We would think that the cure for cancer would take years to find, or even decades. We used to think that super powers can never exist in real life, that humans will always feel pain. Now what if I told you that we can actually change that, that humans can cure cancer and feel no pain. It looks like something taken straight out of a sci-fi movie, but scientists have found a tool that could change humanity. Enter Adam Bolt's "Human Nature," a comprehensible science and nature documentary film about a gene modification tool called CRISPR-Cas9. The documentary shows us the wonders and worries of gene manipulation, gives us an understanding of the inevitable breakthrough, and gives us the preparation to think for ourselves critically.
To simplify things, CRISPR stands for clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats. It is found in bacteria and is a tool that can be programmed to find a specific group of DNA sequences and change it according to our will. DNA is essentially the building blocks of life, it is what makes us who we are right now. All our positive and negative traits come from our unique DNA sequences that make every living thing different from one another. This also means that genetic diseases like cancer are caused by an undesirable DNA sequence in a person. This is where CRISPR comes to play. A CRISPR that targets the cancer-causing genes will be able to eliminate the gene, making that single person immune to cancer.
"Human Nature" brilliantly describes how CRISPR can biologically change the world's problems. Diseases may be eliminated and civilizations can have a more safer and healthier life for everyone. However, CRISPR also opens the opportunity to create genetically modified babies. If we can change our genes to match our wants, we can change the genes of the next generation of humans. Now, is creating a baby who'll grow into a 6 foot person, with a 130 IQ level, and immune to all diseases really what we need? "Human Nature" also points out the bioethics about gene modification and how it can impact the way the world works. Humans have long strived for perfection, but will perfection bring more positive changes, or will it bring negative changes?
I would recommend "Human Nature" to those who enjoy a non-fictional, eye-opening, informational, provocative film about human evolution and technology. The documentary invites scientists, bioethicists, and regular people to show us how gene modification can change our future. Explanations are straightforward and easy to understand for the common people to follow. I should also mention one thing that I liked about this documentary. Unlike most documentaries, this film is not made to change or force our perceptions to support the movie creators. Rather, it gives us the opportunity to think for ourselves and choose whether or not we are with this breakthrough, or are we against it. It led me to summarize the ethical questions regarding gene modification. I would ask: "Should people play God?"
To simplify things, CRISPR stands for clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats. It is found in bacteria and is a tool that can be programmed to find a specific group of DNA sequences and change it according to our will. DNA is essentially the building blocks of life, it is what makes us who we are right now. All our positive and negative traits come from our unique DNA sequences that make every living thing different from one another. This also means that genetic diseases like cancer are caused by an undesirable DNA sequence in a person. This is where CRISPR comes to play. A CRISPR that targets the cancer-causing genes will be able to eliminate the gene, making that single person immune to cancer.
"Human Nature" brilliantly describes how CRISPR can biologically change the world's problems. Diseases may be eliminated and civilizations can have a more safer and healthier life for everyone. However, CRISPR also opens the opportunity to create genetically modified babies. If we can change our genes to match our wants, we can change the genes of the next generation of humans. Now, is creating a baby who'll grow into a 6 foot person, with a 130 IQ level, and immune to all diseases really what we need? "Human Nature" also points out the bioethics about gene modification and how it can impact the way the world works. Humans have long strived for perfection, but will perfection bring more positive changes, or will it bring negative changes?
I would recommend "Human Nature" to those who enjoy a non-fictional, eye-opening, informational, provocative film about human evolution and technology. The documentary invites scientists, bioethicists, and regular people to show us how gene modification can change our future. Explanations are straightforward and easy to understand for the common people to follow. I should also mention one thing that I liked about this documentary. Unlike most documentaries, this film is not made to change or force our perceptions to support the movie creators. Rather, it gives us the opportunity to think for ourselves and choose whether or not we are with this breakthrough, or are we against it. It led me to summarize the ethical questions regarding gene modification. I would ask: "Should people play God?"