What makes us individual?
In the movie GATTACA, it is suggested that the only important difference between people are their genetic differences. But science tells us that genes can only tell part of the story. A lot of ongoing research is currently being conducted to find the impact of genetic vs environmental factors on intelligence and other characteristics. This is why I find it interested that in the movie the contemporary use of IQ (intelligence quotient) gets replace with the “Genetic Quotient.” While the GQ, genetic quotient, may provide some valuable predictive information, science tells says that this is not the only factor. I think that IQ may be correlated with GQ but that these measures are not one in the same. I believe that IQ has the ability to change with time as certain skills are developed over time. Therefore, I think that it provides a measure of an individual’s current intellectual abilities. GQ, on the other hand is something that you are born with. There is no opportunity for it to change with time and therefore doesn’t tell anything about the current intellectual abilities, but instead is merely a predictive measure. Based on this reasoning and the scientific development of these measures (GQ and IQ that is), I like to think that the future of genetic research will not result in the type of genetic discrimination portrayed in the movie. It doesn’t make scientific sense that a GQ test would ever become the sole measure of ability when the environment also plays an important role in development. I would be interested to hear what others think about this thought process. Does it make sense? Do you agree that the future portrayed in GATTACA is as unrealistic representation?
posted by Ami at 12:09 AM
3 Comments:
I think that it is certainly true that environment determines who you are just as much as your genetic makeup. One need only look at Vincent and Anton to see this. Growing up in a world where he is constantly told he can never succeed makes Jerome tough and resilient. Anton's success and worth are never questioned and thus he becomes soft and complacent, so much so that despite his physical gifts Jerome is still required to drag his body back to shore. We have yet to see the effect that gene therapy will actually have, but I think it is safe to say that we won't find ourselves in the world of GATTACA any time soon.
I believe that the future portrayed in GATTACA is an unrealistic representation because I don't think that it will be that easy to have access to every human's DNA sequence. There was a scene in the film where Irene takes Vincent's hair to the "sequencing center", and waits merely a few moments to obtain Vincent's (well, really Jerome's) entire DNA sequence. While it is important for progress to be made in the sequencing of the human genome, GATTACA plays on the idea that everyone will have access to the genetic information of anyone around them, simply by taking a hair or an eyelash that falls on the ground. It is clear that some parents are beginning to use genetic engineering more frequently as they plan for the birth of a child, I don't think that we will be able to predict all of the diseases with such accuracy, and certainly not the age of expected death. As the film says, "there is no gene for fate"...hopefully we will not be living in GATTACA anytime soon, because it paints a bleak picture for the future.
I completely agree that Gattaca is an unrealistic representation of a future brought on by genetic modification, however, the idea of future like this is one that has haunted and frightened people for years. There are numerous other examples of movies that show a world where individuals have lost something as a result of corporatization or reliance on technology. A simple look at the growing number of dystopic films that have come out recently reflects this. Though the mode is not practical, the message should still ring clear with Gattaca; the emphasis in society should always be on the power of the individual.
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