TOPIC: this research will focus on the ethics of manipulating movement and behavior in animals through biotechnology.
Zheng
Youjia Zheng
Amy Leonard
EWRT 2A
De Anza College
11/02/2019
Critical Thinking Challenge #3
Organic Bots in Monster Culture: Proposal
Introduction:
Biotechnology has evidently made crucial steps in innovation and transforming how scientists play a role in modifying existence. The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency has been working on innovative technology to improve surveillance and defense. For the last few decades, the agency has been working on insect cyborgs in what has turned out to be Micro-electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS). These systems have produced public uproar on the ethics of research involving organisms being transformed to electro-mechanical systems. This research aims to reach out to scientists utilizing biotechnology to create the cyborg. The impact of this research will be in outlining the potential benefits as well as concerns connected to biotechnology which manipulates animal behavior. Although researchers have highlighted the ethical concerns surrounding genetic modification, little has been done on organic robots, thus, this research will focus on the ethics of manipulating movement and behavior in animals through biotechnology.
Issue:
In DARPA and other research universities, insects are being transformed to serve human purposes. Genetic modification and the use of technology in manipulating behavior have advanced to an unprecedented level. According to Wolpe, research has enabled scientists to wire insects and small mammals such as rats with computer chips and hence control their movements. This level of biotechnology modification has led to questions of the creations that scientists can come up with. The main argument will be against this practice because it is basically synonymous to Frankenstein’s monster and shows the adverse issues of creationism in monster culture. The importance of looking into this topic is that it is a contemporary issue raising concerns in the field of bioethics.
What your research paper will add:
Impact of biotechnology on nature
DARPA’s research ethics considerations and their impact
Connection between DARPA’s insect bots and Frankenstein’s monster
Organic bots going against the laws of nature
Autonomy of animals and intrusion by humanity
Potential harm to the environment/society
Types of Research:
DARPA’s research projects
Articles of research project
Critical analysis of the research
TED Talks outlining critics’ views on the topic
Scholarly articles on biotechnology
Newspaper articles
Conclusion of the impact your research will have and wrap-up:
Overall, this research focuses on DARPA and the potential impact of producing organic bots on society and animals as well. Past research has largely focused on the impact of genetic modification and how it affects species. This research will push the discussion further to embody the issue of organic robots created by using computer chips and technology to manipulate the movement of animals. The impact of this discussion is that it will produce a clearer view of the potential of science in creating monsters and hence paint a clear picture as compared to Frankenstein’s monster. Several researchers have inserted chips in insects and rats to manipulate their movement and this means that humanity can finally control nature. The impact of this has not been well-researched hence the necessity of this research topic.
Works Cited
Wolpe, Paul Root. “It’s time to question bio-engineering.” Online video clip. TEDxPeachtree. TED Talk, November 2010. www.ted.com/talks/paul_root_wolpe_it_s_time_to_question_bio_engineering#t-781196. Accessed November 2, 2019.