BNW, GATACA, and Other Cautionary Inspirations

Although I first read Brave New World last year, re-reading parts of it for this class has helped me to refresh on some very interesting topics. Rather than thinking of technology shaping our lives in the sense of what is possible now, I am interested in the possibility of the future. Brave New World was written long enough ago that their “futuristic” concepts could seem outdated and unrealistic, however many of the issues described of the “brave new world” are actually a reflection of possibilities facing our actual upcoming societies. As the ability to create genetically-altered embryos advances, so too does the possibility of engineering the masses to a certain ideal. Although in BNW this is done through chemical mutilations of developing embryos, not specific genetic mutations, the end results are not so dissimilar. There are current, relevant debates on the ethical, social, and environmental implications of gen mod, and the possibility of the issue becoming just that, an ISSUE, is rapidly increasing. I think this book serves as a warning of trying to engineer a perfect society, and the flaws that come with it. Brave New World is also in parallel with GATACA, one of my all-time favorite points to bring up in debates on “designer babies”. If genetic modifications become an expectation of society, but those who cannot afford it or are holistically against it are seen as lesser, then completely novel societal rifts will occur.

Growing up, I read so many books speaking on these issues alone. This is a way in which technology has shaped my life. The stories of my childhood were cautionary tales of what happens when science takes a step too far. That being said, I am a researcher and believe that we should plunge whole-heartedly into the pursuit of knowledge. So maybe those cautionary tales served more as a creative spark for me, to see what we can become and how much we can achieve. Or maybe I just want to watch the world burn… Either way, I think that the technologies we have available have allowed me to explore my creativity and curiosity in extremely unique ways, by allowing me to follow my interests in plant and microbial ecology while still keeping the beauty of art alive in my work. I hope that the world never comes to a point where it is akin to that in BNW or GATACA, but I do hope that science advances past those points and to a place where we can truly understand the world around us and become better tenders to it.