To me, this weeks section on biotechnology feels like the
culmination of two previous units, Medtech + Art and Math + Art. During the
Math + Art section we learned how math helped artists create the perfect
proportions for humans, buildings, and animals alike. The medtech portion
showed how medicine is an art form in and of itself. Biotechnology is the
fusion of these two sections in that it directly allows humans to create living
tissues and modify genes. Through biotechnology we can be the artists who
design our own children or ourselves. Gene modification allows soon-to-be
parents to specify the traits they want their children to have, essentially allowing
you to build the child of your dreams. This also extends past physical
appearance. Gene modification can be used to help children avoid cancer as well
as other life threatening illnesses or deformations.
The movie Gattaca explores potential issues with gene
modification. In this futuristic society, every individual has been perfected
en utero which has led every individual who was not modified to be segregated
and oppressed. This movie warns us of how gene modification could become
problematic, with humans playing god and the ethical implications that creates. 
Biotechnology is not only used on humans, it is also used to
modify plants to make them more draught resistant, extend their blooming
season, or even to fuse multiple plants into one. A pluot is a fusion between a
plum and an apricot. While that modification is simply for taste, the artistry
of other genetically modified organisms (GMOs) have helped prevent starvation
and allowed more widespread farming of different fruits and vegetables.
References
Ball, Philip. “Designer Babies: an Ethical Horror Waiting to Happen?” The Guardian, Guardian News and Media, 8 Jan. 2017.
“GMOs Help Farmers Keep America Growing.” Coalition for Safe Affordable Food.
“Math and Art: The Good, the Bad, and the Pretty.” Math and Art: The Good, the Bad, and the Pretty | Mathematical Association of America.
Stutz, Bruce. “Seed Magazineabout.” On Overconfidence § SEEDMAGAZINE.COM.
Tyson, Peter. “Describing Nature With Math.” PBS, Public Broadcasting Service, 10 Nov. 2011.
I loved the movie Gattaca! I totally forgot about it or else I would have written about it too! I think it really talk a lot about bioengineering in human beings and the possible repercussions of it. I also agree with you on the GMOs in crops. People do not understand that without GMOs, grocery prices would be much higher and the food would actually be less nutritious! Overall, this was a great read :)
ReplyDelete