# Can we now create centaurs and mermaids? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 14, 2001, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-now-create-centaurs-and-mermaids/76220 "2001-08-14T17:25:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![TV\_time](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f17d59/32.png) [@TV\_time](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TV_time)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2001, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-now-create-centaurs-and-mermaids/76220/1 "2001-08-14T17:25:02Z")
Eliminating the morality of it…How far are we from having the technology to manipulate genetics, DNA, etc. to create centaurs, mermaids, griffths, etc. ---
**Author:** ![Fiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e274bd/32.png) [@Fiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiver)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2001, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-now-create-centaurs-and-mermaids/76220/2 "2001-08-14T18:06:28Z")
We already have the technology to create [griffths](http://us.imdb.com/Name?Griffith,+Andy). As for the rest, do you mean, for example, to turn an existing person or horse into a centaur, or to fiddle with embryos so that one is born that way? The latter will come sooner than the former. ---
**Author:** ![Beadalin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3be4f8/32.png) [@Beadalin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beadalin)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2001, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-now-create-centaurs-and-mermaids/76220/3 "2001-08-14T18:08:25Z")
I can’t believe I clicked that link. That was so cheap, Fiver (but once again I have guffawed, out loud and suspiciously, at work). ---
**Author:** ![Guy\_Propski](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/5e9695/32.png) [@Guy\_Propski](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guy_Propski)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2001, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-now-create-centaurs-and-mermaids/76220/4 "2001-08-14T18:10:23Z")
Pretty far away, I imagine. The other question to keep in mind is, would they survive if we did create them? For example, the lungs of a human being would not be able to support the total needs of a human/horse body. Similarly, what kind of breathing apparatus would a mermaid have–gills? lungs with blowhole? some other hybrid? Philip Jose Farmer addressed some of these thoughts in his “Private Cosmos” books. In that series, incredibly powerful beings set themselves up as gods in a small pocket universe, and peopled their ziggurat shaped world with centaurs, satyrs, and so forth. The centaurs had incredibly large lungs, with extra strong chest muscles, in order to pump in more air into the horse body part. Their mouths and noses were also enlarged, and they usually ran with their mouths wide open (sort of a turbo-jet arrangement). ---
**Author:** ![Tranquilis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tranquilis/32/3639_2.png) [@Tranquilis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tranquilis)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2001, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-now-create-centaurs-and-mermaids/76220/5 "2001-08-14T18:48:49Z")
On the ‘lungs’ issue: Y’all _are_ aware, aren’t you, that a horse keeps its lungs in it’s torso, right? The same torso that is part of the centaur? You know, what horse people call the “barrel” of the horse? OK, I knew you knew it, but y’all seem to have forgot. Now, the 64 dollar question is, what would actually go in the ‘human’ torso portion of the centaur? There’s no need for lungs (We’ve already estblished that); no need for a digestive system, the ‘horse’ part has that also; no need for a heart, I’m sure a horse’s heart has plenty of capacity. So, what fills the volume? Muscle? If so, I’d _never_ want to arm-wrestle a centaur. Now, with genetics emerging from the ‘black arts’ cartegory into a fairly controllable science, something _might_ be doable, but no time soon, and even when possible, it’d be a “Manhattan Project” undertaking the first time. Ethicly, I don’t think it would be legal under currently accepted standards, as we’re not talking about precision engineering, and we _are_ talking about sentient life. DNA, as I understand it, is less the “Precise Blueprint” we thought it was, and more of a “How to” guide, so there would be a gargantuan amount of modelling necessary to come up with an _aproximation_ of the correct dna, then there’d need to be live trials. Probably lots of them. With many, many failures almost guaranteed. Which means creating many, many sentient beings, _knowing in advance that most are doomed to die or be crippled in some fashion_. That certainly won’t meet todays ethical standards. 20 years from now, who knows? ---
**Author:** ![johnson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d07c76/32.png) [@johnson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnson)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2001, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-now-create-centaurs-and-mermaids/76220/6 "2001-08-14T20:45:31Z")
For the OP, check the second to last paragraph in [this](http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/opinion/columns/krauthammercharles/A61426-2001Jun28.html) column; I would assume it’s got some basis in fact, but am not certain. And **Tranquilis** , I’m not certain that your statement about ethical standards is true, given that there are individuals right now who are working towards human cloning. I’m doubtful there are currently any laws in most countries banning such activities, and the fame and publicity surrounding the creation of a half-man, half-beast could certainly drive some individuals. If not now, I’d think a lot sooner than 20 years. ---
**Author:** ![Tranquilis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tranquilis/32/3639_2.png) [@Tranquilis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tranquilis)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2001, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-now-create-centaurs-and-mermaids/76220/7 "2001-08-14T21:29:34Z")
The diffence being, of course, that with _human_ cloning, we’ve got a known-good sample of DNA, not something that we _hope_ will work. Even still, with proven DNA, there is a raging debate over cloning amongst the ethicists, with the ‘anti’ side somewhat in ascendancy at the moment. I figure it’ll take roughly a generation to settle-out. That is to say: Our children, growing up with the possibility-become reality, will decide the question of creating “manimals”. ---
**Author:** ![Enola\_Straight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dec6dc/32.png) [@Enola\_Straight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enola_Straight)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2001, 4:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-now-create-centaurs-and-mermaids/76220/8 "2001-08-15T04:45:10Z")
First, we would need the complete human genome (Which we got…more ore less), and the protienome (not yet). Then, we would need the same for all the different species we would need to merge with the human template. Further, we would need a suitable virus to introduce the multiple DNA strands together into viable neo-genome. (We’re right about there now). Lastly, we need an incubator…a womb large enough to carry a fetus to term; a fetus with an unknown size at term. (Any cow will do). Personally, I’m waiting for a Vixen-morph. (MMMMMMMM…Yeah baby.) ---
**Author:** ![Hazel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e56c9b/32.png) [@Hazel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hazel)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2001, 5:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-now-create-centaurs-and-mermaids/76220/9 "2001-08-15T05:02:29Z")
Would a centaur’s “naughty bits” be in the human half (between the front pair of legs) or in the horse half (between the rear pair of legs)? And where would merpeople keep theirs? ---
**Author:** ![Dave\_Stewart](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e274bd/32.png) [@Dave\_Stewart](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dave_Stewart)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2001, 9:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-now-create-centaurs-and-mermaids/76220/10 "2001-08-15T09:50:48Z")
Perhaps centaurs would have them both in front and behind. There is a sci-fi trilogy, the name and author of which escapes me, in which a living Dyson sphere creates sentient creatures such as centaurs and angels. The angels are described as a big problem to develop: they need big chests and tiny legs. One of the latter books in the Dune series refers to human-animal crosses, with cat-like eyes and bellicose tempers. Having cat eyes would be quite something. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2001, 10:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-now-create-centaurs-and-mermaids/76220/11 "2001-08-15T10:07:00Z")
The trilogy is John Varley’s Titan-Wizard-Demon books, and it’s not a Dyson sphere but more of a mini-ringworld. Other than that - yeah, the centaurs, angels, and others are artificially created. The centaurs all have three sex organs and a very complicated breeding arrangement. ---
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2001, 10:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-now-create-centaurs-and-mermaids/76220/12 "2001-08-15T10:09:11Z")
The _Titan_ trilogy, by John Varley. The living world is not a Dyson sphere, as it does not enclose a sun. The centaurs in that world have THREE sets of genitalia, which makes their sex life quite interesting and complicated. Breeding is a real mindboggler. ---
**Author:** ![Tranquilis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tranquilis/32/3639_2.png) [@Tranquilis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tranquilis)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2001, 12:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-now-create-centaurs-and-mermaids/76220/13 "2001-08-15T12:51:34Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Hazel \* > \*\*Would a centaur’s “naughty bits” be in the human half (between the front pair of legs) or in the horse half (between the rear pair of legs)? And where would merpeople keep theirs? \*\* Since we’re presumably designing our manimals to be functional, the equine ‘naughty’ bits would likely be most functional from a practial point of view. Putting human-style breasts on female centaurs might or might not be useful, but would be estheticly pleasing to most viewers, and seeing as we’re designing them, would likely be done. As for Mer-folk, actually, they ought to be easier to do, needing mostly modifications of the existing structure. Basicly, the lower torso and legs would need to become porpoise-like, involving modifications to the legs, pelvis and spine, while necessary biological openings would be rotated to the front, and likely enclosed in a urogenital slit. Scales can wait for later development.