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"Everything starts as somebody's daydream. And, when you're daydreaming, it is science fiction. It's when you start work out how you put it together, true science fiction becomes real science."
- Larry Niven
 |
| Genetic Ark | ||
| Enormous, multi-habitat enclosed spaces, used to conserve the animal gene pool. |
In a world of catastrophic climate change, is it even possible to prevent the loss of thousands of species?
| Pauline gestured into the vast atrium of London Ark, with its tier upon tier of enclosed, artificial habitats. The huge edifice of hanging gardens and meticulously regulated environments was a far cry from its origins in the old Regent's Park Zoo. And it was only one out of almost a hundred such structures, scattered all over the world. |
| From Earth,
by David Brin. Published by Bantam in 1990 Additional resources -
|
You could argue that this idea is already present in many zoos, since there are a number of zoological organizations that participate in conservation efforts. However, Brin is suggesting something else.
See this story on the Doomsday Vault, a real-life genetic ark for agricultural diversity.
Compare Brin's idea with the life bank from John Varley's 1977 novel The Ophiuchi Hotline.
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