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Friday, February 3, 2012

Playing God (Documentary Review)



 




Playing God is a riveting new BBC Documentary presented by Dr. Adam Rutherford that explores the leaps and bounds science is making in its pursuit of engineering new life here on earth.  Synthetic biology,  a  science that has recently been emerging in laboratories around the world, promises a future that challenges the limits of most people's imaginations.  It is both controversial and has endless positive implications. Its propensity towards increasing the quality and longevity of life here on earth  leaves the viewer in a type of trance,  possibilities dancing about in one's mind while simultaneously fathoming the reality of what is being played out on the screen before them.

The documentary leads us up a spiral staircase. Each step reveals more and more the heights to which man has already ascended while foreshadowing some of the steps that we are nearly upon. The top is nowhere to be seen. There simply are no limits to where man might someday soar.  Goats that lactate spider silk and the first ever synthetic life form having its own biology and being created by a computer are already past achievements. The list goes on and on.

There are considerable reservations that people have towards this type of technology taking a foothold in our world. Is it right for us to assume a role which, since the very beginning,  has been exclusively reserved for God? Is it right for us to play God?

One example of an area  where researchers believe this technology will bear obvious positive fruit in is that of medical research.  Scientists have already successfully tested out in laboratories synthetic cells that are programed to seek out and destroy cancer cells when introduced into an organism. Regardless of the potential misgivings towards this new strange, exciting yet conflicting technology, anyone that has been touched by the horrors of cancer would most likely be overjoyed by this type of technology being introduced and available to the masses. Some might even consider such technology a miracle.

Synthetic biology has also gone industrial. The film reveals how corporations are hiring scientists to develop ways in which they can reprogram the cells in yeast to produce diesel rather than alcohol. What takes nature hundreds of thousands of years to produce now takes researchers a day. The very idea of nations being able to produce their own fuel rather than being dependent on acquiring it from other countries could have dramatic consequences.


Individuals can actually go on the internet and order "bio bricks", DNA sequences that can be used when put with other bricks to create biological machines. Does it sound like something that could only happen in a science fiction movie? Maybe to a lot of us. But it's already being done all over the world.

This documentary does raise an important question voiced by Dr. Rutherford. He asks:


"Where do we draw the line between what synthetic biology might be capable of doing and what we think is safe and desirable? Should synthetic biology be allowed out of the lab at all?"

The film points out an apparent contradiction. Dr. Rutherford states, "On the one hand most scientists argue that synthetic life forms should be kept in the lab and yet we are using synthetic biology to produce these life forms to be sent out in the world for our benefit."  Scientists argue that there is a factor that reconciles this contradiction. They have control over the life forms they create. They have designed these cells with built in safety mechanisms that have "kill switches" so to speak. These new life forms are created in very specific conditions and very specific conditions allow them to continue to exist. Remove the conditions and the biological cells will no longer exist. But even scientists admit that safety measures can never be assured 100%. There are always risks.

Dr. Rutherford brings up an example of one negative effect this new technology can have.  "Feeding these synthetic lifeforms could ultimately threaten the livelihood of some of the poorest people in the world. " A lot of these new biological systems being produced need sugar in order to thrive and exist. Corporations are already voraciously consuming great quantities of these natural resources in order to test out and create biological systems.

Another concern many have regarding this new science is its accessibility for even the person at home to now create new bacterias and biological machines. This breakthrough technology might leave a window of opportunity that otherwise wouldn't have existed for those with malicious intentions to act them out on a grander scale.

Despite the concerns synthetic biology might bring to the table it is here to stay and is flourishing. What are your thoughts towards this new science? Should we go full speed ahead at creating new biological organisms and machines or is there a line that should be drawn when moving forward?


Please leave your thoughts in the comments section! Thank you!












10 comments:

  1. This is a tough one Jessica. I understand the need for growth, but I also understand the need to be humble. Personally, I think the world is striving for too much perfection. God created us as we are, with all of our imperfections, and expected us to love and be loved by others for who we are. I imagine someday, we will find ourselves wondering if the one we are conversing with was born traditionally? or in a lab.

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  2. I think anything we do, or don't do, will have both positive and negative consequences, and also many consequences that won't change much of anything for better or worse. I don't see the harm in science creating new things (toys, for a lack of a better term, lol), but we should at least use common sense and know what things we should NOT create.

    Think about this, as bad as nuclear weapons are, they've only killed a quarter of a million people, and they've already prevented World War III. How many people would have died in another world war?

    To me, it's easy to see that some things we thought were good turned out to be bad (think of all those 19th century drugs), and some things we thought were bad have been in our best interest.

    Only time will tell what synthetic life has in store for us...

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  3. While I am never against new discoveries and knowledge, this type of research alarms me. It is as if the pursuit and creation of synthetic life is what is important and the possible consequences are not being fully considered.
    It holds all the potential to be both blessing and curse.

    I would feel better about this if I knew that an abiding respect for the sanctity of life, the life God created, was in place.

    Tremendous and thought-provoking review, Jessica!

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  4. Geez, I erased my entire reflection by accident...

    While scientists aim to alleviate sufferings and to improve life, we should also consider the side effects and implications our inventions might bring.

    I think we should use the right terms. Men 'invent'. Only God 'creates'. God has only one sole purpose ~ LOVE. While men always have ulterior motives and desires.

    Everything God created was born in time. Thus, certain values and virtues are enhanced. While men increase productivity by hastening molecular and biological growth, men are stripped off hard work, perspiration, patience. Everything comes out instantly. Do we consider what kind of people we will be generating in the next five to ten years?

    I think we should consider all the elements in our inventions. The purpose is noteworthy but awareness to the implications they might bring should be brought in.

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  5. I believe that God has given us all of the creative energy and intelligence we have which can be limitless. But with these gifts we must be careful to not want to do God's work, but instead use the knowledge we have to help one another live more fruitful and happy lives within the context of the full lives we've already been given.

    Cloning animals and humans are not a part of the process I believe God has set forth for us. It's okay to be curious, but we must also maintain respect for the ultimate life giver.

    http://lyricfire.typepad.com/lyric-fire/2012/02/lyric-fire-lace-fronts-and-hymn-books-a-poem-about-self-anointed-truth-talkers.html

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  7. Are we playing God? Fascinating question, particularly if you consider the answer from a literal Biblical point of view. In the opening chapter of Genesis we are told God made mankind in the image of Himself. Those words are subject to any amount of interpretations. One aspect of that image could be the ability to create. There's no doubt in my mind we have that talent when I'm in a plane and look down at the man-made mess littering God's creations. Is synthetic biology going too far? You could ask in the same breath if it's any more audacious than changing a shoreline or the course of a river.

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  8. Great article Jess! The question that pops up is why? Is it to help the fellow citizens of Earth create new sustainable resources or is it to disprove God and promote mankind's intellect and ability; great article!

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  9. As far as playing God. Doctors and nurses do that every day. I'm not saying it's right or wrong.

    I think that making the synthetic cells to program and attack something bad is a good thing, perhaps by having that a person wouldn't have to have surgery or in a cancer case not go through therapy. I think they/we can come up with a happy medium.

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  10. I like to err on the side of caution...
    but that's just me ;-)

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