Redesigning Life

Instructor: Edward Eisenstein

What is at stake for our world as humans seek to redesign biological organisms? Scientific advances are enabling us to read, edit and write genomes, including our own. This revolution has been fueled by the quest to understand and cure disease. These innovations have far-reaching consequences, not only for medicine, but also for our world, which it will reshape in ways we can only imagine – or fear. The course will challenge students to confront the risks and rewards for them, their families, their community, and their future, as biotechnology moves outside specialized laboratories to our homes. A demystifying, low-tech approach will introduce contemporary genome redesign, clarifying current limitations and future goals. Students will debate whether redesigning plants and animals will enhance or inhibit momentum in human genome engineering, and formulate their own arguments about who should be able to use these tools and where, who decides, and how much society is willing to risk.  

GenEd: SCIS, DSNS

Offered In: Fall 2022, Spring 2023, Fall 2023, Spring 2024

Required/Optional: Required

Instructor: Leigha McReynolds

Should parents be able to choose their child’s eye color? Or alter their child’s genome to eliminate a hereditary disability? While these might seem like different concerns, both are eugenic questions. In this class students will learn about the legacy of eugenics and its role in the development of genetics by analyzing science fiction works through the lens of disability studies. We’ll explore the past to identify who has historically been considered “fit” and look to the future to consider what kinds of embodiments, and life experiences, society seems willing to let disappear.

GenEd: DSHU

Offered In: Fall 2022, Spring 2023, Fall 2023, Spring 2024

Required/Optional: Optional

Instructor: Kenneth Frauwirth

The results of modern biological research are pervasive – from cutting edge medical treatments, to debates about mandatory vaccination, to genetic engineering breakthroughs. This course will examine the social, ethical, and biological costs of research. The focus will be on the larger issues that surround the biology – questions of ethical research, the perception of science versus reality, the intersection of science and society, and even we may need to reconsider the meanings of “self” and “human”. Students will reflect on the lessons learned to propose how research can proceed in a way that balances the demands of discovery with social justice and the ethical use of animals and the environment.

GenEd: DSNS

Offered In: Fall 2022, Fall 2023

Required/Optional: Optional

Instructor: Ricardo Arévalo

International space agencies, such as NASA, ESA, and CNSA, continue to push the boundaries of deep space exploration, buoyed by public excitement, scientific ambition, and political motivation. However, the invasion of alien environments warrants an ethical consideration. What are the risks of forward contamination? What are the potential consequences of reverse contamination? With the drive to establish a permanent human presence on the Moon, how do we avoid a “space race” incentivized by imperialism or colonialism? What happens next if we successfully discover life on Europa, Titan, or another planetary body? Given the current state of planetary science and world affairs and the emerging commercialization of spaceflight, the next generation must be poised to grapple with these questions. Students will emerge from this course with the knowledge to engage in debates about these global priorities.

GenEd: TBA

Offered In: Spring 2023, Spring 2024

Required/Optional: Optional