September 27, 2013
The story centers around a genome-analysis company, The Perfect 46, that has developed an algorithm to determine the likelihood of prospective parents having a child with genetic disease. The promise is that future generations could be free of single-gene disorders … Read More
September 23, 2013
“After Tiller,†a new documentary by Martha Shane and Lana Wilson, is a partisan document in the culture wars. It could hardly be otherwise, since the film’s subject, abortion, is one where common ground is elusive, if not philosophically untenable. … Read More
August 5, 2013
Aquinas on the Beginning and Ending of Human Life is a close look at how St. Thomas Aquinas, one of the foremost theologians and philosophers of the Middle Ages, grappled with the issue of when human life begins. (Forbes)
June 24, 2013
Written by Max Brooks and published in 2006 under the same title, the novel begins in China, where the initial patient to be infected with the zombie virus is said to be a young boy from a remote Chinese village. … Read More
May 6, 2013
Genetic engineering provides the backdrop for the sci-fi thriller “Errors of the Human Body” (opening May 3 at Reading Gaslamp Stadium Theaters for late night screenings only on Friday and Saturday). (KPBS)
April 22, 2013
Tales from the Organ Trade is a fascinating film which takes a chilling look at the characters in the international black market in organs. (BioEdge)
January 21, 2013
Premiering today at the Sundance Film Festival as part of the U.S. documentary competition, “After Tiller†is an intimate and heartfelt look at the four doctors performing third-trimester abortions in the United States, doing so even after the 2009 assassination … Read More
January 9, 2013
Doug Wolens’s recent documentary takes on the complex, abstract concept of the singularity, which predicts a moment when technology will give rise to intelligence beyond the scope of human imagination. It sounds like sci-fi but, Wolens and others argue, there’s … Read More
October 29, 2012
A dystopian society supported by genetically modified clone workers stands out among the six stories that make up the sprawling film “Cloud Atlas.” The idea may seem far-fetched because of political opposition to human cloning and genetic modification in today’s … Read More
September 6, 2012
A 2009 right-to-die case that deeply split public opinion in Catholic Italy is at the center of a new film exploring the themes of euthanasia, suicide and religious faith that is vying for top prize at the Venice festival. (Reuters)
March 25, 2011
Silver Sling, an 11-minute film by director Tze Chun, is another cinematic gem from the Future States series that Biopolitical Times blogged on last week. The film presents a future scenario in which affluent couples hire young women, some of … Read More
March 18, 2011
More recently, drugs like Adderall have enjoyed a half-shadowy vogue among writers. The dream of a pharmaceutical solution to literary paralysis provides a wisp of a real-world premise for “Limitless,†an energetic, enjoyably preposterous compound — it’s a paranoid thriller … Read More
January 21, 2011
The New England Journal of Medicine (Volume 363, Issue 25, December 16, 2010) is now available on-line and by subscription only. Articles include: “Health Care Reform — What Went Wrong on the Way to the Courthouse” Mark A. Hall, J.D., … Read More
September 17, 2010
Is it a plot spoiler to reveal that the new film “Never Let Me Go†is about cloning? Sorry. But the beautiful novel has become a reasonably good film, according to the critics. (BioEdge)
July 15, 2010
What does the future look like? We essentially rely on science fiction thrillers to give us a taste of what lies ahead for humanity: Avatar; Iron Man; I, Robot; Surrogates; Star Wars; and I am Legend. But these films only … Read More
June 16, 2010
Way back when, during the final decades of the last century, if a woman had a hard time conceiving, she saved her dollars by the tens of thousands and passed them over to a clinic specializing in assisted reproductive technology. … Read More
September 25, 2009
We all complain about our ambivalence with modern technology. I’ve think I’ve given myself acquired attention deficit disorder by staying connected all the time. But it’s hard to scale back without giving up many of my relationships (not to mention … Read More
July 31, 2009
IT is a rare treat when parting with money for a mainstream movie buys real food for thought. But Hollywood hoopla and high-profile castings hide the kernel of real, human issues in My Sister’s Keeper. The movie, which opened in … Read More
