Unit 6: Biotechnology and Art

The development and research of biotechnology is seen as one of the most controversial topics in our world today. While things such as animal testing, GMOs, and genetic screening are seen as beneficial to some, there are also a great number of protestors.
Image result for biotechnology protesters
While I believe that there must be a firm moral line on what is acceptable in biology experimentation, I also know that no great discoveries can be made without risk taking.

Joe Davis is a prime example of a bioartist who pushed the limits to help make positive change in our society, by using living organisms to create art. He researched how sounds can affect bacteria and what sounds create stress for bacteria in order to discover a way to create the “Audio Microscope”. He also created “Microvenus”, a symbol of femininity and life, and placed it into an E coli bacterium. His wish was to send them into space as a message to extraterrestrials.

Image result for microvenus

In Chris Kelly’s essay he explains the dangers of experimenting with biology when she points out how figures such as Bill Gates and Steve Wozniak were praised for their extremely successful discoveries that began in their garages, but also noting “on the other hand, they are screwing with living organisms and if they aren’t careful, we will all die from the virulent bugs they create but cannot control. It’s either an economic miracle waiting to happen or an apocalypse around the corner.” Levy explains that we often see the success stories headlined in the media, however the experimenting with living organisms is extremely dangerous and very rarely results in positive and impactful discoveries.
Image result for bill gates in 1975

Work Cited
"1975: How Did Young Bill Gates Start Microsoft?" History.info. N.p., 30 Mar. 2015. Web. 15 May 2017. <http://history.info/on-this-day/1975-how-did-young-bill-gates-start-microsoft/>.

"Anti-GMO Protest in South Africa." Getty Images. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 May 2017. <http://www.gettyimages.com/event/anti-gmo-protest-in-south-africa-558180273#protesters-take-part-in-a-march-against-the-american-multinational-picture-id475837576>.

Elsevier. "Creating Art with Genes and Bacteria." Elsevier Connect. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 May 2017. <https://www.elsevier.com/connect/creating-art-with-genes-and-bacteria>.

Microvenus: Joe Davis : Genetics and Culture. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 May 2017. <http://geneticsandculture.com/genetics_culture/pages_genetics_culture/gc_w03/davis_microvenus.htm>.

Solon, Olivia. "Bioart: The Ethics and Aesthetics of Using Living Tissue as a Medium." Wired. Conde Nast, 28 July 2011. Web. 15 May 2017. <https://www.wired.com/2011/07/bioart/>.


Comments

  1. Jordan JamesMay 15, 2017 at 12:59 PM

    I loved how you pointed out positive aspect of biotechnology, as this topic can be very controversial. As you mentioned many of these experiments can be dangerous, but in the end very impactful on our society. What are your thoughts on GMO’s in the food that we eat? Many people think that he process of animal testing is unethical, do you agree or in what ways does this benefit our society?

    ReplyDelete
  2. UnknownMay 16, 2017 at 11:26 AM

    I really liked your opening argument because it is very true that while it is important to have moral boundaries, it is also important to take risks for the same of new discoveries. Although I don't believe in using animals to test experiments, I can agree that if it weren't for animal testing, many amazing discoveries would not have been made that had benefits for both humans and animals.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Unit 7: Neuroscience and Art

Image
Because of my passion for psychology, I was very interested in this unit and learning how it was able to interact with art. I found the discussion about “wonder drugs” such as LSD and Cocaine especially interesting. It is hard to believe that, when first discovered, these drugs were actually prescribed by doctors. Cocaine was and is used to create a temporary state of happiness, and even influenced some of Freud’s work including his book on the interpretation of dreams. LSD is a hallucinogen and allows people to form an alternate reality through the extraordinary images and kaleidoscopic colors displayed in their mind. The father of LSD, Albert Hoffman, expressed that LSD made him more passionate towards nature and gave him a whole new perspective on the world that surrounds him. This allowed for the creation of new art forms and influenced him to create new pieces that resembled the hallucinations that he experienced in his head. Neuroscience and art have been combined to a
Read more

Unit 2: Math and Art

Image
This week’s material explained the relationship between math, art, and science and how the three are intertwined. Before this week’s lecture and readings I had naturally grouped math and science together, but always thought of them as separate from art. I had heard the concept that math was a big part of art, but I had kind of doubted it because art seems so free, creative, and loose, while math seems structured, strict, and full of formulas. However, they have a much stronger relationship that I once thought. In Marc Frantz’ “Vanishing Points and Looking at Art”, I gained more understanding of the idea of a vanishing point in which one-point perspective has one vanishing point and viewing art from a different angle could create a different perception of depth. The Vanishing Point Theorem is when two or more lines in the real world are parallel to one another, but not parallel to the picture plane, and have the same vanishing point. Linda Dalrymple Henderson’s “The Fourth Dimen
Read more