User Reviews

I'm not really someone who likes watching documentaries, but when I was watching this, not going to lie but this film does a very good job catching my attention not just the descriptive information, but also the aspects of film. The VFX provided excellent examples and the shots make the film smooth to watch. When it comes to talking about human genes, being able to manually change them is truly game changing for humanity. In the history for humanity, people were born with random genes. Random things that make up who they are and they don't have a choice to decide who they want. Even worse, if they have a mutation or a disease created within their genes, those errors get passed down their generations. When people have kids, events such as the Baby Boom after the second World War, people were having kids like rolling dices. But what if this whole time, humanity has their chance to DECIDE who they have to be? Whether or not you want to be a boy or girl, what color you want for your hair, your eyes, what shape you want your head to be, humanity would have probably perfected themselves long ago if they were given this chance. I personally think the reason we have made it this far to 2020 is through the power of technology. With are limitless minds, we started to use technology to our advantage, giving everyone no matter who they a chance to live in the same world. Which is why being able to start changing our genes will be a huge impact to us. However, there is a consequence when it comes to this and I think this film does a really good job explaining it. If we started to have the power to decided who we are and what genes our children will have, won't all of us aim to pick the best traits possible? Not only something dangerous like that could happen but, if we are able to gain that kind of power, will it also harm what it means to be human? I agree with the film that we have a mind set that if we ever have kids, we would want to give them something to let us know that they are a part of us. We would pick changes that would of course benefit our children. But little did we know, each change we make would strand ourselves farther away from them. We still have to pay attention to the changes we make because we may also, like the video said, "make changes we don't intend to make". I've always known that competition is something most of humanity love to do for some WHATEVER reason. Given our powers to decide even more, conflicts may increase perhaps. Pain for example, is something nobody likes. But if you think about it, it is a necessity for us to live. Without pain, how will we know how close we are to the edge of death like the teenager in Pakistan? Overall, technology is something that would change is forever. We have always used technology to our advantage, to defy the laws of mother nature. While being able to change ourselves can be a next big step for humanity, we also have to think about the consequences. We need to ask ourselves: Why is it that we can never pick our genes in the first place? Why is it that we are imperfect? Something I have always said to myself: If the world was perfect, if the world was fair, humanity would have destroyed itself long gone. We have to make sure we do not take science too far, to the point where we make our fates even worse than death.

This documentary was a very informative documentary. This documentary is great for the people who are new to this topic of gene editing or for those who want to learn more about the science and biology behind gene editing. This movie does a great job of explaining and introducing gene editing and how it works in a simple but effective way. The documentary starts off from the early stages of gene editing and how the idea of it came to be. It does a great job of explaining the steps and processes it took to get to where they are in this fairly new topic called gene editing. I liked how they were pretty neutral in terms of showing both the good and bad sides of gene editing and not just the good. The people who were interviewed were very specific in showing and talking about the pros and cons. They go into great detail on the technology called CRISPR (Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats) which helped them figure out details that improved gene editing greatly. The idea of CRISPR and what it stands for were all in the documentary. They did a good job with the visuals that show what the scientists were talking about so it didn't make the viewers uncomfortable with the science jargon. The visuals were especially helpful when the scientists were talking about and explaining the process and how gene editing worked. The analogies were also helpful. The people who were interviewed were very informative, when asked certain questions it left me with a pretty good understanding instead of leaving me with more questions. I liked how the documentary was divided into six different chapters: Needle in a Haystack, CRISPR, The Gene Machine, Brave New World, The Good Gene, and Playing God. This was a very helpful feature put into this documentary. In most other documentaries it can be quite hard to follow when people start talking about various things. But breaking them down into chapters was helpful and it kind of gave a preview of what we could learn next. The story of the young boy was very inspiring to see. You could see that even with a disease like sickle cell he's able to enjoy his life. Knowing that there are researchers trying to help people like him with gene editing was really inspiring. I got to see what gene editing was all about through this documentary. Showing all the steps and mistakes and all the people that came to contribute to making gene editing better and safer. At the end of the documentary it had me thinking for a while about the various things and contents of the film. Things that could happen if this technology and information were to become perfect, what kind of world would it be like. Getting rid of and being able to cure people with the kind of illnesses that would benefit. I think that it would be pretty cool to see a world like that.

"Human Nature" gives audiences a personal stake in the subject before getting into some pretty serious science, all of which has been thoughtfully organized into an easy-to-follow logical flow. The director introduces a young kid with sickle cell anemia who could potentially be saved by the alteration of the single DNA molecule thought to cause the life-threatening condition. David is a remarkable kid who's part of an experimental study at Stanford Children's Hospital, showing a maturity brought on by adjusting to the disorder, he's already lost a friend to leukemia, and he understands that CRISPR could make the difference in his own long-term survival, but he might surprise you when asked if he would prefer to have been born with healthy red blood cells. CRISPR is the name of a microscopic phenomenon, which describes repeating DNA sequences found in bacteria that have given scientists a precision tool to splice and edit the genome of humans and other life forms it plays into many people's anxieties of science overstepping its bounds. The broader ethical considerations come as food for thought while reminding audiences why understanding the basic principles of this emerging field is so important. Whereas some of those digressions confuse more than they illuminate, the real achievement of "Human Nature" is that it takes a complex subject and distills it into such an engaging 95-minute package. That's the successful experiment underlying this particular project, in which viewers happen to serve as the guinea pigs in how such technical information can be presented in a more effective way. The actual question arises throughout "Human Nature" over what we are and what, if anything, we should change about ourselves on a cellular level. Though the film usually takes a hopeful, pro-Crispr outlook, uncertainties still linger, as do fear over the future. As one biologist says, this isn't just the start of a new era for the world , it's the end of our beginning.

This is an extremely well done documentary that makes the complex world of genome editing easy to understand for anyone watching it to be able to understand. The documentary presents both fact and opinion, and in the end, allows the viewer to make our own opinion on what we think about the consequences of gene editing and whether or not it should be used.

There are several chapters in this movie, all of which contain a specific theme about gene editing. The first chapters focus on the facts of the process, starting with how small mutations can cause major diseases such as sickle cell anemia, which can be very fatal to kids without proper medical attention. CRISPR is then later introduced, talking about the science behind it and what makes it so special, in terms of being able to change small genes and perhaps prevent diseases such as sickle cell anemia before they hurt more children. There is a very positive tone to these first few chapters about CRISPR, as it is reciting the facts about its potential to solve many diseases. The scientists who discovered the CRISPR gene and its corresponding CAS-9 protein are also introduced, a variety of people from around the world hwo present their differing points of view on what CRISPR really does, which is mostly the same for the beginning.

The later chapters delve much deeper into the real argument and issues behind the science, not how to use it, but whether we really should. This is where the documentary treads very carefully in terms of introducing bias into the eyes of the viewer. The scientists all have very differing views as to what the potential of CRISPR was. The obvious reasoning was that it would be used to prevent diseases, but where would be stop? Having this technology gives us the potential to be able to change ourselves in many ways, such as our appearance, pain tolerance and other things. There are many who see this as a segway to a future where we order our babies with particular traits that we want, an idea that has been feared much in the past and now.

The ethics of the argument is shown now, as gene editing has the potential to change the world for the better or worse. Will it create a generation that is immune to malaria, or provide the tools to create a generation of super soldiers? Although much of this is science fiction, the fiction is slowly and slowly becoming more science. The impossible that was fantasized in movies such as Jurassic Park is currently in development with species such as the wooly mammoth being considered for a revivial with the assistance of gene editing.

There is a great crossroads in this part of the film, with evidence for both sides of the debate being presented back to back to the viewer, truly forcing us to have to form an opinion on such a complicated matter in just 94 minutes.

The film ends on a bit of a resolution on the topic, as we are shown that the technology is starting to be approved for usage in the US, and scientists being hopeful that we will use it in the right way.

The film beautifully describes what seemed like a distant future as the events of the present. It truly shows us that the issue is really not as it all seems, as there are so many converging points that exist that it takes more than just this short amount of time to be able to find a solution that makes sure that such technology is being used to its best positive potential.

This film provides detailed information on the idea of CRISPR and how it will allow us to alter genetic information. CRISPR allows us to target a specific genetic sequence and cause a break at a specific, target site in DNA. With the help of the programming of the bacterial RNA called CAS9, it will replace and provide a complementary sequence of DNA to pair the bases of a new sequence, essentially allowing us to alter changes in DNA.

The film draws out the findings of this technology and how it can be used in many different instances in not only humans, but nature as well. For instance, at the beginning of the film, we are introduced to a young boy named David Sanchez. David was born with a genetic disorder called sickle cell anemia, which is when red blood cells are misshapen, causing there to be less oxygen in the bloodstream. This can be a very deadly disorder, but it is caused by the single altercation of only one gene in a sequence of DNA.

Later on in the film, we are met with David once again and are able to assess how this genetic altercation technology could essentially eliminate his disorder altogether. Although, once asked, David mentioned he doesn't ever wan't kids, but knows this idea may change. Shockingly, his reasoning had nothing to do with his disorder, rather he claims that he wouldn't be himself without it. He also says that he has learned many important values from his experience, and only but considered the idea of changing his future kids' DNA to prevent this from occurring to them.

Another idea mentioned towards the closing of the film is how this genetic altercation can be used in nature as well. For example, this technology can help save coral reefs and save environments from the changing environments due to climate change. As many know, climate change is something extreme that we must begin to conquer head on as soon as possible. But this technology may allow us to find ways around the detrimental affects of climate change. For instance, another example mentioned was found in plans that must survive in extreme heat. Scientists found that by altering the DNA in these plants, they essentially program them to close their stomata when needed, allowing them to conserve their water, whereas in non-altered plants, their stomata never closes, causing its leaves to dry up and eventually die.

This is where, as many of the scientists in the film asked, where is the line drawn? I believe this film is one for all future generations to watch in this case. After understanding the use of technology for gene altercation and how it may be used, the line must be drawn somewhere. Take David's experience for example, he believes his disorder has shaped him into who he is today. I believe that this technology should only be used and available for those who want to prevent harmful diseases for their children in an embryonic standpoint. As one of the females mentioned, the experience of having a child should stand more with an emotional connection with your significant other. Meaning, altering only the genes that may be fatally harmful to an individual, rather than changing traits in personality or physical traits. Although changing nature may appear as unethical, there are instances where it will benefit us in an ethical standpoint. Overall, I highly recommend to watch this film, and encourage those around you to do so as well.

Human Nature is a good documentary that focuses on the advancements in technology to prolong and advance our lives. The documentary uses interviews from people who struggle with different types of illnesses and diseases. Although they are excited to bring the prospect of better health for everyone through CRISPR's and genetic coding they start to realize that everyone may not actually want it. Sickle cell patient David Sanchez brings up some good points about how the illnesses and diseases are a part of you and your story. Sanchez who has had sickle cell his only life says that "There's a lot of things that I learned having sickle cell just because I had it". Everyone's story is different and although it's great to cure illness and prevent diseases it's not what everyone wants. So this being forced onto kids before they are even born can potentially alter the way they were supposed to live out their story. This documentary does do a good job in showing both sides of the story and all of the possibilities and outcomes you can have from doing the CRISPR's. Human nature does not just show one side of the story they also interviewed Palmer and Ethan Weiss parents of a child under one of the first genetic coding ideas. Palmer stated that "she kind of wasn't tracking, when I would feed her, her eyes would slide back and forth" Which although the documentary doesn't go to into detail on the ways genetic coding could go wrong or be bad. The fact that this documentary shows both sides of the story really adds to how well the information is put together. From the experts, to the scientists, to the parents, and the patients. They cover it all they receive everyone's input whether it supports the CRISPR's or not. They also bring up the history of the genetic coding ideas and the common misconceptions in the older and middle-aged people in the world. They used to promote it as easy with no complications and made it look like you could create the perfect child with no complications. Although this was shortly put to rest there is still the idea of changing genes such as height and weight as well as also the main idea of stopping illness and diseases. They show clips and interviews from official world meetings showing how important this is starting to become, and although not often talked about it is going to be very important in the upcoming years. They also talk about how these genetically coded children can create a better more improved world through accessing the genes that can enhance learning and knowledge. Another great thing about this is how they bring up religion and how this does go against the concept of how God made you perfect just the way you are. This i a very important thing in countries such as Rome where they are heavily controlled by their religion. Overall a great documentary with a lot of information and good learning that come from it.

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?"