GSCI 104A: Biology in the Movies
Course topics and readings
Week 1: Introduction to course: no film, topics or readings
Week 2: Primer on developmental biology: no film to discuss
Topics:
What is a gene as a unit of inheritance, as a piece of DNA, and as a starting point for making a protein (discussion of DNA structure and function, gene expression and the production of RNA and proteins, genes and chromosomes)
Proteins have many different functions.
Organisms are comprised of cells and many undergo an orderly process of development.
Readings: Primer on developmental biology
Genetics Science Learning Center
Build a DNA molecule: http://gslc.genetics.utah.edu/units/basics/builddna/
Transcribe and translate a gene: http://gslc.genetics.utah.edu/units/basics/transcribe/
Discover how proteins function: http://gslc.genetics.utah.edu/units/basics/protein/
Inside a cell: http://gslc.genetics.utah.edu/units/basics/cell/
Week 3. Reconstructing life: cellular chimeras (1958 The Fly):
Topics:
Cells and development in context of cellular chimeras.
Why a human-fly chimera wouldn't be possible?
What conditions are necessary for making a cellular chimera?
What kinds of cellular chimeras have been made?
How are tissue and whole-animal chimeras used in medical treatments and biological research?
Discussion of the ethics of a human-primate chimera as described in the Rifkin-Newman patent application.
Readings:
Dickson, D. 1998. Legal fight looms over patent bid on human/animal chimeras. Nature 392: 423-424
Greene, Jenna. 1999.
Deger, Renee. 1998. A Chimeral Patent: http://csm.jmu.edu/biology/rosecs/gsci104deger.html
Week 4. Reconstructing life: genetic chimeras (1986 The Fly):
Topics:
Genes and development in context of genetic chimeras.
How is a genetic chimera distinct from a cellular chimera and an interspecific hybrid?
What conditions are necessary for making a genetic chimera?
What are homologous genes and why do flies and humans have them?
How are genetic chimeras of fly and mouse used in biological research?
Other applications of transgenic animals and plants.
Readings:
Barinaga, M. 1995. Focusing on the eyeless gene. Science 267: 1766-1767
Genetics Science Learning Center: Genes determine body plans: http://gslc.genetics.utah.edu/units/basics/bodypatterns/
Week 5. Recreating life: Shelley versus Crichton (Jurassic Park):
Topics:
Comparison of Shelley (Frankenstein) and Crichton's (Jurassic Park) ideas for recreating life from the dead in the context of the scientific theories and experimentation of their times.
How would one extract and amplify dinosaur DNA from amber.
Why would one expect some disintegration of fossilized DNA?
How would one assemble the fragments of dinosaur DNA into intact chromosomes?
What additional information is needed to do this successfully?
How does this process compare with the Human Genome Project?
Readings:
DeSalle, R. and Lindley, D. 1997. The Science of Jurassic Park and the Lost World. (BasicBooks, Division of HarperCollins 0-465-07379-4): pp. 19-38
Week 6. Recreating life: DNA and genomes (Jurassic Park):
Topics:
How to put chromosomes into a cell and start that cell developing into an organism?
What additional information is needed to do this successfully?
Readings:
DeSalle, R. and Lindley, D. 1997. The Science of Jurassic Park and the Lost World. (BasicBooks, Division of HarperCollins 0-465-07379-4): pp. 39-56
Week 7. Recreating life: rearing unknown animals (Jurassic Park):
Topics:
How to raise and maintain a formerly extinct animal or community of such animals.
What additional information is needed to do this successfully?
No readings
Week 9. Evolutionary theory: science and religion (Inherit the Wind):
Topics:
What are the different kinds of evidence for the theory of evolution?
What is the process of natural selection and how does it fit into Darwin's theory of evolution?
How is a scientific theory different from a religious belief?
Are scientific and religious viewpoints on the origin of life bound to conflict?
How might one explain William Jennings Bryan's anti-Evolution stance in the Scopes Monkey trial?
Readings:
**Chapters 2 and 3: The Evidence for Evolution, and Darwinian Natural Selection, pp. 27-70 in Freeman, S. and Herron, J.C. 1998. Evolutionary Analysis. Prentice Hall 0-13-568023-9**
Gould, S. J. 1991. William Jennings Bryan's Last Campaign, pp. 416-431 in Bully for Brontosaurus. W.W. Norton and Co., 0-393-02961-1
Davis. T. The Scopes Trial. http://www.bryan.edu/historical/scopes_trial/index.html
R.M. Cornelius, R.M. William Jennings Bryan & The Scopes Trial. http://www.bryan.edu/historical/wjbryan_trial/index.html
Week 10. Human origins (Quest for Fire):
Topics:
What is the anatomical and genetic evidence for humans having evolved from ape-like ancestors?
What is our relationship to the great apes, and to the various extinct hominid species whose fossil remains are found in Africa.
What are the various models for how Homo sapiens diverged from Homo erectus and how do they affect our understanding of racial diversity?
What are the key physical and behavioral changes that evolved in our ancestors to make us distinctively human?
At what point in hominid evolution did these changes take place (i.e., in our species or earlier)?
Readings:
**Chapter 16: Human Evolution. pp. 549-579 in Freeman, S. and Herron, J.C. 1998. Evolutionary Analysis. Prentice Hall 0-13-568023-9**
Wong, K. 2000. Who were the neanderthals? Scientific American 282: 98-107
Gould, S.J. 1985. Human Equality is a Contingent Fact of History pp. 185-198 in The Flamingo’s Smile. W.W. Norton and Co., 0-393-02228-5
Soares, C. 2001. Talking heads. New Scientist, April 14: 26-29
Week 11. Cloning (Boys from Brazil):
Topics:
Outline the history and procedure of cloning by nuclear transplantation.
What are the potential uses of animal cloning, including its applicability to the biopharmaceutical and transplant organ industries.
What are the potential uses of human cloning, including as an assisted reproductibe technology and as a source of embryonic stem cells?
What are the ethical arguments for and against human cloning?
Readings:
**Di Berardino, M.A. 1999. Breakthroughs in Bioscience: Cloning: Past, Present, and the Exciting Future. Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology: http://www.faseb.org/opar/cloning/**
Baker, Catherine. Your Genes, Your Choices: Chapter 8. http://ehrweb.aaas.org/ehr/books/8_fister.html
Wilmut, I. 1998. Cloning for Medicine. Scientific American
"Executive summary" from "Cloning Human Beings, Report and Recommendations of the National Bioethics Advisory Commission"
Brock, D.W. Cloning Human Beings, An assessment of the ethical pros and cons, commissioned for "Cloning Human Beings, Report and Recommendations of the National Bioethics Advisory Commission"
Week 12. Genetic screening and databasing (GATTACCA):
Topics:
The definition of a genetic disease in terms of a mutation or change in DNA sequence.
The distinction between a carrier and victim of a genetic disease and why some genetic diseases allow for no carriers.
The processes involved in preimplantation genetic screening/diagnosis, including in vitro fertilization, sampling cells from the embryo, and testing for the presence of the mutation.
The use of DNA chips to dramatically increase the number of tests that can be carried out simultaneously and cheaply.
The difference between selecting against negative traits and selecting for positive traits.
The use and abuse of genetic tests to identify predispositions for health conditions in present society.
The philosophy of genetic determinism and the emergence of a GATTACA-type society, i.e., what kinds of databases would be needed to establish the genetic bases of behavioral, mental and physical traits.
Alternative ways of producing designer babies in our society.
Readings:
**Baker, Catherine. Your Genes, Your Choices: Chapters 2 and 3: http://ehrweb.aaas.org/ehr/books/2_priya.html
http://ehrweb.aaas.org/ehr/books/3_howard.html**
**King, D.S. 1999. Preimplantation genetic diagnosis and the ‘new’ eugenics. Journal of Medical Ethics 25: 176-192**
Henn, Wolfram. 1999. Genetic screening with the DNA chip: new Pandora’s box? Journal of Medical Ethics 25: 200-203
Genetic Information and the Workplace. The National Human Genome Research Institute http://www.nhgri.nih.gov/HGP/Reports/genetics_workplace.html
American Society for Reproductive Medicine http://www.asrm.org/Patients/FactSheets/PGD-Fact.pdf
Gibbs, W.W. New Chip off the old block. Scientific American
Week 13. AI and self-awareness (Blade Runner):
Topics:
What are brain cells and how do they work as individual cells and in cell assemblies?
Aspects of our brain cells and tissues that may be unique to living organisms or to humans including:
the use of parallel processing and graceful degradation in our thought processes,
the plasticity of nerve cell connections as evidenced by effects of experience and environment including stroke recovery and amputations, and
the ability of some brain cells to keep dividing.
Aspects of our mind that may be unique to humans, including:
The neural basis of religious feelings, emotions, reasoning and abstract thinking.
The likelihood of developing human-like properties in beings with artificial intelligence based on advances in rates of cognitive processing, and inherent limitations of electronics (e.g., inability to self assemble, remodel in response to environment and experience, etc.)
Readings:
**pp. 247-273 in Restak, R. M. 1988. The Mind. Bantam Books 0-553-05314-0**
Holmes, B. 2001. In Search of God. New Scientist, April 21: 25-28
Azari, N.P. and Seitz, R.J. 2000. Brain plasticity and recovery from stroke. American Scientist 88: 426-431
Gilbert, S.F. Cortical Reorganization and the "Phantom Limb" http://www.devbio.com/chap21/link2108.shtml
Moravec, H. 2000. Rise of the Robots. Scientific American 281: 124-135
Jabobs, B.L., van Pragg, H. and Gage, F.H. 2000. Depression and the birth and death of brain cells. American Scientist 88: 340-345 (you need read only 340-343)..
Week 14. Search for EI (Contact):
Topics:
SETI = search for extraterrestrial technology, what is it, its history
Factors that affect the likelihood of an encounter with extraterrestrial life and intelligence, the Fermi paradox and Drake equation, and possible reasons why ETs have not contacted us yet.
Potential problems with visiting other planets including the task of recognizing/defining new life, and the ethics and risks of colonization.
The impact of encountering related life on other planets on our institutions and beliefs (or how to regulate a contact)
The challenge facing science fiction writers and film makers in trying to envision extraterrestrial life?
Readings:
**Crawford, I. 2000. Where are they. Scientific American 283: 38-43**
Tarter, J.C. and Chyba, C.F. 2000. Is there life elsewhere in the universe. Scientific American 281: 118-123
pp. 114-119, Heidmann, J. 1997. Extraterrestrial intelligence. Cambridge University Press 0 521 58563 5
Week 15. Summary: no film and no readings:
Topics:
Do movies that establish a connection with real scientific discoveries to increase the credibility factor of their plots have any obligation to stick to the truth?
Do movies with science-based plots more often inform or misinform the public?
What are the risks of having the public misinformed about science by popular culture?