domesticated animal doomed to die if we would release it in nature?
modern cows can't even give birth without a caesarian section.

Some valid points. Because, indeed, animal hybridisation or whatever the OP calls it has in effect been going on for millenia, under the "acceptable" guise of domestication.

But, Isidoor, your phrase covers two debatable words. One is "domesticated", and the other is "nature".

The first is debatable because (as you probably realised with the "almost") not all domesticated animals share the same level of domestication, nor do they have the same domestication history. For instance, the dog (Canis canis) and the domestic cat (Felis silvestris cattus) are good examples of what can be called "self domestication", which is a faulty term but for the lack of better equivalent I'll still use it. It implies that these creatures, when they were still "wild", naturally roamed near humans because doing so improved their chance of surviving AND they shared a habitat with the human population (different ecological niche, same ecological habitat). The same can be said for the common housefly and the brown rat, but those are not often connected with the "general" notion of domestication, therefore dogs and cats are better examples. It is true that man has altered the dog and cat for his own use (both in physical appearance as ethological traits), but it would be very wrong to state that "domestication" AT FIRST was pushed upon those creatures - that would entail "unwillingless" from their part. Domestication in this case is very much a win-win situation, it's even a "natural" course (see below). Things differ, however, with other species like milking cows that cannot survive without man - they have been altered to such a level that their chances of survival are directly dependant upon human presence, whereas dogs and cats simply "make use" of the human presence. It has even been argued (succesfuly, IMHO - google for James Serpell) that dogs and cats CAN simply "make use" of this human presence without sacrificing too much because they complement human nature - humans need THEM, and not the other way round. That puts domestication into a whole different, and more nuanced perspective.

The second problem is the use of the world "natural". Many use it as the opposite of "cultural", and as such that is correct: domesticated animals are "cultured", literally, they have been "won" from "wild nature". But in essence the nature-culture opposition is heritage from earlier centuries where human society felt the need to distinguish between (human) culture on the one hand, and (non-human) nature on the other hand - and by doing so, they made "friendly nature" (the part that is "obedient" to man and serves him, as stated in that blasted Genesis) distinguishable from "unfriendly nature" (like wolves, swamps, arid ground, etc.). But this distinction is flawed, since man is ALSO part of nature. This implies that some domestication is in fact a natural process, a form of natural cooperation (I refrain from using symbiosis for obvious discussions in biological theory), like the process with cats and dogs I stated above.

Personally, I think it is wrong to create animal hybrids "a la mode", but to be frank I have to say that that has been happening since the 17th century, when French and Italian dogbreeders put dogs in too small cages and forcefully weakened their spinal chord so as to make them "smaller" than they were supposed to be. Therefore, if you are opposed to this like I am, make sure you are so because of the right reasons.

to Carisbrooke:

why are you so upset? I mean, it's still a goat, isn'n it? ...if you can think of a better way to produce spider silk, than tell me!

Where's the 'I want to be retrovirally genetically modified' option?

Woah...

I hate to be unoriginal...but I think I'd absolutely adore a glowing pig. Imagine it in parties...dear god...it'd be sweet as hell.

I want a Ruffy-llama hybrid.

i'm more worried about the threat of Man-Bear-Pig terrorizing the world