The Far Reaches: Matt James, De-extinction

After a lot of thought and taking note of audience feedback, we've decided to categorise some of our features a little differently. Most of our episodes will be unchanged, but occasionally we feature guests who are definitely relevant to the worlds of adventure and exploration, but don't necessarily have rip-roaring tales of adventure and aren't adventurers in the truest sense of the word. Intro, The Far Reaches. In this new long-term series we'll speak to guests about subjects related to our planet and our place on it. These episodes will dig a little deeper, perhaps enter the realm of armchair philosophy, and will tackle some more existential questions surrounding adventure and exploration.

In the first episode of The Far Reaches, our guest is Matt James. Matt is the Chief Animal Officer at Colossal, a start-up focused on de-extinction. Their goal is to use cutting-edge science to bring back lost species, and secure the health and biodiversity of our planet's future. Matt's job is, in part, to work out what to do with these species once they're back in the world. In this episode, they discuss in detail the meaning and realities of 'conservation', and what de-extinction actually means; the practicalities, methods, reasons, issues, ethics and controversies. It's a fully transparent conversation, and Matt doesn't shy away from the hard questions one bit. No doubt you'll hit play feeling a little skeptical, but hopefully this conversation will teach you about the potential positive impacts these initiatives could have on planet earth. As Matt James puts it, it's not if we can do this, but when.

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