The documentary Fixed: The Science Fiction of Human Enhancement explores the topic of biotechnology, human enhancements and transhumanism. Transhumanism, as defined in the movie, is a “movement that advocates for people to use technology to enhance the body and mind.” Individuals such as Hugh Herr and James Hughes support this, with varying views of how transhumanism should be used in society. The documentary also attempts to discuss ableism, or social discrimination in favor of able-bodied people, in terms of plastic surgery and media. Cressida Heyes, a philosopher of University of Alberta, advocates plastic surgery to be normalized for “average” people even though it was originally intended for people who needed facial reconstruction surgery due to accidents, injuries or burns (Fixed: The Science Fiction of Human Enhancement). Fixed also address the supposed management of disability through genetics, which is …show more content…
Not only did he film bring to light issues such as the neural gap of technology with bionic limbs, but also issues of “equal opportunity enhancement” and smart drugs. Enhancements do have practical usage, yes, however I believe there is the temptation to use technology more in an abusive manner, and that similar to many things the ability to enhance will be abused. For example, the smart drugs mentioned to improve memory, attention span and overall cognitive function mirror the smart drug in the famous movie Limitless with Bradley Cooper. In this movie, the drug was abused by his main character and gave him, in my opinion, an unfair advantage. As I discussed in my previous paper, college students often abuse prescription drugs generally for studying purposes. With this in mind, imagine what a smart drug could do for college students nationwide with its adverse effects as Cooper’s character experienced in
Scientist are researching genetic modification for many reasons. Some people think we are not good enough the way we are, and want to create a ‘perfect’ person. We have been given the ability to learn how to heal sickness and fix wounds with science. However, we have a responsibility to use this information wisely. We have been created with unique gifts and those gifts are important to the enhancement of life. Likewise, while researching about the Author of “The Perfect Stranger”, Amy Sterling Casil, I have discovered that she also has similar feelings about the gifts that we have all been given. We need to consider a few things as we review Casil’s story “The Perfect Stranger”. First, medical advancement is a great thing. Next, we need to make sure we are taking responsible steps while advancing and not creating even more division in our society. And lastly, we need to make sure we don’t lose our diversity and unique qualities. Although, some people believe genetic modification is what we need to better the human race, in actuality genetic modification can be dangerous, because overstepping our boundaries will produce something that is no longer authentic or that is unable to relate on a genuine level.
In her article, Brain Gain: The Underground World of “Neuroenhancing” Drugs, Margaret Talbot discuss’ the use of different drugs like Adderall, to boost their productivity. She’s writing to people from college up to people who have 9 to 5 office jobs. She uses her essay to not be on one side or the other, but to analyze both points of view. She never puts in, or implies, that she has had a personal experience, and her background doesn’t give her much credibility to speak on the matter to people who already have an opinion on it themselves. Talbot uses anecdotes to…and she uses statistics. But her thesis strays away from what she was indicating about the drugs.
Stephanie Soechtig, is an award-winning film-maker, and director and producer of the nonfiction documentary Fed Up. She began producing documentaries for network news programs such as Primetime Live and 20/20, while also working for Good Morning America during the 2000 presidential elections and the O’Reilly Factor. In 2008, Soechtig partnered with Michael and Michelle Walrath to start Atlas Films, which provided inspiration and education to consumers on the most controversial topics. So far, Soechtig has been awarded the “Best Documentary Feature” for Tapped (2009), “People’s Choice Award” for Under the Gun (2016), and Fortune Magazine named Soechtig as being one of the “Most Innovative Women in Food and Drink” (Biography). In 2014, Soechtig’s “Grand Jury Prize” nominated film Fed Up (2014), narrated by TV Journalist Katie Couric, was created in hopes of unveiling the hidden secrets of the food industry by using statistical analysis and research expert’s testimonies to inform viewers of the direct impact that the food industry has on the health of our nation’s most vulnerable population—children. Soechtig and Couric present the argument that the roles of our government along with the interests and processing methods of food industries are ultimately responsible for the increasing rates of childhood obesity in the United States.
In the first portion of Sandel’s paper titled, The Case Against Perfection, Michael Sandel discussed the moral and ethics debate surrounding the notion of in the future designing our offspring by altering their genes prior to conception. Within his argument, Sandal focuses on four main arguments surrounding the following realms of enhancement: muscles, memory, growth hormone treatment, and reproductive technologies (Sandel 52). Firstly, Sandel argues that genetic modifications in improving muscles whether it be to aid in the elderly population, a majority whom struggle with immobility and must rely upon medical devices such as wheelchairs, walkers, or are restricted to their homes and consequently often have a decreased quality of life.
The evolution of technology has been hand in hand with the human subjugation of earth, but the question persists, when does the use of technology go too far? Advances in medical science have increased the average human lifespan and improved the quality of life for individuals. Medical science and biology are steadily arriving at new ways to alter humans by the use of advanced genetic alteration. This technology gives rise to the question of how this new technology ought to be used, if at all. The idea of human enhancement is a very general topic, since humans are constantly “enhancing” themselves through the use of tools. In referring to human enhancement, I am referring specifically to the use of genetic intervention prior to
“Who Owns the Past” is a documentary from the famous producer Jed Riffe. The documentary is about the discovery of a skeleton near Kennewick, Washington. Through the years, 9,000 year old “Kennewick Man” becomes a pretty big problem and causes huge arguments between the archaeologists and the Native American people. Even though many scientist insist on the point that if you want to understand the past you need to study it, many Native American people suggest that that is disrespectful to their ancestors. Their religious beliefs and the way that the archaeologists study ancient objects gets in a huge conflict. The skeleton of the “Kennewick Man” creates many arguments between the archaeologists, anthropologists and the Native American people and it becomes priceless for pretty much all.
By tracing the impacts of this movement, one can gain a better understanding of how fear and devaluing of people with disabilities became deeply embedded in our culture. Doctors were still calling people with disabilities burdens, segregating them in institutions, sterilizing them, and treating them as subhuman as late as the 1970’s. Today, many people still treat people with disabilities as burdens and with fear. During the height of eugenics in America, medical research was being done on people with disabilities (Groce and Marks, 2000). This is a clear equivalent to the status of animal, as only animals and people with disabilities were used in the manner; comparing people with disabilities to animals remains part of our medical and academic culture. In fact, Groce and Marks (2000) challenged anthropologists who consider the value of non-human primates higher than other animals because of their similarities to people with disabilities, connecting these arguments to the American eugenics movement. While the result of the eugenics movement was to devalue people with disabilities, and anthropologists in this case intended to increase the value of the life of the primate, in both instances, the
The subject of this paper has at least five names. Documentary Hypothesis and JEDP Theory are the most common. In this paper, this scholarly position will always be referred to as Documentary Hypothesis with a few exceptions.
The Case Against Perfection written by Michael J. Sandel explores the emerging probabilities in the realm of genetic engineering and societal consequences if designer babies and genetic enhancement programs are pursued. While Sandel may have a definite stance regarding genetic engineering, he explores every side of the issue to justify his perspective. He envisions a future where science will pursuit human perfection in attempts to eliminate the supposedly “imperfect” people, such as those with down syndrome (a path we’re already on) and hereditary deafness. Consequently, this may lead to a world much more competitive and less forgiving than it already is. Not only will those with “imperfections” will be discriminated against, even more troubling,
Science is now able to better improve human health and safety thanks to the advanced modern technology and medicine that are available. Yet with today's technology being implemented into science comes the questions of human morality, or bioethics. One of the bioethics debates is on the coined term “Designer babies”; on if or where society should draw the line on genetically altering our children before they are born. With the technology able to stop hereditary diseases, the scientific development’s are able to change the child’s “eye color, hair color, social intelligence, right down to whether or not your child would have a widow’s peak” before the child is born. From the options on choosing whether or not your child will look or act a certain
There are many different views about refugees in Australian society, where illegal boat people and over flowing detention centres are a controversial problem today. Go Back To Where You Came From is a documentary directed by Ivan O’Mahoney about a social experiment that challenges the dominant views of six Australians about refugees and asylum seekers. These six Australians are taken on a 25 day journey where they are placed into the troubled “worlds” of refugees. For a few of the Australians it is their first time overseas but, for all of them it is the most challenging and confronting experience of their lives. This essay will discuss
Just four decades ago, audiences worldwide were intrigued by the television series The Bionic Woman, a science-fiction tale of a woman, who after sustaining life-threatening injuries due to an accident, is saved with surgical bionic implants and prosthetics; giving her superhuman physical and mental ability. Today, the term bionic is used to describe a society changed by the social construct of medicalization, whereby assigning medical meaning to normal human life processes and behaviors, allows individuals to be better than well, both physically and mentally. Conditions such as impotence and menopause, previously considered a normal part of life, are now listed as erectile dysfunction and estrogen deficiency disease due to ovarian failure,
Neil Burger’s view of the impact of the drug on the human body is clearly hyperbolized and fictional in the movie; however, it is inspired by the reality of other drugs such as nootropics who have similar effects on the person who takes them. The director also shows that taking drugs not only involves you, but adds a whole other dimension to it by involving violence scenes, and put in danger other peoples life as well like Eddy did when he asked Lindy to bring him his pill. The director’s choice in the camera lights, the music theme, and the small detail captures were a genius move contributing in the success of the movie as well as the major idea he wanted the audience to be aware of, and in this case the effects of NZT on the human body. A problem that humanity will probably encounter and according to a research fellow at Oxford University's Future of Humanity Institute. "Cognitive enhancement drugs are going to involve trade-offs with evolution" (Kirby,
Genetic enhancement has long been a controversial topic between those who believe that enhancing society is beneficial to individuals and those who believe that it is debilitating. With progressive advancements in the medical field, the argument over genetic enhancement has become more complex as there is a constant shift towards genetic self-improvement. Self- improvement is a problem between those who can afford to enhance themselves or their offspring and those who cannot afford to so. While those who oppose genetic enhancement believe that it transforms important features of social life including humility, responsibility and solidarity, those in favor of enhancement believe that it improves what individuals are born with.
Although this may be the case in many areas of people’s lives today, it is not always beneficial, or necessary. People may have trouble deciding whether messing with human genes and cells is ethical. Designing the “perfect child” in many parent’s eyes becomes a harsh question of reality. The concept of a parent’s unconditional love for their child is questioned because of the desire to make their child perfect. If genetically engineering humans becomes a dominant medical option, people could have the chance to create their child however they like: from physical appearances, genetically enhanced genes, and the possibility to decide what a child thinks and acts, parents have access to designing their entire child. Naturally, people could be creating a super-human. Issues between different races, and eventually creating new prejudices against genetically engineered humans may increase. People may not realize how expensive genetic screening is at first. With only the rich being able to “enhance” their children, another social issue might occur, giving the world another type of people to outcast.