Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Location: Los Angeles, California
I just finished reading Margaret Atwood’s Oryx and Crake and am left hanging in that world. A world of genetic manipulation dominated by the scientific mind where anything is possible.
I read an article a while back about genetic engineering and how it’s never a question of if but a question of when. The scientist being interviewed was stating something like, “We can’t say that it’s wrong to create pigs with wings, since pigs with wings have never before been created, there’s no precedent.” He went on to say that if the leaders in laboratories didn’t do it, it would eventually be done in garages since the technology was cheaper and more readily available than ever.
One of the principle ideas of this article was that life/innovation happens and if we limit it’s ability we also limit the ability of our greatest minds to create the natural antibodies to this life/innovation. Take the internet as an example, people are constantly trying to create viruses to take down the system, however the system/people in their unrestricted life/innovation have always been busy building firewalls, antivirus software, etc.
Either way the future is oftentimes a frightening concept. The evils of this world have long since been out of Pandora’s box, and as in the original story, hope alone stands against them.
I hope Margaret’s vision of the future is just a dream, never to be a reality. Often I fear otherwise.
peace,
d
Location: Los Angeles, California
I just finished reading Margaret Atwood’s Oryx and Crake and am left hanging in that world. A world of genetic manipulation dominated by the scientific mind where anything is possible.
I read an article a while back about genetic engineering and how it’s never a question of if but a question of when. The scientist being interviewed was stating something like, “We can’t say that it’s wrong to create pigs with wings, since pigs with wings have never before been created, there’s no precedent.” He went on to say that if the leaders in laboratories didn’t do it, it would eventually be done in garages since the technology was cheaper and more readily available than ever.
One of the principle ideas of this article was that life/innovation happens and if we limit it’s ability we also limit the ability of our greatest minds to create the natural antibodies to this life/innovation. Take the internet as an example, people are constantly trying to create viruses to take down the system, however the system/people in their unrestricted life/innovation have always been busy building firewalls, antivirus software, etc.
Either way the future is oftentimes a frightening concept. The evils of this world have long since been out of Pandora’s box, and as in the original story, hope alone stands against them.
I hope Margaret’s vision of the future is just a dream, never to be a reality. Often I fear otherwise.
peace,
d
Check this space for filmmaker updates from the road!
Links
- Windpath Films
- North:Assistant Filmmaker Blog
- SFD Spain Correspondent Grant Buffett
- SFD ON TWITTER
- Crash Course
- Climate Change Solutions: Our New Energy Economy
- Burt Harding Insights
- Real News Network
- truthout
- Renewable Deal Blog
- Peak Moment TV
- Driven to Sustain
- January 2006
- February 2006
- March 2006
- April 2006
- May 2006
- June 2006
- July 2006
- August 2006
- September 2006
- October 2006
- November 2006
- December 2006
- January 2007
- February 2007
- March 2007
- April 2007
- May 2007
- June 2007
- July 2007
- August 2007
- September 2007
- October 2007
- November 2007
- December 2007
- January 2008
- February 2008
- March 2008
- April 2008
- May 2008
- June 2008
- July 2008
- September 2008
- October 2008
- November 2008
- December 2008
- January 2009
- February 2009
- March 2009
- April 2009
- May 2009
- June 2009
- July 2009
- August 2009
- September 2009
- October 2009
- November 2009
- December 2009
- January 2010
- February 2010
- March 2010