This week’s lecture made me consider the idea of life in a
way I hadn’t before. My first instinct was to ask why should humans feel
entitled to have anything to do with modifying life? Upon further
consideration, I realized humanity has been modifying life for ages. Plant
breeding dates back to prehistoric times, the Romans practiced selective
breeding of domesticated animals, and modifying life has stretched through
almost all aspects of life today. Genetically modified foods are everywhere and
genetically modified animals are used for research.
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| An example of selective breeding in roses. |
Though my initial reaction to this week’s lecture was that
humans should never place themselves in the position of a god, I realized we’ve
been doing that any way throughout history. Beyond genetic modification, humans
have made decisions, small and large, that have dramatically altered the lives of
other humans, plants, and animals. If men can sail ships to foreign lands and carry
over their diseases to the indigenous people there, or create flourishing
cities in unsustainable barren deserts, why can’t artists like Joe Davis experiment
with bacteria?
King of The Hill briefly explores the way decisions have effected human life.
While motivations for experiments and conquests throughout
history have been motivated by greed or
arrogance, artists experimenting with life come from a less sinister and more
idealistic place. There should not be limits on what artists can do with
genetics if there are not equal limits placed upon industry.
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| Let's just hope no one goes so far as to recreate Jurassic Park. |
Brown, Nino. "History of Plant Breeding." PlantBreeding.
N.p., n.d. Web. 10 May 2015.
<http://plantbreeding.coe.uga.edu/index.php?title=2._History_of_Plant_Breeding>.
Buffum, B. C. Arid Agriculture; a Hand-book for the Western
Farmer and Stockman. Worland, Wy.: n.p., 1909. Print.
McKenna, Phil. "Joe Davis: The Mad Scientist of
MIT?" New Scientist. Culture Lab, 3 Mar. 2012. Web. 10 May 2015.
<http://www.newscientist.com/blogs/culturelab/2012/03/the-mad-scientist-of-mit.html>.
<http://www.wageningenur.nl/en/Expertise-Services/Collaboration-and-partnerships/Plant-Breeding.htm>
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