UCLA Program on
Medicine, Technology and Society

Goethe-Institut 
Los Angeles

Present

Symposium

ENHANCING THE HUMAN:
GENOMICS, SCIENCE FICTION, AND ETHICS COLLIDE.

 		In this symposium, scientists, ethicists, philosophers and cultural historians from Germany and America discussed how recent technological breakthroughs may alter us by making possible the enhancement of human biology and the creation of conscious machines.

Audio video clips from the symposium held May 21, 2000 are available below.  

Real Player 7 required

Gregory Stock
UCLA School of Medicine, Director of the Program on Medicine, Technology and Society.
Books include METAMAN: The Merging of Humans and Machines into a Global Superorganism, Engineering the Human Germline, and The Book of Questions.		 Real player video clips

1.   An Evolutionary Transition - 6:23
2.   What it Means to be Human - 5:39
3.   The Pressures for Enhancement- 6:30
4.   Regulation - 5:33
5.   The Role of the Free Market - 2:28
6.   Q.&A. - Utopias & Dystopias - 1:06
7.   Q.&A. - Personal Choices - :36
8.   Q.&A. - Confidence in the Future - :24
Peter Sloterdijk
Hochschule für Gestaltung, Karlsruhe. Books include Critique of Cynical Reason and Rules for the Human Park. To learn more about Prof. Sloterdijk and the recent debate regarding his "Rules for the Human Park" please visit the site maintained by the Goethe-Institut Boston.		  Intro by Gregory Stock
1.   Opening Comments - 4:40
2.   Battle of Giants - 4:26
3.   American and Theoretical Gothic - 4:45
4.   The Third Value - Information - 6:21
5.   The High Context World - 5:04
6.   Question and Answer - 9:11
7.   Panel - The European View- 2:13
8.   Panel - Enhancement - 3:32
9.   Panel - The Role of Hope - 6:55
10.  Panel - Final Comments - 1:36
Daniel Kevles
California Institute of Technology, Directs Program in Science, Ethics, and Public Policy. His books include The Code of Codes: Scientific and Social Issues in the Human Genome Project, The X-Factor, and The Battle over the Ramifications of a Gay Gene.		 1.   Dreams of Eugenics - 5:27
2.   Positive Eugenics - 7:18
3.   Artificial Insemination & IVF - 4:59
4.   Muller and Human Enhancement - 4:48
5.   Q&A 1 - 5:05
6.   Q&A 2 - 2:34
7.   Q&A 3 - 2:54
8.   Q&A 4 - 4:46 

 
Gregory Benford
Physicist, educator, screenwriter and two time NEBULA AWARD winning author, Prof.Gregory Benford of UC Irvine will make the case for individual choice in his talk "Freedom and Franchise: The Argument Against Control." Dr. Benford's best known fictional works are Against Infinity, Great Sky River, and Timescape.		 1.   The Natural and the Artificial - 6:54
2.   Regulation of Technology - 7:07
3.   Parental Choice - 5:51
4.   Freedom and Choice - 4:52
5.   Q&A 1 - 3:36
6.   Q&A 2 - 2:53
7.   Q&A 3 - 3:04
Paul Billings
"Zeus's Revenge: Myths, Moxie and Human Genetic Enhancement" is the title of Dr Paul Billing's presentation. A founding fellow of the American College of Medical Genetics, Dr.Billings is a frequent lecturer on genetics and medicine. He sits on the Board of Directors of the Council for Responsible Genetics and is the editor-in chief of GeneSage's GeneLetter.
 1.   Ideas of Genetic Enhancement - 4:51
2.   Foregoing Technologies - 4:35
3.   Genetic Uncertainties - 4:07
4.   The Narcissism of Eugenics - 5:01
5.   Q&A 1 - 3:26
6.   Q&A 2 - 2:12
7.   Q&A 3 - 2:23
8.   Q&A 4 - 2:53

Photos from the event reception

Participants Biographies

Co-produced by the Goethe-Institut and the UCLA Program on Medicine, Technology and Society.

Links:  Goethe-Institut Los Angeles  

UCLA Program on Medicine, Technology and Society