TagAndrew Niccol

In this blog post, we explore the dangers to survival, the loss of humanity, and the conditions for happiness that a society selecting only superior genes might bring, using the movie Gattaca as a lens, and ponder whether such a future is truly desirable.   Since T.H. Morgan introduced the gene theory in 1926—stating that “the heredity of organisms is determined and governed by genes”—and...

In this blog post, we explore whether the future opened by genetic engineering will lead to human progress or bring new ethical risks, and together consider the direction of technological advancement.   In the movie ‘Gattaca,’ we see that in the near future, in vitro fertilization can be used to select superior genes (not dominant or recessive traits, but superior intelligence or abilities)...

This blog post examines the ethical issues raised by genetic engineering and custom-made humans through the film Gattaca, and explores the social controversies that gene therapy technology may bring.   The film ‘Gattaca’ depicts a future world where technological advancement divides people into those born naturally (in-valid) and those born through genetic engineering (Valid). In this world...

In this blog post, we explore how effort and free will can alter destiny even amidst the inequality created by genetic information, as depicted in the film Gattaca, and reflect on the value of choice.   The film ‘Gattaca’ is a satirical portrayal of a future society where genetically engineered, custom-made humans are the majority, and where ordinary individuals born without genetic...

This blog post explores the possibilities and dangers an era where genetic engineering replaces natural selection might bring, deeply contemplating whether humanity can truly be safe amidst a changing environment.   What would society look like if science and technology advanced to the point of manipulating genes? The 1997 film Gattaca offered an indirect glimpse of this future. In the...

This blog post examines the discrimination and human dignity issues raised by genetic engineering through the film ‘Gattaca’.   Director Andrew Niccol’s film ‘Gattaca (1997)’ is set in a future where genetic manipulation of in vitro fertilized embryos enables the birth of “custom-made humans”. Based on the information provided in the film, the protagonist can be seen as a “first...

This blog post examines the difference in happiness and self-realization between customized humans and natural humans through the movie ‘Gattaca’.   There’s a common, yet not-so-common, argument parents have about their children. “The kid takes after you, that’s why they’re like this.” When a child brings home a low test score, the mother might say, “You inherited this...

Inequality based on genetic information already exists in our society. So, can custom-made humans solve this? We explore both the ethical issues and the possibilities.   Gattaca is a film about ‘custom-made humans’. It tells the story of a protagonist who is not a custom-made human, living in a future society where the birth of custom-made humans is commonplace and where unequal treatment...

Set in a future society striving to create a genetically perfect humanity through genetic engineering, the film Gattaca warns against genetic discrimination and the loss of free will, exploring the ethical issues technology can bring.   “Consider God’s handiwork: who can straighten what He hath made crooked?” This verse from Ecclesiastes 7:13 is the film’s opening scene and...

This blog post examines the dangers a genetically engineered society could bring and the importance of genetic diversity, based on the film 『Gattaca』.   In the film ‘Gattaca’, only superior genetic traits are extracted during conception to create custom-made humans. These babies are born as custom-made humans, stripped of inferior genetic factors like physical defects or hereditary diseases...