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TAYLOR DOTSON on Muck Rack

TAYLOR DOTSON

(He/Him)
New Mexico
As seen in: Post Outlook, The MIT Press, Scientific American, Substack, The Conversation, Salon, Popular Science, Big Think, Nieman Lab, Omaha World-Herald and
Covers:  Scientific Controversy, Risky Technology, COVID, Nuclear Energy,
Dad. Social scientist. Used to play rugby. Now writes books on how democracy can save the world (MIT Press). tamingcomplexity.substack.com/

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TAYLOR DOTSON’s Biography

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Taylor Dotson earned his PhD in Science and Technology Studies from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. An associate professor of social science at New Mexico Tech, he has published two books with MIT Press: Technically Together and The Divide in addition to a number of academic and public facing articles.

TAYLOR DOTSON’s Journalist Portfolio

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Why Tolerate Intolerance? | Essay by Taylor Dotson

Why Tolerate Intolerance? | Essay by Taylor Dotson

Is it better to tolerate seemingly prejudiced political opinions, or should we be intolerant of people whose …

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Why Science Can't Settle Political Disputes

Why Science Can't Settle Political Disputes

Attempts to scientifically "rationalize" policy, based on the belief that science is purified of politics, ma…

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Perspective | Vaccine mandates will backfire. People will resist even more.

Perspective | Vaccine mandates will backfire. People will resist even more.

In recent weeks, calls for vaccine mandates have increasingly been heard: In a column headlined "Stop pleadin…

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The Danger of Fact-ist Politics - The New Atlantis

The Danger of Fact-ist Politics - The New Atlantis

Hopelessly polarized though our era in global politics seems, we may be grateful that it pales in comparison …

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Democracy and the Nuclear Stalemate - The New Atlantis

Democracy and the Nuclear Stalemate - The New Atlantis

America's nuclear energy situation is a microcosm of the nation's broader political dysfunction. We are at an…

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Radiation Politics in a Pandemic - The New Atlantis

Radiation Politics in a Pandemic - The New Atlantis

Within the past several weeks, armed protestors have descended upon the Michigan capital as the state's gover…

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Articles

What Is ‘De-Extinction’ Really For?

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By TAYLOR DOTSON
| Portside
What Is ‘De-Extinction’ Really For? Published July 10, 2026 Tasmanian tigers, otherwise known as thylacines, have been extinct since 1936. The species — which looks like a strange mix of a dog, zebra, and a kangaroo — was hunted to extinction, largely because European settlers blamed them for attacks on sheep, poultry, and other livestock. But before the thylacine was fully eradicated, 13 pups of the marsupial species were preserved in alcohol.
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Why the controversy over de-extinction risks missing the point

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By TAYLOR DOTSON
| Scientific American Verified
Efforts to revive the thylacine and woolly mammoth are forcing conservationists to face a long-overdue debate over what kind of natural world we want to build Tasmanian tigers, otherwise known as thylacines, have been extinct since 1936. The species—which looks like a strange mix of a dog, zebra, and a kangaroo—was hunted to extinction, largely because European settlers blamed them for attacks on sheep, poultry, and other livestock.
Open in Who Shared Issue with article?

Scientists May Soon ‘De-Extinct’ The Tasmanian Tiger But The Hardest Question Is What Happens After

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By TAYLOR DOTSON
| ZME Science Verified
Credit: MIT Press Reader/Source images: Adobe Stock Tasmanian tigers, otherwise known as thylacines, have been extinct since 1936. The species — which looks like a strange mix of a dog, zebra, and a kangaroo — was hunted to extinction, largely because European settlers blamed them for attacks on sheep, poultry, and other livestock. But before the thylacine was fully eradicated, 13 pups of the marsupial species were preserved in alcohol.
Open in Who Shared Issue with article?
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