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Inside the human urge to tinker with other species

Humans are of the species 'homo tinkerus' i.e. restraint is difficult for people and we love to change things. As the disastrous effects of human activity on the Earth’s ecosystems have become undeniable, some humans have turned their tinkering impulse to modifying the environment to reverse damage our species has done. While there’s merit in trying to correct our own mistakes, history has taught us that even pure intentions can’t protect against unexpected, and potentially dangerous, consequences.