...Running head: GATTACA: THE GENETIC ENGINEERING STORY Gattaca: The Genetic Engineering Story Carl D. Knapp DeVry University Online/HUMN424 Gattaca: The Genetic Engineering Story The movie, “Gattaca”, comes to us as a possible window into our “not-so-distant-future.”(Niccols, 1997) This possible window into the future shows us what life could be like if human genetic engineering is utilized to the greatest effort. The character Vincent in the movie explained that they have taken discrimination down to a science. (Niccols, 1997) Vincent knows that due to his inferiority to the world made him a part of the underclass, which isn’t classed by his social status, but rather his genes. The writer/director of this film, Andrew Niccols, shows the world this different form of discrimination that could be in our futures. As we know, there are people that are already making orders of how they want their children to look. Will our society continue on this path to where we are eventually just like the people of Gattaca? Is genetic engineering ethical? Has watching this movie changed my opinion of gentic engineering? In the beginning of the movie, we learn that Vincent was conceived through natural means. This means that he wasn’t genetically engineered to be perfect. According to the Encyclopedia Britannica, genetic engineering is “the artificial manipulation, modification, and recombination of DNA or other nucleic acid molecules in order to modify an organism or population...
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...Gattaca is a technological reflection movie directed by Andrew Niccol. The film has a futuristic setting that is unimaginable to most people yet logical upon critical scrutiny. The theme of this movie highlights a new way, riddled with technological advancement, to create a perfect society. It raises a moral question about whether the approach used for genetic engineering is ethically acceptable. In this society, an individual’s place in the society is determined by their genetic makeup and circumstances under which they get born. Invalids are people born through natural process while valids are individuals whose existence came about through the process of genetic engineering. Despite the advancements in the society, it is prudent to respect the natural laws of the existence of living things, including human beings, a concept that seems overrun by time in this movie....
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...such as GATTACA and Unwind. Use examples from the book and movie. Unwind In the book Unwind there are many advantages and disadvantages. One advantage is that when you are severely injured you can have affected body parts replaced with body parts from an unwind, In chapter 1, the trucker that gave Connor a ride had an arm from an unwound because his original arm was severely damaged in an accident . However a disadvantage in the world of Unwind is that if you are between the ages of 13 to 18, your parents can abort you which means you will be transported to a harvest camp where you will be unwound. After you are unwound your body parts are donated to people in need of new body parts. In the book,...
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...GATTACA Reflection GATTACA is a movie directed by Andrew Niccol. This movie follows Vincent, who is somebody that society thinks is ‘not clean’, genetically. The movie defines people by their genetic makeup and not the way they act. The title GATTACA in the movie is from the workplace that is called “GATTACA”. GATTACA is a place of opportunity to the main character, Vincent. Vincent wants to be an astronaut and GATTACA is where you go to become one. There was one problem, Vincent was conceived by love and not by technology. This meant he was impure and was only allowed to be a janitor. Likewise, GATTACA can be compared most to NASA. Both are places of opportunity for the ones who seek being somewhere beyond earth. Moreover, GATTACA was a place where only the ones without impurities were allowed to succeed....
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...Genetic engineering: Gattaca is a biological film that talks about the theme of the power of science where children are pre implanted with genes to enable them to posses the best traits when they are born. The misuse of science to enhance individual’s capabilities is what rules Niccol’s society of Gattaca. The misuse of science, particularly the field genetic engineering is depicted through the written code of the inter title, the audio code of voice over. The written code of the inter title “I not only think that we will tamper with Mother Nature. I think Mother wants us to” (William Gaylin) represents the opinion that perhaps God himself is not perfect, as He created a flawed world and that having the ability to change it means that it should be changed. This is strongly depicted in Gattaca whereby the Gattican society try to make it perfect and flawless by using science in particular, genetic engineering to add desired genetics to unborn babies and take away the undesired ones. Ultimately causing more destruction to Gattacan society then perfection. The misuse of science is further depicted through the audio convention of voice over, “I never understand what possessed my mother to put her faith in God’s hands rather than the local geneticists”. Parents in Gattaca choose the “very best” of themselves for their children, eliminating all their imperfections. Vincent was a godchild, meaning he was conceived without the use of genetic engineering or any other science resulting in a...
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...Joshua Barott Professor Peterson Writing 121 30 July 2012 Four Little Nucleotides In an age of rapidly advancing technology, there are those who argue for slowing it down, so it can be critically and ethically examined. However, there are many who believe the opposite, and that there should be as few restrictions as possible. The movie GATTACA is an example of a dystopian future where the advancement and role of technology in our society has been allowed to run unchecked. Ironically, GATTACA, through its obsession with perfection, has created a world less perfect than the one that came before. The value of human life, individuality, relationships, and morals are corrupted. In GATTACA, we are presented with a society where genetic engineering and perfection are worshipped, and anything less is unacceptable and is discriminated against. As Vincent says in the movie, “We have discrimination down to a science.” Every aspect of a person’s life is determined by their genetic code: their job, their personal relationships, and even their basic civil rights. Yet even the genetically advanced suffer from “the burden of perfection.” The world of GATTACA is so totalitarian in nature that human rights are trampled upon and individuality is suppressed. Surely, this is not a perfect world. Vincent would certainly agree. He laments the ways in which society has changed in the ongoing pursuit to create perfection. Old values can no longer contain the same message and relevance. The belief of...
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...Gattaca is a movie directed by Andrew Niccol and the film is set in the "not too distant future." Andrew Niccol's perception of the future isn't what most people expect, but once thought about carefully it seems quite believable. This movie presents us with a new method in which society strives for perfection and it also makes us wonder if genetic engineering is morally correct. Your place in society in Gattaca is based on your genetic makeup and the way you were born. People born the way we know as natural are "in-valids". On the other hand people born with the aid of genetic engineering are "valids." An "in-valid" has his future set out to be a cleaner or other insignificant job in society which doesn't require an education. A new form of prejudice has been recently debated about, which is the idea of having greater or second-rate genes. Within the movie, the natural method of birth is genetic engineering, which is unlike what our society perceives to be natural. Genetic engineering leads to genetic selection from the parents who choose to eliminate any defects, diseases or genetic illnesses. Some parents may want to leave several genetic traits to chance rather then selecting the attributes of their son or daughter. To what extent is this process of conception morally right, if even right at all? Morally speaking, genetic engineering in any conception should only be used in extreme circumstances. If the natural method of conception isn't possible in the parents then genetic...
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...rests on the support and cooperation of other people.’ Discuss. 17 Essay 2: ‘The characters in Gattaca are too caught up in private dreams and personal ambitions for genuine relationships to be possible.’ Discuss. Essay 3: “That’s how I did it, Anton. I never saved anything for the swim back.” ‘Vincent defies and transcends his destiny and, in doing this, inspires others.’ Discuss. Essay 4: ‘Gattaca shows that categorising people into a hierarchy of castes, into ‘superior’ and ‘imperfect/inferior’, is both false and dangerous.’ How? Essay 5: ‘Gattaca shows that the rights of a person surpass the need for control within a society.’ Discuss. Essay 6: ‘Gattaca’s director, Andrew Niccol, said: “I would hate for anyone to look at my film and think it is advocating that you never tamper with genes, because there … will be many positive things to come out of this … science in terms of curing diseases”.‘ So what is Gattaca condemning? Essay 7: ‘Gattaca presents a world destroyed by the pursuit of perfection.’ Do you agree? Essay 8: ‘The society of Gattaca works to repress rather than to enhance the potential of human beings.’ Discuss. 22 27 31 36 40 45 50 Essay 9: “I belong to a new underclass, no longer determined by social status or the colour of your skin. No, we now have discrimination down to a science.” Does Gattaca show discrimination to be a science? 53 Essay 10: ‘Gattaca depicts a world that seems totally scientific and rational, yet passion still prevails.’ Discuss...
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...Genetic engineering has nothing but negative effects on society as a whole. In both Brave New World, by Aldous Huxley, and Gattaca, genetic engineering has become increasingly out of control until it has become the only thing that matters. People are being created rather than born, constructed by scientists in a laboratory rather than letting nature take its course. One’s personality, intelligence, and overall individuality becomes secondary to the DNA contained within one’s cells. In Brave New World, people are manufactured in bottles along an assembly line; everything about their life is determined by people in lab coats. In Gattaca, parents who wish to conceive a child simply take a trip to their “local geneticist” and order a baby, off...
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...A Splash of Love in a Strange World Gattaca is the name of a space agency in the not-too-distant future, where the preparation for man's first journey to Saturn's moon, Titan, is in progress. Among the people vying to leave Earth and explore Titan is someone who goes by the name of Jerome Morrow. He is fully qualified for this job: he has the right genetic material that puts him a cut above all the rest in terms of mental and physical skills. The catch is that Jerome Morrow is really Vincent Freeman, an "in-valid" with defective genes, who has managed to infiltrate the elite space agency by faking his identity---right down to the nucleic acid level. Vincent routinely obtains blood, hair, and urine samples from the real Jerome Morrow (Jude Law) to pass identification and screening tests. The real Morrow is not able to realise his potential since he was crippled in an accident, and therefore needs Vincent as much as Vincent needs him. Throw in some sibling rivalry between Vincent and his "valid" brother, a murder sub-plot, and a love interest for Vincent, you end up with Gattaca. The story is essentially about how Vincent overcomes the programming in his in-valid genes and competes against the best in the "valid" world. The scientific premise, like in most science-fiction movies, combines a mix of truth and fiction. In the movie, the alleles from parents are so chosen that the combination produces the optimal arrangement in terms of the child's genotype. But we know enough...
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...GATTACA Reflection Paper Gattaca’s main character, Anton, is a prime example of how altering a human genetic makeup creates even more problems with discriminated and inequality than the human race is capable of handling. Anton wasn’t given an opportunity in the society to prove himself because the potential employees of companies were not tested on their skills or knowledge but on their physical and mental qualifications. This same society also used derogatory terms for people like Anton. Simply because his parents decided that he would come into the world naturally instead of through gene therapy or alteration. Terms like “faith birth'; and “invalid'; were used against Anton to make him inferior to others that have had genetic alterations. Genetic engineering could be extremely beneficial, but when used in the fashion as it was used in the Gattaca it could change things forever. Currently sheep and other animals are being cloned, soon primates and humans could be cloned also. Further investigations should be done on the real benefits of clone and if it is really necessary. These experiments (when used correctly) could be used to gain insight on what our genes determine in our personalities. Although human cloning and genetic engineering would be a huge achievement to the entire human race such as it was when we landed on the moon in 69, a persons life shouldn’t be changed dramatically. No employer or insurance company should know if a person has been genetically...
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...the scenario’s that were explored in the movie Gattica by Andrew Niccol. DNA science has been around for quite some time and dates back as early as 1869 with the first noted discovery of a microscopic substance in the pus of discarded surgical bandages. This film explores the existence of man if it were possible to genetically engineer life to perfection. Some of the things I will explore is the morality of genetic engineering as well as the reality of it all. The very first images that appear in the film are two quotes. These two quotes, one a biblical reference from Ecclesiastes and the other from William Gaylin, provide contrasting views on tampering with nature and immediately provide us with an insight into the film. Directly after this we are shown extreme close-ups of body parts such as hairs, dead skin and nail clippings falling, although I did not realize what they are immediately. This also gives the impressions that body parts are going to play a large part in Gattaca. During the opening credits, in all the names the letters A, C, T, and G are highlighted.( Gattaca (1997)) The relevance of this is that these four letters make up all the possible DNA combinations. This is something that I wasn’t aware of until after the film as well. We are introduced to the main character as he is in an incinerator vigorously scrubbing his skin and as he exits the vessel, he hits the button to burn all evidence of his cleansing. It is obviously unnatural behavior and it has my attention...
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...For centuries, film makers have toyed with the idea of “genetic selection.” However, being able to customize a supreme race of more attractive with more genetic immunities to diseases is very close to no longer being categorized as science fiction. GATTACA once took us into the world of valids and invalids. The audience watched shoveling down popcorn as the human race became divided and hostel between the normal human births and those who were more fit and privileged because of their DNA. Genetic engineering is already being carried out successfully on non-human animals. “The gene which makes jellyfish fluoresce has been inserted into mice embryos, resulting in glow-in-the-dark rodents,” says BBC NEWS. “Other mice have had their muscle-mass bettered, or been made to be more faithful to their partners, through the introduction of a gene into their standard genetic make-up. But these scientists predict the amazing breakthroughs in genetically engineering lab mice and farm critters will eventually be applied to the animals at the top of the food chain,” says Daniel Q. Haney, “scientists already recognize some of the combinations of genes that help people defend against some major illnesses. So, one objective of human germline engineering could be to help the genetically less fortunate share these built-in health advantages.” It is not long before experimentation on humans is going to be carried out. As technology and science get closer to being able to engineer supreme race...
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...Gattaca is a dystopian film directed by Andrew Niccol. It is set in the 'not-too-distant future' where discrimination is based on your genetic makeup and has become the defining factor of your societal class. Symbolism was constantly used throughout the film by Niccol to convey the main idea of genoism, the discrimination based solely on one's genes. Through bars, DNA, and glass symbols, the main character Vincent is shown to be oppressed and excluded due to his ‘invalid’ genes. Dialogue and camera work were also used in order to deepen the audience’s understanding of the genetic discrimination in the film and to comment on the dangers of genetic engineering. Genetic discrimination, through prejudiced stereotypes based on an individual’s DNA, is depicted by Niccol as misguided, unjust and dividing within a society. Your genes become your destiny. The genoist society in Gattaca rejects the desires and dreams of invalids like Vincent. Niccol uses the recurring symbol of bars to show how Vincent was excluded from society for being an invalid. An invalid is someone who does not have genetically engineered genes and is therefore considered to be of a lower class...
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...2013 Genetic Engineering Tentative Thesis: Even though altering DNA can lead to such horrifying events as genocide or viral diseases, genetic engineering is an important scientific breakthrough because by altering DNA, we can cure many diseases and solve many of mankind's problems. 1. History of Genetic Engineering A. What Led to the need for genetic engineering a. Prehistoric Times-1900 B. Gregor Mandel b. European botanist genetically altering plants 2. Modern Genetic Engineering C. DNA c. Watson & Krick 1. discover DNA a. How it affected science d. Herbert Boyer and Stanley Cohen 2. recombinant DNA D. Government e. Supreme Court 3. Diamond v. Chakrabarty f. FDA 4. Approval of genetic engineered food 5. Field Testing b. Tobacco c. Tomatoes g. International Bio-safety Protocol E. Advancements & Achievements h. Technology i. Disease curing j. World Hunger 3. Ethical Issues F. Religious k. Are we playing God? G. Environmental l. What’re the long term environmental effects H. Bio Ethics m. What if we make something we can’t control n. Is it possible the technology may be used to create slaves? o. When does harmless engineering become...
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