Question 3: Frankenstein continues to occupy the popular imagination as a monstrous scientist. Analyze some of the ways in which Frankenstein haunts discussions of recent technologies.
Introduction:
Before doing the researching by using the Google Scholar beta as my major search engine, several ideas - several relations such as: 'Frankenstein and technology', 'Frankenstein and genetics' and 'Frankenstein and biotechnology', have come up on my mind. As Dr. Frankenstein did create the humanlike creature by mixing different dead bodies at least, his ideas and actions are more or less as same as the notions of biotechnology and genetics. That is the reason why I focus on biotechnological and genetically developments. During the research, different combinations of tags are used, for example: 'Frankenstein+technology', 'frankenstein+modern+biotechnology', 'frankenstein+genetics', 'freankenstein+genetics+biotechnology' and so on.
1.
"Frankenfoods: Values About Genetics Embedded in a Metaphor" by Vanessa S. Flores and Allan J. Tobin in 2002, is the scientific with thoughtful analysis journal piece to discuss the value of the genetically modified food, which also named as ‘Frankenfoods’ for general public. The idea of the ‘Frankenfoods’ this word is originally created public which involved and mixed with Dr. Victor Frankenstein’s experiments in Shelley’s fiction – Frankenstein. Shelley refers Frankenstein’s as a metaphor of reproductive technology. And the public base on Frankenstein’s succeed of creating artificial human being and his thoughts of the reproductive technology to plus nowadays genetically modified foods. The society thinks the products of the science of genetics are viewed as an offensive, horrible and unnatural due to the affection of genres of sci-fi and horror. Despite this journal is for student to judge or re-think their attitudes towards the artificial creatures, it is useful for me to understand why Frankenstein is in relation to biotechnology no matter in cultural and technological perspectives. Moreover, this journal depicts the process of how genetically modified food is made. This journal is very inspirational, not only gives some ideas what and how the food is made by changing its genes, also it points out another angle for us to consider who has the responsibility to properly apply those technologies.
2.
Lawrence Leung’s journal “Perfused human organs versus Mary Shelley's Frankenstein” brings the focus on biotechnology – new way of pre-clinical testing – Ex vivo. Small pieces of the human’s organ will be collected and regenerated under a controllable and artificial environment with matched blood. And then, the novel drugs will be tested under that imitational environment. The advantages of applying ex vivo are the toxicity would be shown directly and fast. Within Leung’s journal, he briefly introduces the so-called traditional process of the drugs tests and gives his opinions on ex vivo mainly in biotechnological and medical science stances. It seems this does not have any relation between Frankenstein and the technique, but Leung actually leaves a space for the readers to imagine what would be happening if ex vivo keeps on using in the drug test. Leung’s stated the organs for doing the ex vivo are isolated, despite the drugs are passed the tests in ex vivo, those drugs may not really suitable for the organs in vivo humans’ body. If those conditions appear, other types of Frankenstein’s humanlike creatures might be created due to the failures of the testing from ex vivo to in vivo. Or, maybe the developments of biotechnology can help professions to create the artificial and controllable humans to take part in the drugs test rather than gather volunteers. These kinds of assumptions which may become the concerns of the biotechnological development sooner or later are never arisen in my mind before reading this journal.
3.
In 2006, Brian P. Bloomfield, and Theo Vurdubakis published their article – “Re-Engineering the Human: New Reproductive Technologies and the Specter of Frankenstein”. They presented the utopian and dystopian images if the reproductive technology is over-developed in cultural representation after studying around 700 articles in broadsheet and tabloids which report the reproductive technologies within 10 years in British. This article remains its focus on the views under the moral dilemmas on the sequence of the biotechnology, for example, the transgenic cloning sheep – Dolly and the first human cone - Eve. The matter of cloning is being linked up with Frankenstein. This article provides the example of how biotechnology of cloning is made up 'designed babies' and presented as the threats. The study of this article also reminds that the development of biotechnology and moral cannot be separated. It also draws the attentions on the pessimistic results – or says other unnatural humanlike beings are no longer under creators’ control.
4.
Lee McCauley suggested the descriptions of ‘Frankenstein Complex’ under Hollywood cinema affects people attitude towards human made technologies, like AI which offended God’s abilities in “Countering the Frankenstein Complex”. And last, McCauley suggested humanity is much powerful to ruined human race rather than smart machines. Frankenstein is used as metaphor to spread the idea of the fear of lost-controlled human made creatures, either AI or humanlike beings which Shelley’s depicted. This is another meaningful article to inspire and re-think pros and cons of the developments of the technologies by referring the Shelley’s influential fiction – Frankenstein.
5.
Shelley’s Frankenstein is a dystopian vision about technologies of body. Andy Miah’s article “Be Very Afraid: Cyborg Athletes, Transhuman Ideals & Posthumanity” described the application of technologies in sports and tried to find out the core which gives values to human. The application makes up the distinction of human and athletes. Also, the application defined what is transhuman and posthumanity with proper example. Those concepts are shown that Frankenstein’s prestige is not only in technologies and moral, humanity also, in gradual.
Conclusion:
While reading those scholarly works, it is quite surprised that Frankenstein is no longer occupying the technologies contexts only. Shelley’s Frankenstein keeps on bringing out several impacts on moral and philosophical values. The linkage between technologies, morals, and society is becoming strong which cannot be ignored. Time flies. Everything in the world is keeping on its own steps to evolve certain kinds of things which may benefit or ruin the society or the world. The messages from those scholarly works taught us: comparing the smart and intelligence robots and humanity, the latter is much more powerful to the destiny of the human race. Because of that, human is still playing the main role to decide the ways of the development of technologies.
Reference list:
1. Flores, V.S. and A.J. Tobin. “Frankenfoods: Values About Genetics Embedded in a Metaphor” BioOne Online Journal. 2006. 6 March 2009. http://www.bioone.org/doi/full/10.1662/0002-7685%282002%29064%5B0581%3AFVAGEI%5D2.0.CO%3B2.
2. Leung, L. “Perfused human organs versus Mary Shelley's Frankenstein” Journal of Translational Medicine. 23 Jan 2009. 6 March 2009. http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?artid=2633317.
3. Bloomfield, B.P. and T. Vurdubakis. “Re-Engineering the Human: New Reproductive Technologies and the Specter of Frankenstein” International Journal of Social Sciences. 2006. 6 March 2009. http://www.waset.org/ijss/v1/v1-1-4.pdf.
4. McCauley, L. “Countering the Frankenstein Complex” Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence. 6 March 2009. http://www.aaai.org/Papers/Symposia/Spring/2007/SS-07-07/SS07-07-010.pdf.
5. Miah, A. “Be Very Afraid: Cyborg Athletes, Transhuman Ideals & Posthumanity” The Journal of Evolution and Technology. Oct 2003. 6 March 2009. http://www.jetpress.org/volume13/miah.html.
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A clear and fine piece of work. The article had made quite some good summaries for the scholarly works choosen, and it is a well done job to have found several well written articles.
ReplyDeleteThe article summed up the five works clearly, and with the summaries, it is easier to understand the choosen articles.
With some good personal point of view, the article had rounded up a well constructed theme on which the menace technology brought to human-being.
Such a genial beginning as readers can catch your train of thought, the introduction impressed me favorably.
ReplyDeleteIt is a comprehensive paper. Different aspects can be covered and all relevant to the topic. It is appreciated that careful consideration and collection of the data are shown during the process of analyzing. Not only the relationship between Frankenstein and technologies is demonstrated but several social concerned aspects are discussed, like humanity and honesty.
By and large, a slight improvement can be considered. Though there is an appropriate analysis throughout the passages, the point of view of the articles can be more described.
I enjoy reading your work, just keep on going my friend;)
Ths Joe and Mel.
ReplyDelete=P
A professional beginning to explain the follow topic that author want to go through with, with a detail illustration to how the article are relecamt to the topic.
ReplyDeleteOnly one thing that I think can do better , which is the last two summary can be much longer cause I want to know more about it after see the short summary.
To be conclude with, I do think that the article is just like a work produce at the specalized magazine , with a profressional tone and pretty english . I do like the beginning and conclution of the article which really touch my heart to know more about the information of this topic.
Thank you Jane to bring us such a good webilography.
Thx Connie for the "from the bottom of your heart" comment.
ReplyDelete=.=+
I think Frankenstein is an interesting topic for us to discuss. Jane separates each paragraph clearly with in order numbers and we are easy to follow with. She has nice summary and leave comment for each article. Also, she can express her thoughts well through those articles she found from internet.
ReplyDeleteThe introduction of this webilography is good to show us how to search data with searching engine. I think it is a good example for me to do searching for my later assignments. But I think compare with others paragraphs, the paragraph five could be a little bit longer and tell me more detail about that article. ^^
This is a well-written and informative work which points out the relationships of moral and philosophical values with technology and the story of Frankenstein. Summaries of each article are accurately and concisely made. Yet, I think a few of them are a bit too concise. :P
ReplyDeleteYour introduction and conclusion bring out your point of view towards Frankenstein and other aspects of technology, which make your work looks more critical. I appreciate your effort on this webliography. Good job! :)
Thanks Cheyenne and Lily.
ReplyDelete^0^