Scientists turn to crowdfunding to safeguard black rhino DNA
Crowdfunding isn't just useful for getting clever inventions off the ground... it could also save an endangered species from fading into oblivion. Scientists have successfully funded a project that will sequence the genome of the black rhino, only 5,055 of which live in the wild. The public-backed effort will improve our understanding of how these iconic animals work, and should lead to synthetic horns that discourage poachers. It could even lead to resurrecting black rhino subspecies that are already extinct. It'll be a while before you see the results, but they'll be available to the public -- that small amount of backer money could do a world of good.
[Image credit: AP Photo/Sayyid Azim]
