 |
| Eduardo Kac's Edunia |
This week we discussed the development of BioTechnology and its influence on art. The most immediate recognizable use of biotech can be seen in surgical manipulation of the body. Plastic surgery however is only one of the many uses of biotech. One of the uses I found most interesting was Eduardo Kac's "Edunia." The Edunia is a petunia altered by his blood using genomics and genetic experimentation. It is amazing that biotech has developed in a way that allows us to genetically alter flowers with our own DNA. One point that Eduardo Kac makes in "Natural History of Enigma" is that humans and flowers might be more genetically similar than we think.
 |
| Designer Baby |
Though the Edunia is a great application of biotech on art, the one I find most interesting is Agar Nicholas' idea of Designer Babies. This concept uses genomics to enable individuals to genetically plan and modify a fetus's traits. The idea of being able to give your child any trait may be enticing at first, but it carries many negatives with it. The prospect actually becomes somewhat terrifying considering that designing our babies with certain traits takes away from our gene pool and is essentially killing off any traits deemed "undesirable." This is not to say designer babies would be without its benefits, but I personally believe it is a dangerous path worthy of caution.
 |
| Genetically Modified Food |
A more relevant example of biotech is the development of genetically modified foods. Using genomics, farmers are able to genetically alter foods foods for better taste, appearance, and texture. Gary Wenk discusses how GMO's can affect how someone thinks and feels. With so many GMO's out there today, it can be difficult to know which foods are actually safe to consume.
Image Links:
- http://mediad.publicbroadcasting.net/p/nhpr/files/201211/EarthTalkProposition37California.JPG
- http://www.ekac.org/kac.nat.hist.enigma.01.jpg
- http://cdn.makeuseof.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/designer-baby-840x420.jpg?6055c3
Works Cited:
- Agar, Nicholas. “Designer Babies: Ethical Considerations.”ActionBioscience. N.p.. Web. 8 May 2016.
- Kac, Eduardo. "NATURAL HISTORY OF THE ENIGMA." ekac. N.p.,n.d. Web. 8 May 2016.
- Liss-Schultz, Nina. "We Are This Close to 'Designer Babies'" Mother Jones. Mother Jones and the Foundation for National Progress, 8 Feb. 2016. Web. 8 May 2016.
- Vesna, Victoria. “BioTech Art Lecture Part I.” N.p., . Web. 8 May 2016.
- Vesna, Victoria. “BioTech Art Lecture Part II.” N.p., . Web. 8 May 2016.
- Vesna, Victoria. “BioTech Art Lecture Part III.” N.p., . Web. 8 May 2016.
- Vesna, Victoria. “BioTech Art Lecture Part IV.” N.p., . Web. 8 May 2016.
- Vesna, Victoria. “BioTech Art Lecture Part V.” N.p., . Web. 8 May 2016.
- Wenk, Gary. “This is Your Brain on Food.” SEED. N.p., 13 2010. Web. 8 May 2016.
Hey Tanner, great read! I agree with you that the idea of designer babies does have its advantages and benefits, but it is indeed controversial and warrants caution. If people were allowed to selectively choose how their children looked like, there would be a growing lack of diversity as parents “design” their children by following trends. Further, I agree with what you said about GMOs. The only question I had was that since there are controversies about the effects of GMOs, what do you think could be done to regulate it or how should we approach this situation?
ReplyDeleteTanner, I like the examples you used in a variety of aspects. As far as designing babies, don't you think guidelines can fix the problems it creates? what I mean is, maybe only babies with certain defects can be qualified for 'a new design'? Also, do you see a limit to bio-art?
ReplyDelete