Splash Biography

What does it mean to bring an extinct dinosaur back to life? How does Dr. Grey decide between saving two patients? We will be examining bioethical issues in movie and TV portrayals: everything from Jurassic Park to Grey's Anatomy! Bioethics is all about the ethics of biological innovations and procedures. Although the issues presented in film can seem far-fetched and fictional, many of their ethical implications are relevant to the real world!

Should we let robots do surgery? Is it okay to test prescription drugs on animals? Should we let parents use CRISPR technology to alter their baby’s DNA? There’s no clear answer, but this exploratory course can help! We will tackle major ethical issues in the bioengineering and medical fields, often bringing in examples from media, like “Grey's Anatomy” or “Gattaca.” After an introduction to the four pillars of bioethics, students will be able to engage in open discussions about a variety of bioethical topics ranging from biotechnology to clinical bioethics. Through this, we will help them hone their problem-solving and analytical skills.