“How AI Is Resurrecting Mammoths To Save The Planet w/ Ben Lamm” — Moonshots EP #53

Episode summary

Diamandis interviews Ben Lamm, CEO of Colossal Biosciences, about the company’s mission to de-extinct the woolly mammoth, Tasmanian tiger (thylacine), and dodo. Lamm — a serial software/AI entrepreneur with no biotech background — partnered with Harvard geneticist George Church and raised $225M at a $1.5B valuation in two years. The conversation covers the science (comparing mammoth DNA fragments to Asian elephant reference genomes, editing ~60 genes for cold tolerance and phenotype restoration), the environmental thesis (restoring Arctic tundra grasslands to prevent 1.6 trillion metric tons of stored carbon/methane release), and the business model built on spin-out technologies for human healthcare and conservation.

Key arguments / segments

[00:01:00] Introduction: Lamm’s moonshot — bringing back extinct animals via Colossal Biosciences
[00:04:00] Origin story: Lamm, a software entrepreneur, cold-called George Church out of curiosity about AI-biology intersections; Church mentioned the mammoth project at the end of the call
[00:08:00] Fundraising against skepticism: early investors balked at a non-scientist CEO with no research agreement; Lamm raised $225M in two years regardless
[00:12:00] De-extinction science: not cloning but editing ~60 genes in Asian elephant genome (99.6% similar to mammoth) to restore mammoth phenotypes — shaggy coat, subcutaneous fat, cold-tolerant hemoglobin
[00:15:00] Genome assembly: used 54 mammoth genomes from international collaborators; DNA extracted from tusks and teeth (amber and tar pits do not preserve DNA)
[00:20:00] Gene editing toolkit: CRISPR, base editing, and full DNA synthesis/swaps depending on the gene; thylacine requires more edits than mammoth
[00:28:00] Environmental thesis: Arctic tundra stores double atmospheric carbon; reintroducing megafauna lowers ground temps by up to 8 degrees (Pleistocene Park research)
[00:36:00] Timeline: induced pluripotent stem cells achieved in elephants; ~20 genes already edited; first calves targeted for early 2028 (22-month gestation)
[00:39:00] Additional species: thylacine (13.5-day gestation) and dodo; more species in exploratory research

Notable claims

Arctic tundra stores ~1.6 trillion metric tons of carbon, roughly double what is currently in the atmosphere
Asian elephants are 99.6% genetically identical to woolly mammoths — closer than Asian elephants are to African elephants
Colossal used 54 mammoth genomes to build their reference genome
George Church worked on mammoth de-extinction for ~10 years on only $100K (Peter Thiel donation) before Lamm arrived
Pleistocene Park research shows reintroduction of megafauna lowered ground temperatures by up to 8 degrees Celsius
First mammoth calves targeted for early 2028

Diamandis is an advisor to Colossal and Bold Capital is an investor — this is disclosed but the interview is entirely sympathetic
Episode sponsored by Eight Sleep (mid-roll ad ~[00:34:00])
No skeptical voices on feasibility, ethics, or ecological risk of de-extinction
The 2028 timeline for first calves is ambitious and unverified

Guests

Ben Lamm — CEO & co-founder, Colossal Biosciences. Serial entrepreneur (Chaotic Moon Studios, Hypergiant, Conversable). No biotech background; systems thinker who partnered with George Church.

Mapping against Ray Data Co

Low relevance. This is a biotech/conservation episode. The entrepreneurial narrative (non-expert founder raising capital for a deep-tech moonshot, parallel-pathing R&D workstreams, systems thinking applied to biology) has general business-strategy value but no direct connection to RDCO’s AI tooling, content, or data operations.

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