Annotated Bibliography: Frankenstein and Synthetic Biology
In recent years the emerging scientific field of synthetic biology has been gaining a substantial amount of interest not only from scientists, but also from the general public. This attention is both positive and negative. Being able to create a living organism from a non-living source is a mind-blowing idea that some people can’t even begin to fathom. It gives humans the power to ‘play God’ by allowing them to create another living being, and even ‘cheat death’ in some cases. While some see this as a ground-breaking accomplishment by science, others see it as a blasphemous and dangerous idea.
This bibliography is meant to show the relationship between synthetic biology and the book written by Mary Shelley, Frankenstein: or, the Modern Prometheus. The sources include analyses of the arguments against the science, comparisons between Shelley’s book and synthetic biology, and information on both. Citations of the work have been included for all of the sources as well.
Baase, Sara. "A Gift of Fire: Social, Legal, and Ethical Issues for Computing and the Internet." SDSU. Web. 10 Oct 2011.
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This article tells the myth of Prometheus, the titan responsible for bringing fire to humans. It is said that after he was caught stealing from the gods, Zeus punished him by chaining him to a pillar while a bird pecked at his liver. Victor Frankenstein is considered the modern Prometheus because he was punished for trying to bring a new revelation to mankind.
The article is entertaining, and tells the story in a way that keeps the reader’s attention. While it may be short, it still has good details. It was also informative and easy to understand.
Bland, Eric. "It's alive! Artificial DNA controls life." www.msnbc.com. DiscoveryNews, 20 May 2010. Web. 10 Oct 2011.
In this article Bland explains that scientists have created an organism controlled by completely human-made...