GATTACA PRE-VIEWING QUESTIONS
Thinking about the CONTEXT of Gattaca demands we understand and think about some very value-laden issues and ideologies[1].
Gattaca was made at the end of the 20th century, just as a huge debate in the media was occurring about how genetic manipulation can affect peoples lives: for the better or worse, depending on people moral standpoint. Genetic manipulation therefore becomes a should question: should we play God? Should we decide who lives and dies, or what life should look like? Who decides? Is it right? Is it right to abort a child because it may be born with a genetically inherited disease? Is it right to genetically modify food crops when there is a possibility it may affect biodiversity? In order to think about these questions, and to be able to discuss the issues in Gattaca thoughtfully and insightfully you need to understand some scientific and moral terminology. Go deep!
Using the internet, and/or your own prior knowledge, answer the following questions. Please be as detailed as allows in the space provided.
- What are genes?
- What are nucleotides? What are the four base nucleotides known as?
- What is DNA? Who discovered it? What does it look like?
- What is a chromosome?
- What is genetics?
- What is the Human Genome Project? What is a genome?
- What is eugenics?
- Why is eugenics full of moral and ethical issues? Give an example of eugenics being a negative ideology, and being a positive one. What is your view? Why?
- What is genetic engineering?
- Who is Dolly the Sheep? What debates were raised out of her ‘birth’?
- What is gen-ethics?
[1] An ideology is a way of thinking about rights and wrongs, messages deeply ingrained in peoples minds and usually reinforced by religious and legislative structures: for example, monogamy is both stated as ideal by the church as well as our legal system.
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