Biotechnology | Here be dragons | Economist.com

Biotechnology | Here be dragons | Economist.com:

Each computer starts with a search image (dragon, unicorn, gryphon, etc), and the genome of the real animal most closely resembling it (a lizard for the dragon, a horse for the unicorn and, most taxingly, the spliced genomes of a lion and an eagle for the gryphon). The virtual genomes of these real animals are then tweaked by random electronic mutations. When they have matured, the virtual adults most closely resembling the targets are picked and cross-bred, while the others are culled.

Okay. Check the date and tell me why I should believe that this company actually thinks it can get a unicorn from a horse or a dragon from a lizard genome.

I call shananigans, even if I hope like hell that I'm wrong.