Song of the Day 4/9: Duran Duran, “Hungry Like the Wolf”

Government-funded science research might be a thing of the past, but private enterprise is there to pick up the slack. Why just this week, the sciencey entrepreneurs at something called Colossal Biosciences announced they have de-extincted a species, namely the dire wolf, which most people never heard of until they appeared as scary monsters in “Game of Thrones.”

Granted, there is no actual need for a species that lost its ecological niche in the last Ice Age, more than 12,000 years ago, but fear not. Actual scientists have helpfully pointed out that what Colossal created isn’t a true dire wolf, Aenocyon dirus, but a hybrid that’s mostly gray wolf.

Those real scientists are such killjoys. I certainly take comfort in knowing that while vaccine makers are on their own, we now have wolves with a promising future in Hollywood.

Duran Duran’s new wave classic from their 1982 “Rio” album reached No. 3 in the U.S. thanks to its high-budget music video, filmed in Sri Lanka, and its subsequent frequent airing on MTV. Bassist John Taylor admitted he didn’t really know what Simon LeBon’s lyrics were on about: “I think it was kind of like … to me, it was like wanting to have sex with someone.” That about sums up Duran Duran, doesn’t it?