Tonight we heard about genetics and popular culture. Genetics is unlike much of the rest of science in that it has become of considerable interest to the general public. The fascination with genetics, genomics, and the power of genetic engineering has only increased over the last half century, since Watson and Crick made their discovery in 1953. Since that time, the public’s views, hopes, and fears of genetics and its potentials have developed and presented themselves in art, television, movies, books, and in almost every aspect of popular culture.
We can see genetics everywhere, represented sometimes factually, but often with mistakes or just fantasy. These mistakes and misrepresentations, though not accurate, sound good and may be convincing to most of us who are not trained in genetics. Although fiction is just that, these misunderstandings can cause problems and bring up questions for science and medicine. Dr. Wayne Grody mentioned the increased demand for genetic evidence jurors sometimes display after seeing shows like CSI, in which genetic evidence is omnipresent and in good, useable condition. Unrealistic expectations like these, brought on by fiction, may have a great impact on how we perceive genetic technology.
Another complicating factor is the political nature of genetic questions. Dr. Priscilla Wald mentioned that at the heart of TV shows and movies is always narrative. Narrative has the ability to pose arguments or bias viewers based on the not-always-correct “facts” presented. These subtle influences may lead the us, the public, in making decisions or opinions about various genetic tests, treatments and technologies that are not supported by the facts.
It is undeniable that genetics is an important part of our society and it is likely that it will continue to be an important framework and tool for us in the future. With the increasing exposure of genetics to popular culture, we may see more and more questions arise. Although we may not always find the answers to these questions, discussing them will lead us to a better understanding of the issues and how we might anticipate and prevent problems in the future. That said, we invite you to continue the discussion on “What’s popular about genetics.”
Parth
IHC Facilitator
