Giovannie Bertrand
Period 3
Genetics/Biotechnology
In Today’s society as technology advances more, the more scientists, and younger people aspire
to create, or invent the new thing that will transform society into a new age or era like the greats
before them. Many have desired to do that very thing with the work of biotechnology, helping
people generate new cells that can help them walk, or prevent or help destroy any type of cancer
cells. With so many opportunities to pave a new way for a generation, at what price will this
come in for the study of biotechnology? Seen as a danger to most of the general public, authors
and directors have made countless of films and books to make the public aware of outcomes of
new discoveries that are still in an experiment stage or unstable condition before it can become
public to society. In movies like In time, or Gattaca focuses on more of consequences of DNA
engineering and a society gov’t and laws based upon genetics only in the future. While the
Uglies Trilogy focuses more on genetics now, and how we can literally change our whole
personality and body with a few plastic surgeries and pills that our doctors can supply for us, and
that biotechnology help create. And as people we have to wonder what will be the benefits and
consequences of venturing into biotechnology/genetics for the future?
As to many concerns throughout the nation directed towards the new ventures of biotechnology,
many have come to the conclusion that if we had this power in our hands, where we could
prevent and create a perfect healthy being or control the outcome of their lives of numbers of
people, would be like playing god. And that people wouldn’t be able to control this type of
responsibility, however in the present we are already have some opportunities where we can
change our child’s physical appearance in the embryo stage called designer babies. Yet people
fear that “this could ultimately lead to a situation where each child is programmed to do certain
tasks, and is unable to do anything else...Moreover, the freedom of the child to choose a
profession of his choice in the future will also be severely diminished. The ethical repercussions
of this are not very pleasant....” (Thadani 2) and even though this project has good intentions
intending to prevent diseases that can risk the child’s life in the future similar to cancer early in
the embryo stage, the parents who agree to go through with this process has to be “humbled at
the responsibility, even frightened at having to make so many choices that are now beyond the
power of humans” (Farris 3) they’re also choosing to play the role of god and create their version
of a perfect baby instead letting god choose how their baby is going to look like. Yet most
couples who volunteer/pay for designer babies must know that their initially experimental, and
that the more they try on couple’s embryos the more they venture out into looking if they change
traits or characteristics more than looking into preventing diseases, which is more dangerous
because “Considering that "to err is human" the probabilities of a misjudgement or mis-step or
mis-reaction resulting in a catastrophe are very high. And in such an eventuality, it will be next
to impossible to trick the genie (or ‘gene’) back into the bottle (test-tube).”(Kamat 1) and
outcomes can be a huge risk for the embryo and the mother that is carrying, and people still take
the time to venture out into this experimental phase of designer babies.
Throughout books and films, novelists and directors try to say that common possessions that we
as people use or get with a certain amount of money like plastic surgery can easily be a way of
trying to get rid of flaws that you see within yourself, and might be so fanatical that we don’t
realized we're not changing only our physical appearance but also changing our way of life and
mentally. In reality many have managed to physically change their appearance including their
identity like Toby Sheldon, a 33 year old songwriter who has changed his appearance into being
a young look-alike of Justin Bieber. Even though family and friends haven’t stop him “His
apparent body dysmorphic disorder has amassed over $100,000 in savings spent on looking like
the boyish "Baby" singer, but Sheldon said he isn't done yet…I know there is more work to be
done in order to make a full transformation into Justin Bieber's doppelganger like a nose job and
jaw reduction” (Monde) being obsessed with the idea of looking better and younger has
unfortunately corrupted our society and with the help of biotechnology, we can look better and
younger with the help of cosmetic bio products including Botox and plastic surgery. And with
the help of biotechnology you can supposedly turn all your flaws into perfection. Scott
Westerfeld made a trilogy based on a dystopia all about outer beauty and perfection, and even
gave the world new classes, the uglies (under 16) and the pretties (over 16). And the uglies only
see an image appeared. Like a mirror, but in close-up, it showed Tally as she looked right now:
puffy-eyed and disheveled, exhaustion and red scratches marking her face, her hair sticking out
in all directions, and her expression turning horrified as she beheld her own appearance….that’s
you tally. Forever.’ (Westerfeld 135). Even in society today most of the general public of women
and men can only see their flaws, and run to plastic surgery or Botox to change or persistently
remove their flaws within themselves, which can cause identity crisis. “They have this glorified
picture of this perfect identity,' he explained, which can have deep psychological effects when the
patient discards their sense of self by changing their face, only to realize the identity they were
seeking isn't perfect after all.’(Fleming 1) with the cosmetics bio products it can help people love
themselves a little bit better, however having more than 10 operations on your body to change
into this just like Sheldon shows that plastic surgery also gives us a humans a power beyond our
control, us trying to play god by changing our whole identity and personality into something that
wasn’t how we were born as. Trying to fulfill the dream of perfection.
However in almost every dystopian book or film has the same type of attributes when comes to
telling the story of the outcome of biotechnology; the undoing of our world as we know it. Many
like Niccoli shows a world where genetics are the way of life and people follow law of genetics
instead, or where a world where the Gov’t is your god. Including in the movie In Time by
Andrew Niccoli where the plot surrounds a dystopia where time controls everything, the
economy, the gov’t, and lives. A future where people have genetically born with timer in their
bodies, and work for their time on earth. The poor die fast and the rich are immortal. “I don't
have time. I don't have time to worry about how it happened. It is what it is. We're genetically
engineered to stop aging at 25. The trouble is, we live only one more year, unless we can get
more time. Time is now the currency. We earn it and spend it. The rich can live forever. And the
rest of us? I just want to wake up with more time on my hand than hours in the day. (Niccoli) In
most of Niccoli’s vision for his films about the future is that as people continuing onwards with
biotechnology, and advancing as we are, we are led into a future where the gov’t can use
biotechnology and genetics against society to enforce rules that couldn't be prosecute before by
the gov’t. A life where “..New underclass, no longer determined by social status or the color of
your skin. No, we now have discrimination down to a science.” (Niccoli) which ultimately
sounds horrid, being just judge for your genetics. And seeing that biotechnology can possibly
lead us to a path where “Blood has no nationality”(Niccoli) is main anterior of society has its
benefits whereas citizens of the blind eye might see a new world where discrimination doesn’t
exist, however others might see the context of the society as a whole new way of being
discriminated against; your genetics.
A concerning problem that keeps on appearing over subject of biotechnology, is that people can
be harmed if it goes wrong like in agriculture or easily change the outcome of how society can
work through this. Even though it showed that we in society has advanced immensely with the
help of biotechnology there still many who doubt the work of genetic/biotechnology engineering
can help society. A plethora of old, and new scientist are trying to prove and presently working
on that genetic engineering ensures the protection of cancer cells from further mutation. Genetic
engineering is done if cancer is affected by genetic problems. If carcinogens create cancer then
preventive steps should be taken against carcinogens. Genetic engineering may be the best
solution for cancer. (lynn 3) genetic engineering has also been proven and help in the past to
create the first human insulin developed for the diabetic patients. Insulin is a special component
of the body and lack of this component causes diabetes. (Adnan 1) To many seen as a risk
towards humans, genetic engineering has been a benefit where it has solved many problems in
the medical field including with dieases like cancer, and diabetes. Which a lot of people on this
world are forever grateful to.
Even though biotechnology and genetic engineering has faster outcomes with most solutions to
help substain the agriculture, through a few debates, people have found alternative ways without
actually needing to depend on genetic engineering products all the time. However, creating
alternatives instead of just using biotechnology to help can be complicated and complex. "Many
of these alternatives are not other products, but instead the systems and methods of sustainable
agriculture. A good example is crop rotation, which keeps pests under control elegantly by
depriving them of the continuous food supply they need to build up large populations." (heid 1)
Farmers depend on genetic engineered products to help grow more and faster crop every year,
even though some of the chemicals in the product might be proven dangerous towards crop
growth, they'll will still take the risk towards making a certain amount of crop every year.
However, a few number of farmers will avoid using pesticides and herbicides for faster growth,
however others In sustainable agriculture, new products are less important than new knowledge
and new ways of manipulating agricultural ecosystems. (Heid 1) In agriculture we depend solely
on pesticides and herbicides that are genetically engineered products to prevent insects or pest
who feed on the crop, but farmer have started to depend on biotechnology too much where they
aren't even looking at different and maybe more healthier ways to grow crop since those products
are working better. Yet “Conversion from industrial agriculture to sustainable systems that
depend less on chemicals would eliminate the need for many of the currently projected products
of biotechnology " (heid 1) and yet they'd rather spend almost over thousands of dollars for
equipment and supplies to distribute pesticides and herbicides, while there is harder but yet
cheaper tactics to ensure crop growth like for instance crop rotation, where the technique for it
has been used by many older age farmers before genetically engineered products came to light.
And doing this technique insures crop growth, barely any pest or insects, and healthier crops at a
somewhat of a slow rate.
With a debate about continuing doing research to help sustain agriculture and help prevention
towards certain diseases with the help of biotechnology. However, in the near future may have
great outcomes and alternatives to replace biotechnology believing it does more damage than
good. "Soon, we may be able to eradicate terrible genetic diseases such as Tay-Sachs and cystic
fibrosis. We may be able to make our children more resistant to disease than we are—as well as
wiser, stronger, longer-lived and more beautiful." (Green 1) As great as the future sounds with
curing physically altering diseases throughout the world, going beyond that motive seems
outrageous when changing a human being appearance to make something more beautiful and
gorgeous. As Green says, “we are—as well as wiser, stronger, longer-lived and more beautiful”
this can be easily questioned as a motive for many experiments that are going on to this day
where “Pregnant woman and the father. The procedure may make it easier someday to
prenatally change genes seen as causing diseases or, more startling, pick a child's attributes
such as eye color or even intelligence.”(Green 1) Many people participate in this activity only to
justify that they’re doing it for their future sons and daughters to prevent further diseases but in
reality their trying to play god where they can chose their child attributes, and really transform
their child into a perfect image of what they want in a child or better yet, doll that they can
choose and dress up themselves which they bought for. Which all goes back to humanity
shouldn’t be so depended on biotechnology and genetic engineering products in our everyday
life before it’s too late, we already depend on it so much with physically beauty, food , and
medical areas. Where it is a basic necessity in our daily lives including with food where farmers
have tried to “reducing dependence on pesticides and herbicides, there are clearly alternatives
to many biotechnology products.” But seeing that is not recommended, and often harder to try
and not use genetic engineered products. Most farmers have stop trying to find ways that are
more dependable, and less harmful. And instead are using products that grow crops faster but at a
risk where nobody wants to take. Citizens should be aware that we are letting biotechnology run
our lives, and there are ways to prevent from letting it happen. We just have to be willing to go
the extra mile to ensure our safety about it.
I believe around 10 or 20 years from now, the alternatives towards genetic engineering for
agriculture will be gone and fully replaced by the bio products. Even if they keep on creating
products and succeeding in a replacement, the process itself will be difficult and complex to
continue helping food grow properly. In our society, as sad as it sounds, we take the easy route
or at least try to create an easier way for us as people. And unfortunately the process for
alternatives takes longer and harder to create, while the bio products are still easier way to go. I
also see prevention for some diseases like HIV and maybe a bit of prevention for cancer cells,
but it won't be perfected yet. However, with all the debates concerning biotechnology they
might be people who would be against the situation and try to take it down once and for all.
Even in both Niccoli's movies, and also in the Uglies Trilogy focuses on a rebellion against a
world based genetics, and people trying to change the basis of how biotechnology for having
such an impact on the past changed the world.
Recently biotechnology has changed the basics of the world, and is paving a new direction for
the new generation to make most of the world's important responsibilities and diseases to
become such trivial things in the future. However, the general public are frightened that genetic
engineering and biotechnology can transform society into something horrendous and dangerous
to give everyone a role . Giving everyone or the gov't the role to play god. A power that is
beyond any human alive and if given to a person, chaos is bound to happen. People being able to
change their whole identity including their personality with help of plastic surgery, future parents