Event 2 Blog Post | Biotech & Art: Gattaca
The film Gattaca takes Eugenics, puts it on steroids, give's a jet propulsion backpack, and then catapults it onto a whole another level. The plot revolves around Vincent Freeman struggling to overcome his genetic deficiencies as he works his way up to a career of being an astronaut. Throughout the film, I often found myself thinking more than watching over it's morbidly profound implications regarding the ethics of genetic engineering and elevating the human body into a more perfect form.
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| Figure 1. History of Eugenics |
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| Figure 2. The Switch |
Vitro fertilization is the process of implanting "artificial" embryos into the uterus by extracting and combining sperm and egg samples. [2] It breaks conception down to a tee as fertilization can now occur in a laboratory setting, opening all kinds of possibilities. For example, a silly take on the implications of such technology can be found in the romantic comedy, The Switch where the character Kassie is accidentally and artificially inseminated with Wally's, her best friend, sperm. [3] Aside from the problematic nature of the plot, the movie brings this technology into the mainstream media as it also highlights one important detail: accidents can happen. When considering the limitless potential for mishaps and dangerous unknown, it raises the question why would we risk tampering with the natural order in the first place?
One article argues for such procedure stating that it can insure the child will be free of a sex-linked genetic disease. [4] While that may seem noble, where then, would we draw the line? With this logic, who's to say that we should not also insure that the child will be free of down syndrome or even heart disease, like Anton in the movie. Would it be wrong to deny life for an embryo because of their potential for illness? Gattaca also illustrates the morality of this question through Vincent's academic career.
Despite his inferior genetic makeup, Vincent works hard and demonstrates his superior intellect. This highlights an argument against Eugenics in that fate is not determined solely by biology alone. One study supports this by demonstrating the significant impact of the environment on gene expression through similar body weight and growth of mice despite different genetics. [5] From this, it would be wrong to base a person's worth on their genetic makeup because it's clear that the environmental factors and choices play an important role too. In the movie, it was due to Vincent's determination that allowed him to become the best candidate for space travel. This was further validated when it was shown that Dr. Lamar allowed Vincent to continue his work even though he knew of the truth about Vincent's genetic deficiencies.
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| Figure 3. Nature vs Nurture in Mice |
Ultimately, Gattaca demonstrates the moral implications of Eugenics and genetic engineering through the battle between Vincent Freeman and the discriminations of his genes. In treating the human body no difference than a blank canvas, the movie prompts the question of what it means to be human. Is it ethical to purposely alter the genetic make-up of the human population? If so, then how are humans any different than mice that are tested in the laboratory? I believe that there is no right answer. A cop out answer, I know, but it's true. There's too much uncertainty for what is the best course of action, especially with technology such as vitro fertilization being still in its infant stages. However, I do believe and recommend that films such Gattaca and even The Switch is a great place to begin having this discussion.
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