Tuesday, April 17, 2012

GATTACA Questions

For the last three days we have been watching the movie GATTACA to give us a better idea of DNA.

1. The following terms were used in the movie. How do they relate to the words we use: degenerate and invalid?
         De-gene-erate-Were the people who weren’t specially modified.

         In-valid-they used in-valid to show that the persons Dna does not match those who work in GATTACA because they have workers DNA

         Borrowed Ladder-They defined borrowed ladder as a person using someone else identity to do what they can’t because of “defect” in their body. For example Vincent ued Jerome as a borrowed ladder because Vincent had a heart problem and eye sight issues, but everything was fine with Jerome’s heart and eye sight, therefore Vincent borrowed Jerome’s identity to become a navigation piolet for GATTACA.

2. Why do you think Vincent left his family, tearing his picture out of the family photo, after winning the swimming race against his brother?
            a.Vincent left his family to persue bigger and better things because he was tired of always being told that he couldn’t accomplish anything because he was born through concivement.

3. Describe the relationship between Vincent and Anton.
            a.It was decent relationship, but Vincent was jealous of Anton because he was essentially the perfect human, since Anton was made through science.

4. When Jerome Morrow said to Vincent/Jerome, “They’re not looking for you. When they look at you, they only see me,” what did he mean? Can you find any parallels to this type of situation in real life?
            a.Jerome ment that since they had his DNA on file and because Vincent took on Jerome’s identity.

5. Choose your favorite character from the film. Explain why you choose that person. Would you want to be that person? Why? Why not?
            a. My favortie character would have to be Vincent because like him I have a lot of medical conditions, that my doctor tells me might prevent me for doing actual work. Desite this I plan on working after college.

6. At the end of the film, you are told that the Doctor knew about Vincent all along. Why did the Doctor go along with the fraud? What would you have done if you were the Doctor?
            a.I believe that the doctor went along with Vincent pretending to be Jerome because the doctor didn't believe that people should be labeled because of the way they were born. If I was the doctor I would have kept quite and even offer my help.

7. The technology to do what was done in the movie is definitely possible within the next fifty years. Do you think that Vincent’s world could eventually happen in America? Why?
            a. If science keeps progressing the way does, I believe that it will become possible for America to bring Vincents world to life. Even now people still want the perfect baby so that desire may manifest Vincents world into a reality.

8. What do you think is wrong with the society portrayed in "GATTACA"? What is right?
            a. I think whats wrong with society portrayed in GATTACA is that they don’t give people identities. The gentically enigneered people in GATTACA were what was deemed as normal compared to the supposed in-vailds who were seen as an inferior part of the human race, as they were “god children” someone who was concieved. I believe that Vincent was right in his goal of becoming one of GATTACA’s navigation officers, despite his supposed heart condition.
 
9. What were the screenwriters trying to tell us through the episode of the 12-fingered pianist? Is anything wrong with engineering children to have 12 fingers if, as a result, they will be able to make extraordinarily beautiful music?
            a.I don’t really agree with engineering children to 12 fingers because it could affect the childs up bringing. Some may think it’s right to alter someones DNA to produce the result they want.

10. You and your spouse are having a child and are at the Genetic Clinic pictured in the movie. What characteristics would you want for your child and what would you ask to be excluded? Why would you make those choices?
            a. If I was to have a child who was genteically altered then I would chose for the child to have the characteristics it would naturally be born with with the exception of having the eye color change to blue.Consing medical conditions I would have the chances of my child having the same medical conditions as me as I know the difficulties that my child would face.
 
11. Picture yourself as either Vincent, Jerome, or Anton. Would you have acted the same or done things differently if you were in the same world as them?
            a.I would have probly done the same as Vincent as I would not have liked to have my future decided just because I was born different. I would fight the achieve what I want and not let anyone tell me otherwise.

12. How does the society in GATTACA resemble the type of society America was during the height of the eugenics movement?
            a.Everybody wanted genetic babies insteas of making one because they want their kid to be the perfect baby compared to random results that the baby could get form being concieved.

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