Fall 2007
The Book of Life in a Genomic Age
The Book of Life on WOI Radio's Talk of Iowa,
with Katherine
Perkins, and Rob Dillard and Doug Cooper's Midday
Listen to interviews on WOI Radio with several guest
speakers from
The Book of Life in a Genomic Age programming series.
Midday
interview
with Dr. Lori Andrews, Chicago-Kent College of Law
Select the archive
for 11/14/07.
Lori Andrews discusses legal and ethical issues
related to genomic research.
Midday
interview with Dr. Lisa Weasel, Portland State University
Select the archive for 11/08/07
Dr. Weasel discusses public concerns and global issues concerning
genetically modified foods.
Talk
of Iowa inteview with Dr. Priscilla Wald, Duke
University Select the archive for 10/4/07.
Dr. Wald
discusses the impact of the media and pop
culture on public perceptions of science.
Talk
of Iowa interview with
Dr. Kathy Hickok, ISU Select
the archive for 9/13/07.Dr. Hickok introduces the Book of Life
program, and
discusses Mary Shelley's
Frankenstein.
This programming series will examine representations of genomic research
in the media, in fiction, non-fiction, and in film, in order to stimulate
discussions about the social, ethical, and legal implications of genomic
research. How, for example, is genomic research most accurately represented
to the public? In Genome: The Autobiography of a Species in 23
Chapters, Matt Ridley argues that "the book of life" is a more accurate
metaphor than "blueprint" to explain the DNA alphabet and, in fact,
literally true--like books, the genome is a set of linear coded
information.
To examine the facts and fictions, the concerns and hopes, surrounding
the past, present, and future of genomics, our program creatively blends
expertise and resources from the study of anthropology, biology, ethics,
history, law, literature, medicine, philosophy, plant genetics, and
sociology.
Featured presenters and lecturers include:
- Lori Andrews, Chicago-Kent College of
Law
- Jane Cox, Iowa State University
- Hamilton Cravens, Iowa State
University
- Troy Duster, New York
University
- Jeff Murray, University of
Iowa
- Karen-Sue Taussig, University of
Minnesota
- Virginia Walbot, Stanford
University
- Priscilla Wald, Duke University
- Lisa Weasel, Portland State
University
Planned activities in fall 2007 will include lectures, book discussions,
film groups, a play, and an art exhibit. This interlocking set of events
will focus on three major issues:
- how genomic research and technologies are represented in popular
culture
- social and ethical issues arising from genomic food and
biotechnology
- ethical, philosophical, and legal implications of genomic research
