Woolly mice: Are woolly mammoths next? BBC Learning English from the News

From BBC Learning English,

this is Learning English from the News.

Our podcast about the news headlines.

In this programme: are woolly mice the first step to bringing back

the extinct woolly mammoth?

Hello, I'm Beth.

And I'm Neil.

In this programme, we look at one big news story

and the vocabulary in the headlines that will help you understand it.

You can find all the vocabulary and headlines from this episode,

as well as a worksheet, on our website, bbclearningenglish.com

So let's hear more about this story.

Scientists have created a genetically modified mouse that's woolly.

The researchers plan to use their woolly mouse

to test out other genetic changes before they try

and create genetically altered, mammoth-like elephants in future.

Now, woolly mammoths were those elephant-like creatures covered

in hair that lived in cold areas in the Northern Hemisphere

and became extinct around 10,000 years ago.

Researchers say these mice have long orange fur

and a high tolerance for cold temperatures,

just like woolly mammoths did.

The changes have been produced by altering

seven mice genes that are known to be involved with hair growth.

So let's have our first headline.

This is from The Conversation.

Woolly mice are a first step to resurrecting mammoths,

but there's a very long way to go.

That headline again from The Conversation.

Woolly mice are a first step to resurrecting mammoths,

but there's a very long way to go.

So this headline says woolly mice are the first step to resurrecting mammoths.

And we're looking at the word 'resurrect'.

Neil, what can you tell us?

So 'resurrect' is a verb that means 'bring back to life'.

So in spooky stories you might hear about resurrecting the dead -

that's bringing a person or thing back to life after it's died.

Now, mammoths are extinct animals,

so scientists can't literally bring woolly mammoths back to life, can they?

No. But scientists hope to create an animal that is as close to

the real woolly mammoth as possible.

They want to resurrect it.

Can you give us another example of resurrect?

Yes. OK, so there's a restaurant in my town.

It used to be really popular,

but these days it's quite empty and a bit sad looking, really.

But the owners want to resurrect it by creating a new menu

and decorating the place.

So they want to give their restaurant life again.

Exactly. They want to resurrect it.

We've had 'resurrect' - give something life again.

For example, the actor has been trying to resurrect his career

since his last film received terrible reviews.

This is Learning English from the News, our podcast about the news headlines.

Today, we're talking about a scientific experiment that aims

to use genetic engineering to create an animal like the woolly mammoth.

Now, there's been a lot of excitement around this experiment,

but there's also been a lot of criticism.

Yes, critics say the study is unethical, considered wrong by some people.

And they also say it's a publicity stunt - only being done for public attention.

The company carrying out the experiment, Colossal, disagree.

They say modern conservation isn't working,

and technology is needed to reverse all the environmental

and wildlife damage caused by humans.

And that is what our next headline is about.

Yes. So the headline from TechCrunch: Colossal CEO, Ben Lamm,

says humanity has a moral obligation to pursue de-extinction tech.

And that headline, again from TechCrunch -

Colossal CEO, Ben Lamm, says humanity has a moral obligation to pursue

de-extinction tech.

OK, so the CEO of the company carrying out this experiment has said

humanity has a moral obligation to use technology to reverse extinction.

And 'moral obligation' is what we're looking at, Beth.

You might know these words separately.

Morals are the standards of good and bad,

or right and wrong, that a person believes,

and an obligation is something that has to be done. So together

a moral obligation is a feeling that you have to do something

because of what you think is right or wrong, according to your beliefs.

So in this story, the CEO of the company believes

that humans must use technology to fix the damage that they have caused

to the environment and animals,

particularly the extinction of animals like the woolly mammoth,

which was partly caused by human activity.

So how else can we use moral obligation?

Can I say my children have a moral obligation to tidy their bedrooms?

No. It's used for bigger and more serious issues than that.

So, for example, you might speak up about climate change

because you think everyone has a moral obligation to protect the planet.

Everyone should take responsibility.

Yes. Or you could see a child who looks lost.

You might check that they're OK because you feel

it's the right thing to do.

It's a moral obligation to help them.

We've had 'moral obligation'- a feeling that you have to do something

because it is considered to be right.

For example, I volunteer at a soup kitchen for homeless people.

For me, it feels like a moral obligation.

This is Learning English from The News, our podcast about the news headlines.

Today we're discussing an experiment to make mice woolly

like the woolly mammoth.

The company Colossal argues that

by returning animals that are similar to extinct species,

like the woolly mammoth, to modern habitats,

these areas will be better able to cope with climate change.

However, critics say that returning extinct species will not do this,

partly because the areas have warmed a lot

since the animals first became extinct.

It's also very challenging to create mammoth-like elephants.

Elephants are not experimented on often

and have a much higher number of genes than mice.

And that leads us into our next headline,

which is from an opinion blog on the news website defector.com

And the headline is - Do not be bamboozled by the new fluffy mouse.

And that headline again on the news sites defector.com

Do not be bamboozled by the new fluffy mouse.

So this headline tells the reader not to be bamboozled by the new fluffy mouse.

'Bamboozled' is a great word to say, isn't it, Beth?

What does it mean?

Well, 'bamboozled' means 'fooled' or 'tricked'.

So the headline could also read do not be fooled

or tricked by the new fluffy mouse.

So, in the opinion of the headline writer,

just because the woolly mouse is cute doesn't mean

it will help reverse climate change as the company says it will.

Yes, the headline writer is telling the public

not to be tricked into believing that these mice will help save the planet.

'Bamboozled' can be used in a number of situations.

You might feel bamboozled by all the jargon written in a legal contract,

or you might be bamboozled into giving your money away

as part of a scam or a trick.

And there are similar words to 'bamboozled'.

So we've already mentioned 'tricked' and 'fooled',

but we also have the words 'hoodwinked', 'duped',

and 'deceived', which are very similar.

We've had 'bamboozled' - tricked.

For example, I got bamboozled by the car salesman

and bought a more expensive model than I needed.

That's it for this episode of Learning English from the News.

We'll be back next week with another news story.

If you've enjoyed this programme, try the worksheet

on our website to test what you've learned. Visit bbclearningenglish.com

And search BBC Learning English to find us on social media.

Bye for now. Goodbye.