South Park Science Atheism and Genetic Engineering Essay

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How Science is Represented in Pop CultureIntroductionAmericans view science, particularly genetic engineering, as a potentially dangerous tool that should never fall into the wrong hands. That is the message delivered in the article by Arthur Caplan in The Chicago Tribune. The article argues that one should not fear the rise of super babies (children genetically engineered to be great); rather, one should fear who gets to control the technology. In other words, science is something that only the “good guys” should have—not something the bad guys should possess. It is a familiar trope—one that harkens back to the films of Indiana Jones. In Raiders of the Lost Ark, Indiana had to stop an army of Nazis from getting their hands on the powerful Ark of the Covenant. The Ark itself was not bad—but if the Germans possessed it, they would use it for evil; such was the message of the film. Thus, the American hero had to protect it from them. The same message is basically conveyed in Caplan’s article when he writes: “Let your great-great-grandkids fret about whether they want to try to make a perfect baby. Today we need to worry about who will own genetic engineering technology, how we can oversee what is being done with it and how safe it needs to be before it is used to try to prevent or fix a disease. That is plenty to worry about.” The gist of the article is that the morality of genetic engineering is something future generations can worry about. What we need to focus on is simply makings sure that we control the technology. It is a rather simplistic presentation of science and it has an Indiana Jones vs. the bad guys ring to it. It does not consider the implications of the science of genetic engineering; instead it simply assumes that this science exists and since it exists it better be controlled by the good guys. The implicit message is that Americans are the good guys and they should control the science.Who Controls the Science Controls the WorldYet there is an alternative view of science in American culture. It is not all one-sided. Few things are in this country and this culture. With science as with everything else, there is a kind of bi-polar pop culture representation of the topic. Thus, if one side is interested in framing it in good vs. evil terms with respect to who controls the science, the other side wants to slow down and ask questions such as whether the science of something like genetic engineering is morally good. That is what Joy Victory does writing for her article “9 Tips To Combat Stem Cell Hype In Your News Stories” for HealthNewsReview.

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org. The site’s message is that it wants to “improve your critical thinking about health care,” which is clearly the opposite message from that given by the Chicago Tribune. The Tribune can be considered a mainstream source of news and the site HealthNewsReview can be considered an alternative news site. The Tribune is probably more reflective of pop culture than the alternative news site, but the alternative news site is actively encouraging reporters to ask questions and to question assumptions, especially when it comes to health science and issues like stem cell research. The assumption…

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…way to go before anyone can make any claims of breakthrough.ConclusionIs Victory merely trying to moderate expectations? Is she trying to cover up breakthroughs that have already occurred in case anyone out there is actively trying to investigate whether a super soldier has been created? Or is she speaking the truth? The problem in the modern pop culture of today is that truth really is a casualty. Information is passed along and digested in snippets. Consumption and processing of facts transpires in the same amount of time as it takes one to get a burger at a drive-thru window. That is a major problem when it comes to understanding “the” science regarding anything.Yet the problem can be seen in both texts and certainly in the South Park episode that satirizes the modern obsession with science as something infallible and unstoppable. In the end of the episode, the 4th grader returns to his native world, happy just to have access to the Nintendo Wii—a gaming device considered obsolete 500 years in the future. For some people, simple things that may seem primitive to others are more important than anything progressive. It all depends on perspective. And in America, the perspectives are divided right down the middle, with one half of the culture celebrating “science” as though it were the Ark of the Covenant in need of protection from the evil-doers; as though it were some black box just waiting to have its secrets unlocked. The other half sits back and more cautiously advises against any sudden moves—but one never knows what the actual intentions of this half are or what it intends to do with “the”….....

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