2 reviews
Extremely well done documentary on an extremely sensitive subject - editing the human genome. Everything revolves around the Chinese scientist professor He Jiankui and his secret experiment of CRISPR human genome editing, experimenting on two twin babies. While his initial desire is to help humanity get rid of HIV, many question the actual use of the technology, as it gives unlimited possibilities and real opportunity of playing God. But what kind of a God could we be? A good one or a bad one? Would scientists really help humanity get rid of deceases or would it be a luxe of those who can afford it to have a designer baby created for them? And would some use it to control humanity? Nobody can answer these questions now. Only clear is this - it is inevitable that science would develop this technology and start to use it as soon as possible and that it is now the time to develop a framework of ethical rules of what could be done and how it could be used.
The movie provides great imagery, good camera work and nice music while serving all this up, topped with a well narrated story. This movie is not to be looked up as a conspiracy, nor dystopia or utopia, it is to be seen only as the facts it tells about of the professor He Jiankui's experiment and for this it is really well made.
The movie provides great imagery, good camera work and nice music while serving all this up, topped with a well narrated story. This movie is not to be looked up as a conspiracy, nor dystopia or utopia, it is to be seen only as the facts it tells about of the professor He Jiankui's experiment and for this it is really well made.
- StrayFeral
- Dec 22, 2022
- Permalink
Now tie this documentary into Ectogenesis research and you have the perfect storm, leading straight to Dr Frankenstein's laboratory, and a dystopian future.
The problem..get a group of extremely clever but blinkered genetic scientists together and they will become self reinforcing in their attitudes & beliefs about the work they're doing, ie. Groupthink! They will overlook and/or justify any possible harmful consequences as risks worth taking regardless, the research becomes everything.. err NO it's really not!
No-one can take into account every possible scenario, many of which will be driven by money and irreversible. However, one of the most worrying aspects; many scientists doing the research seem the least concerned about its consequences, that is WHY we need strong ethical regulation..period!
The documentary also follows the fate of a Chinese researcher that stepped way outside their regulations, who is then made out to be a scientific 'martyr' by other scientists ..why?
The problem..get a group of extremely clever but blinkered genetic scientists together and they will become self reinforcing in their attitudes & beliefs about the work they're doing, ie. Groupthink! They will overlook and/or justify any possible harmful consequences as risks worth taking regardless, the research becomes everything.. err NO it's really not!
No-one can take into account every possible scenario, many of which will be driven by money and irreversible. However, one of the most worrying aspects; many scientists doing the research seem the least concerned about its consequences, that is WHY we need strong ethical regulation..period!
The documentary also follows the fate of a Chinese researcher that stepped way outside their regulations, who is then made out to be a scientific 'martyr' by other scientists ..why?