uses for dogs that glow in the dark

About ten years ago, a bored artist in Chicago suggested that scientists extract the part of the DNA from jellyfish that produces florescent green protein and insert it into a dog’s DNA to see if it can be done. This started a decade-long, international race by scientists to achieve this remarkable objective. Yesterday, scientists in Korea announced that they created a litter of puppies that can have a red glow in the dark. While everyone seems pleased, it occurred to me that there must be something more than goal achievement resulting from this strange decade-long behavior of scientists. So, I’ve been trying to come up with practical uses for dogs that glow-red in the dark. Mind you, the original suggestion was for green-glowing dogs, so finding uses for dogs that glow red in the dark is even more challenging due to the color change.

A practical use for a red-glowing dog is to employ these dogs as red-light walking torches or flashlights in city streets and rural roads. The glowing dog-torch could delay global warming of our planet by substituting carbon based fuel used to power the enormous number of street lights now in use. Instead of oil or coal, the streets could be made safe by dog-food or dinner leftovers.

The dogs would also provide companionship to lonely persons as well as provide an acceptable reason to be approached by strangers. Who knows how many marriages or long-term relationships can be started by merely walking a red-glowing dog down the street.

I think our future has finally arrived, our carbon load reduced and our society safe from shattered families.

el dueno