Forget bringing back long-extinct species like dire wolves—scientists should focus on using gene-editing tech like CRISPR to help endangered animals today, argues a legal scholar with expertise in wildlife genetics. The article makes the case that biotech could be a game-changer for species on the brink, from preventing disease in amphibians to boosting genetic diversity in isolated populations.

Editor’s Note: The idea of "de-extinction" grabs headlines, but this piece shifts the spotlight to something more urgent: using cutting-edge science to save species that are still here (but barely). It’s a pragmatic take—why chase sci-fi fantasies when we have real-world tools to prevent extinction now? For anyone who cares about biodiversity, it’s a refreshing call to focus on the possible over the sensational.

Scientists have stumbled onto something wild—iron deficiency in pregnant mice can actually alter the sex development of their offspring. Normally, male (XY) mouse embryos grow male organs, but when moms lacked iron, some of these embryos developed female reproductive features instead. It’s a genetic switcheroo no one saw coming. The big question now: Could this happen in humans too?