MP 3 Journal # 6: Frankenstein Introduction CRISPR Thematically, among other things, Frankenstein deals with the ethics and consequences of scientific discovery and application of that discovery… Within the last few years, a groundbreaking discovery was made in the field of Genetic Engineering: The CRISPR/Cas prokaryotic immune system, which has the potential to vastly simplify the process of gene editing! What do you think about our experiments with Genetic Manipulation so far as described in the video? Do you agree with the point of view in the video? Do you think use of CRISPR technology as described is inevitable? Is right? Is it progress? What limits, if any, should be placed on the use of this capability? Why? Where do you see the future going with this technology? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jAhjPd4uNFY

Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus By Mary Shelley

Prometheus (cont’d) Theme = stealing power away from the Gods (God) Is this what science is doing?

Percy Bysshe Shelley, Lord Byron, Mary Shelley

When? In the summer of 1816, 19 year old Mary Wollstonecraft Godwin and her lover, the poet Percy Shelley, visited the Lord Byron at his villa beside Lake Geneva in Switzerland.

The Motivation Stormy weather frequently forced them indoors, where they and Byron's other guests sometimes read from a volume of ghost stories. One evening, Byron challenged his guests to each write one themselves. Mary's story, inspired by a dream, became Frankenstein.

Her Family’s Influence Her father, William Godwin,was a political thinker and writer. Her mother, Mary Wollstonecraft, was a feminist.

Her Love – Percy Shelley Met when she was 15. He was married. 1st wife drowned. They married two years later. She had already had 2 of his children by this time. He was a famous poet.

The Pre-Hippies They were into nature, free love, and were not particulary bound by Christian ideals Absinthe and opium Shelley even had a mistress Jane Clairmont Jane later became involved with Lord Byron and that’s how Mary and Percy met him.

A Suspicious Death Shelley’s first wife died by drowning. When she was found, resuscitation was attempted - smelling salts, vigorous shaking, electricity, and artificial respiration--using resuscitation bellows were used. These were all methods that had been used since the 1760s to revive drowning victims to life. Harriet, however, did not survive.

What was Science Up to at this Point? During Mary’s time, scientists and physicians were fascinated by the elusive boundary between life and death. Experimented with lower organisms, performed human anatomical studies, attempted to resuscitate drowning victims, and performed experiments using electricity to restore life to the recently dead.

The Romantic Period 1798-1832 Follows the Restoration and the 18th c. Anglo-Saxon…….. 449-1066 Middle Ages …….. 1066-1485 Renaissance ……. 1485-1660 Restoration and 18th c. 1660-1798 Romantic Period …… 1798-1832

Romantic Period: Science Science = natural philosophy Philosophy of the natural world Philosophy = study of rational thought

Romantic Period: Science Charles Darwin – published Origin of Species 1859 (natural selection; genetic variation) 30 years after Shelley wrote Frankenstein

Science/Natural Philosophy Major strides in anatomy and chemistry Science really begins unlocking the secrets of the natural world

Mid 1780s Italian physician Luigi Galvani Animal Electricity This illustration, from Galvani’s De Viribus Electricitatis in Motu Musculari, published in 1791, shows the experimental setup Galvani used to study the effect of atmospheric electricity on dead frogs. Galvani named this newly discovered force “animal electricity,” and thus laid foundations for the modern fields of electrophysiology and neuroscience. Mid 1780s Italian physician Luigi Galvani

Dr. Erasmus Drawin “Erasmus Darwin's name is to be found in the first sentence of the Preface to Frankenstein as an authority who thinks that the central event of the story – Victor Frankenstein's animation of his creature – is ‘of not impossible occurrence'. Darwin, of course, died in 1802 and therefore could not have read Frankenstein and given his opinion as to its probability.”

The Baby and The Dream Mary’s daughter had died. Mary dreamed that her daughter was brought back to life through vigorous rubbing and being held near a warm fire. This inspired her to write Frankenstein.

More Bad News Her sister committed suicide Her son (William) died from malaria Her daughter next daughter died from dysentery. Lots of bad luck!!!

Mary’s Contest Submission Not intended to be a tale of the supernatural – she even made her main character a scientist so that his building of a man would seem logical. Was a combo of Gothic elements and science Is considered early sci-fi

The Structure of the Story The novel is constructed of three concentric layers, one within the other: outermost--Robert Walton's letters to his sister; middle--Frankenstein's story as he tells it to Walton; innermost--Monster's description to Frankenstein of the development of his mind at the deLaceys'.

Modern Prometheus Prometheus was the son of a Titan the name means "forethought.“ In the battle between Zeus and the Titans for control of Olympus he sided with Zeus and became his chief counselor. 

Don’t Irritate a god Tricked Zeus into a ternally claiming the inedible parts of cows and bulls for the sacrificial ceremonies of the gods, while conceding the nourishing parts to humans for the eternal benefit of humankind. Ticked Zeus off Zeus denied man fire

Things go from bad to worse Prometheus stole fire Zeus gets mega-ticked Chains him to rock and lets birds devour his liver Liver grew back every night. Next day, same deal. Not fun 

Another Version the fire stolen by Prometheus was also the fire of life with which he animated his men of clay. Doesn’t this seem even more Frankensteinish??

Moral of the Story??? Don’t irritate the gods Moral of our story????? Don’t play God?

Paradise Lost – Referenced Often Paradise Lost is John Milton's attempt to "justify the ways of God to man" by retelling of the story of Creation, the revolt of Lucifer and his fall from grace, and the story of Adam and Eve.

3/27/14

Synthetic Life This is "a major step towards being able to design completely novel organisms," says Todd Kuiken of the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars in Washington, D.C. "The research team has created what some might call the first synthetic cell that was designed, built and reproduced without a host cell present," he says, by email.

Synthetic Life

3D Bioprinting

GM-Food

CRISPR-A game-changing genetic engineering technique

Artificial Intelligence

Frankenstein’s influence

HW Frankenstein: Read Author’s Intro. and Preface (xxiii-xxx) and Letters 1-4 and Chapters 1-2 (1-27). (Due Monday 3/20/2017)