Could Godzilla Exist?


After the Fukushima nuclear incident, many began to ponder the effects on humans and marine life. Then, in the back of our minds, we had to wonder if the Godzilla born of the fears following Hiroshima and Nagasaki were actually premonitions of coming events. 

Let's see what kind of creature Godzilla is - 



Paleontologist, Kenneth Carpenter compared Godzilla to a T-rex in size. Yes, quite the difference. It would appear that Godzilla was a theropod dinosaur. (LINK)

One of radiation's effects on living organisms is to mutate the DNA. This can cause defects. But, can it cause them to grow huge? Nope, not really. 


But, the scenario that would give us hope of a Godzilla recreation is the dinosaur cloning possibility. Sadly, that is fraught with new realizations about DNA and its shelf life. 

LINK:   Nobel Prize-winning biochemist Tomas Lindahl, showed that “because of the way DNA breaks down, it simply can’t survive over these kinds of time frames.” 

His claim was proved in 2012 “by a study that found that DNA has a half-life of just 521 years.”

This means that “after 6.8 million years, every single link would be destroyed, making the recovery of DNA from fossils any older than this completely impossible.”

Then, just when you figure you can put Godzilla to rest, news like this arrives - 

LINK:  Over 80 people were injured when a high speed boat hit some kind of "marine creature" off the coast of Japan. The "creature" has yet to be found. 

And do things wash up on the beaches in Japan that are unexplained? Yup, like anywhere else. 



Now, are you in the mood for giant themes? Here's some films to get you going - 

Radiation-mutated giants films:
Them!
Food of the Gods
Godzilla
The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms
The Giant Gila Monster
Tarantula
The Attack of the 50 Foot Woman


More interesting articles:

What's the Origin of Nuclear Radiation = Big Monsters Sci-Fi Trope? 

1950s Films and Radiation Exposure 

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