Week 6: BioTech + Art


After watching videos of the intersections of biotech, med-tech, and robotics with art are all interrelated. Each discipline brings with it creative solutions to old problems, but along with innovation comes the question of ethics. Animal testing is controversial topic and often asked is it okay if it’s to test animals to improve the human condition? The line between necessary and excessive is blurry, but I believe that genetic modification should for the most part be reserved to humans.  
The Onco Mouse is a mouse that has been genetically modified to be more susceptible to cancer, making it a better subject for cancer research. The mouse is a genetically significant to human illness research, because their DNA trees are very similar to humans. However, I believe that the ultimate result of a closer cancer simulation is not a significant enough reason to justify the animal suffering. On the other hand, at least we got some results from testing animals so I think that is positive result.

The question I do not yet have a stance on is that of how much modification is too much. Stelarc’s Ear On Arm appears frivolous, or as scientists responding to Eduardo Kac’s GFP Bunny might say, “interesting but silly.” I don’t see the point of injecting the genes from a fluorescent jellyfish to bunny, rats, and other animals to make them light under dark. Because they ‘look’ pretty, is that really necessary improve humans lives? The only way I can understand this is that they were just successfully able to mix genes and do the micro injection. However, Stelarc’s justification of allowing for a possibly more convenient type of communication gives the project a more than valid purpose. It could even be modified to be a means of hearing for the conventionally deaf.
 
George Gessert’s hybridizing of wild irises is harmless, done only for aesthetics. His project Genetic Folk Art emphasizes how humans perceive and author nature. However, when the same concept is applied to human modification, we end up with scientists modifying for genetic superiority. I don’t think humanity will agree upon what is “too much” modification until we have a uniform idea of what makes us human. However, through many experimentation, humans can receive improvements to many aspects of life, health in particular, through the ability of testing the success of medication on rats and the ability to alter it and record the benefits and therefor apply it to humans. I feel that biotechnology is an important aspect in human life today and supports the progression and enhancements of human life.
 


                                                      Work Cited

“George Gessert - Iris Project - Artist Research.” Julia Cowell's UCA Research Blog, juliacowell.blogspot.com/2015/11/george-gessert-iris-project-artist.html.

“GFP Bunny.” Stretcher, www.stretcher.org/features/edwardo_kac_flunks_the_rabbit_test/.

High, Kathy. "The Politics of Empathy." Embracing Animal. Web. 9 May 2015. <http://www.embracinganimal.com/ratlove.html>.

 Stelarc. "Stelarc // Ear on Arm." Stelarc // Ear on Arm. Web. 20 Apr. 2015. <http://stelarc.org/?catID=20242>.

“Vacanti Mouse.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 10 Apr. 2018, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vacanti_mouse#/media/File:Vacanti_mouse.jpg.

Vesna, Victoria. "BioArt Pt. 1." YouTube. YouTube. Web. 13 May 2018. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jUENH6GLzXY&list=PL9DBF43664EAC8BC7&index=13>.

Vesna, Victoria. "BioArt Pt. 2." YouTube. YouTube. Web. 13 May 2018.
<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MdSt-Hjyi2I&index=12&list=PL9DBF43664EAC8BC7>.

Vesna, Victoria. "BioArt Pt. 3." YouTube. YouTube. Web. 13 May 2018.
<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3EpD3np1S2g&list=PL9DBF43664EAC8BC7&index=11>.

"World Intellectual Property Organization." Bioethics and Patent Law: The Case of the Oncomouse. Web. 13 May 2018. <http://www.wipo.int/wipo_magazine/en/2006/03/article_0006.html>.



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  1. Unknown2018년 5월 17일 오후 4:34

    I agree that biotechnology is an important aspect in human life and supports the progression and enhancements of human life. Humans are going to have benefits from the improvements Bio-art.

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