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WEEK 6

BioTech and Art

Biotechnology and Art is one of the most controversal topics today. This spans from debates about GMOs in our food, experiments with animals, to species hybrids. There are two sides to this debate which include the ups and downs of biotechnology. 

In biotechnology people work with live cells and are manipulating natural occuring cells and species. I believe the most controversal part of biotechnology today is the GMOs in our food. This was the most interesting peice of biotechnology brought up in our lecture notes for me and so when reviewing some of our resources I focused on food. "Agriculture in the Wild" and "This is your Brain on Food" are websites that represent the controversy in our food today. Since food is something that goes directly into our bodies I believe people put more emphesis on the matter because they think it will effect us more.

I also feel that there is a new wave of "eat healthy, feel good" in todays society especially with younger people. There are more young activists espeically with today's "hipsters" spreading paranoia for eating healthy and how being unatural can be very detrimental to your health.

This is a big part of the controversy and I believe our course materials helped unravel both sides of the argument. I believe that not all biotechnology is bad and I believe some food containing GMOs actually tastes better. I don't feel you have to be all natural to be healthy. But I do think there should be some limit to human creativity especially in the food we eat. For example I dont feel we should be eating blue strawberrys becuase I dont feel like there is a need to take it that far. 
N.p., n.d. Web. <https://kaychong8.files.wordpress.com/2015/11/gmos.jpg>.
N.p., n.d. Web. <http://www.mommygreenest.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/health-eco-parent-gmo-tomato-mommy-greenest-photo.jpg>.
N.p., n.d. Web. <http://sandiegofreepress.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/real-food.jpg>.

Sources
1. Uconlineprogram. "5 Bioart Pt1 1280x720." YouTube. YouTube, 18 Sept. 2013. Web. 14 May 2017. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PaThVnA1kyg>.
2. Uconlineprogram. "5 BioArt Pt2." YouTube. YouTube, 17 May 2012. Web. 14 May 2017. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?list=PL9DBF43664EAC8BC7&time_continue=204&v=MdSt-Hjyi2I>. 

Comments

  1. Ann BrightMay 17, 2017 at 5:12 PM

    I agree with you that GMO's are of the most controversial topics in the field of biotechnology today. I, personally, don't have a problem with eating GMO foods because in various different classes I have read materials that have shown GMO foods don't have adverse health effects. But, like you said, I also think that some GMO foods are unnecessary to make just so people can eat an orange blueberry. With that being said, I think GMO foods offer a lot of space for creativity that could be used by artists to illustrate something about our food system or diet.

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