Gattaca is a movie that concentrates on the scientific advances in the world today. It focuses on genetic engineering whereby babies are not born naturally but are made in tubes. Different genes with the best DNA characteristic are combined in these tubes so that the children that are formed have the best of the features on the entire planet. Such features include perfect health, high IQ, and a longer lifespan. In the world of Gattaca, these bioformed creatures have filled the earth and hence the babies that are born naturally are treated as manual laborers. This is because the genetically engineered babies are more intelligent than the others hence making them fit for more complex jobs like programming. Gattaca is one of the smartest and provocative movies of this time. The hero in the movie, Vincent, is a man that was born in the traditional way. He assumes the identity of Jerome so he could challenge the system used in the country. Because of Vincent’s short lifespan and myopic nature, he did not have a chance of any career in the society that discriminates against a person’s genes. From some scenes of the movie, however, there are some scientific errors made. There are recommendations of the ways that can be used to overcome these errors without affecting the flow of ideas in the story.
One of the scientific errors in the movie is embryonic screening. This concept can be used in getting rid of recessive genetic disorders that are likely to bring problems to a person later in life. However, the same cannot be used in screening multiple thousands of eggs in order to have a perfect baby like Vincent’s parents hoped for. Through this, these parents could not tell the characteristics that their baby would depict. Vincent ends up having the features that the parents did not like. This problem could be overcome by picking the best genes with desirable from the parents then using them to come up with a baby. This method gives the best baby with high intelligence levels and best immunity system, for example, Vincent’s brother.
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"Gattaca: Scientific Flaws and Strengths".
Another main error is an inaccurate diagnosis of an embryo before it becomes a baby. The diagnosis conducted ion Vincent by the scientists reveal that this child has about 89 percent of having an attention deficit disorder. This meant that Vincent’s focus of reaching Titan would be impossible with ADD. What is notable from the diagnosis, however, is the fact that it could not show that the baby’s probability of having a neurological disorder as well as bipolar depression was about 60 and 49 percent respectively. It could also not reveal that the baby’s probability of getting cardiovascular diseases was at 99%. This problem could be avoided by using the strongest scanning and screening technologies that can give even the finer details that an embryo has. If such methods were used, the negative features of the child could be revealed early enough and the parents could decide whether to get rid of the child or to go ahead and take care of that baby.
A claim of DNA is another main scientific problem in Gattaca movie. Jerome gives his urine and blood to Vincent so the DNA could reveal that Vincent has the best genes and he could be offered a career opportunity. What they find not known is that urine cannot be used to test the DNA of an individual since the urine of a normal person does not have genes. The way that this error could be avoided was through Jerome giving say his semen, hair, or saliva to Vincent that could be used to test the DNA. The screening of these body fluids and tissues could reveal that the genes of Vincent were fit and hence he could be given a chance in the career world and not to carry out menial jobs.
The notion that DNA has a time limit can be treated as another main scientific error in this movie. According to science, genes do not have a life span as they do not die at all. They can remain for the longest period of time that a person’s mind can remember. When the film is about to come to an end, Jerome, in his talk with Vincent, alludes that his supplies of DNA are more than enough and they can transcend two generations. However, he also states that since the DNA’s proteins stand being denatured, lasting a period of two lifespans can be a challenge. However, his argument is skewed. This scientific error could only be avoided by making people know that DNA does not have an expiry date. The proteins in it can survive forever even if a person dies.
It is clear that Gattaca movie is one of the best movies that predicted the scientific advances that are used in the current world today. It mainly discusses the case of genetic engineering whereby babies are produced by combining the best genetic traits from the father and the mother hence coming up with babies that have higher intelligence levels and highly improved health. There are some scientific errors in the movie, however, for example, embryonic screening, inaccurate diagnosis, claims to DNA, and that DNA has a time limit. All these errors have some proposed ways that could be used to solve them without changing the storyline of the movie.
