We will consider how selected films have influenced social perceptions of the role of scientists and genetic technologies in various areas. The movies and topics covered might include: The Black Stork (1917), A Bill of Divorcement (1932), Tomorrow’s Children (1934) for eugenics; The Boys from Brazil (1978), and Blueprint (2003) for human cloning; Jurassic Park (1993) for de-extinction or bringing extinct animal species back to life; Blade Runner (1982) for synthetic biology and human nature; Gattaca (1997) for human genetic enhancement; The Fly (1958) and The Island of Dr. Moreau (1996) for chimeras; My Sister’s Keeper (2009) for savior siblings; and Okja (2017) for genetically modified animals. We will also analyze the role of documentaries, such as Human Nature (2019) and Make People Better (2022). We consider major contributions from prominent thinkers, such as Thomas Hobbes, Adam Smith, Karl Marx, and Sigmund Freud. We also review the contemporary relevance and persistent controversies about their ideas. It will introduce students to various techniques of communicating scientific findings to non-specialist audiences by means of social media posts, videos, podcasts, comics, interviews, news briefs, and public speaking. Students will analyze the public’s perception of science and will discuss ways to address the concerns of science skeptics. Students will have the opportunity to create various forms of science communications material.
We will consider how selected films have influenced social perceptions of the role of scientists and genetic technologies in various areas. The movies and topics covered might include: The Black Stork (1917), A Bill of Divorcement (1932), Tomorrow’s Children (1934) for eugenics; The Boys from Brazil (1978), and Blueprint (2003) for human cloning; Jurassic Park (1993) for de-extinction or bringing extinct animal species back to life; Blade Runner (1982) for synthetic biology and human nature; Gattaca (1997) for human genetic enhancement; The Fly (1958) and The Island of Dr. Moreau (1996) for chimeras; My Sister’s Keeper (2009) for savior siblings; and Okja (2017) for genetically modified animals. We will also analyze the role of documentaries, such as Human Nature (2019) and Make People Better (2022). We consider major contributions from prominent thinkers, such as Thomas Hobbes, Adam Smith, Karl Marx, and Sigmund Freud. We also review the contemporary relevance and persistent controversies about their ideas. It will introduce students to various techniques of communicating scientific findings to non-specialist audiences by means of social media posts, videos, podcasts, comics, interviews, news briefs, and public speaking. Students will analyze the public’s perception of science and will discuss ways to address the concerns of science skeptics. Students will have the opportunity to create various forms of science communications material.
