Spider Goats: What Could Have Been

 by Rayhan Fadilla

Disclaimer: This article is only for fun

 

              The once-famous project called the Spider Goat started years ago to find an alternative to produce silks with a large yield. According to Randy Lewis, the creator of these “Spider goats”, by taking the gene that encodes dragline silk from an orb-weaver spider and placing it among the DNA that prompts milk production in the udders, the goats can produce milk that contains spider-silk proteins.

             This project may look very promising and profitable, but I can't help but notice that it lacks something. These goats don't have red-blue color. These goats can't shoot spiderwebs. They still don't have the sense of righteousness that passed down from their uncle. If we can implement these characteristics, I believe that this project will not only affect the economy and industrial success but also a better society in the future.

              Of course, this "revamped" Spider-Goat project won't be easy, and may not be available shortly. A lot of gene editing is needed. Gene transfer to the hair follicles to create the red-blue color for the hair, for example, may be hard to create since the blue coloring is very rare in nature. The goats' saliva production also needed to be heavily modified to be more rapid in production and more solid (adding more silk proteins may be a possible solution), strong enough for them to hang and swing with it.

              Other than modifying the physical properties of the Spider-Goats, we also need to improve the goat's mental capabilities. We need them to be having more emotional attachment and a sense of righteousness, so at least we have to make them smarter than a chimpanzee. Additionally, we also have to make it so the parents of these goats die when they are still young and have their parent's siblings take care of them. Furthermore, we have also had the male goat that took care of them die while also teaching them valuable lessons and staying in the kid goat's brain. If the goat's brains are similar to human brains, there is a chance that the kid won't learn the right lessons, and the spider goat that is created doesn't have the right mindset. But if they learn the right thing, then the spider goat will be a criminal-crushing, life-saving, hero that people need.

              From the looks of it, it may be a very risky and silly project. But hear me out on this, to understand the purpose of these silly modifications, we need to understand the human mentality. Every human needs something to hold on to, whether it's a God, a politician, a celebrity, or maybe a hero. They need them to lighten them up if they are in a difficult situation. Sometimes, seeing them directly is enough to change their moods drastically. Yes, the purpose of this project is to create a hero that will make people more positive in living their lives. Remembering that modifying genes of humans is still shunned by many, it is reasonable to look for alternatives for heroes, and in this case, we use goats. By becoming the hero for the people, the Spider-Goats will be a symbol of hope for those that facing difficult problems in their lives. Some heavy burdens in their heart will be relieved, knowing that a hero will always protect them at all times. By coloring the goats bright red and blue, it will make them more visible, especially at night. By improving their mental health, people will be more productive, which means that a society with the Spider-Goats is a Healthy and productive society.