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Cloning breakthrough - Russian geneticists 'achieve the impossible' with calves in Krasnodar

Cloning breakthrough - Russian geneticists 'achieve the impossible' with calves in Krasnodar

"Two cloned calves, Milka and Iskorka - born in Russia's Krasnodar region- represent a key breakthrough in agricultural biotechnology for Russian geneticists. The experts have succeeded in reducing the weight of newborns, with Milka in particular around half compared to the first clone - Zvezdochka, born in March 2024 - and the new size in line with the breed standard for regular calves. Footage shows the animals in their enclosures and scientists working in the laboratory. "We conducted a series of experiments on creating embryos, changing environments and other various factors in order to change the live weight. As a result, we achieved what was almost impossible. We ended up with three calves. One weighed 32 kilograms, another 56 kilograms, and the third 75 kilograms. In this case, obtaining a 32-kilogram calf, which corresponds to the breed standard, is a truly significant achievement," said Viktor Pogrebnyak, Altragen biotechnology laboratory CEO. According to him, the large calves size remained a key one in cloning and bringing it down crucial for large-scale technology implementation - including natural birthing. "When a calf is born large, surgical intervention is required during calving, i.e. the calf must be extracted surgically. Furthermore, increased live weight is also detrimental to the calf's future [health]," Pogrebnyak added. He added that the clones were born healthy, with no developmental abnormalities observed. They also come from cells of the 'highest-yielding' cows, in terms of milk production - with quantities now set to be carefully monitored. Cloning technology used in agriculture is set to increase livestock farming efficiency. Specialists breed genetically valuable animals that produce the most milk and meat and are more resistant to various infections."

James Cameron says AI actors are ‘horrifying to me’

James Cameron says AI actors are ‘horrifying to me’

Avatar director, known for his advocacy of new technology, told interviewer generative AI performance puts ‘all human experience into a blender’ Avatar director James Cameron has called AI actors “horrifying” and said what generative AI technology creates is “an average”. Cameron was speaking to CBS on Sunday Morning in the run-up to the release of the third Avatar film, subtitled Fire and Ash, and was asked about the pioneering technology he used in his film-making. After praising motion-capture performance as “a celebration of the actor-director moment”, Cameron expressed his disdain for artificial intelligence. “Go to the other end of the spectrum [from motion capture] and you’ve got generative AI, where they can make up a character. They can make up an actor. They can make up a performance from scratch with a text prompt. It’s like, no. That’s horrifying to me. That’s the opposite. That’s exactly what we’re not doing.” Continue reading...