The "immortal" hybridoma cells under a microscope. The intersections of bioart, the immersion of art and biology, and the expression of concepts and reactions to the concept of immortality is an area readily explored by many artists, scientists, and students alike, with intense modern focus on the extension of life through laboratorial cellular [...]
With the discussion of life preservation, one might think about organ donations. It's perceived as a humble sacrifice, honorable even, to selfless offer a piece of your anatomy to aid in another. However, due to high demand from the people in need and the value of bodily parts has birthed a dangerous market. In countries [...]
I have a great deal of respect and admiration for the creators of the show Rick and Morty, in large part due to their comical and captivating responses to issues relating to existence and the infinite. While the show is set in a fictional universe with extravagantly sci-fi hypotheticals, it poses intriguing questions in each [...]
The House of the Scorpion by Nancy Farmer is a science fiction story set in the not so distant future in what we know as Mexico. Set on an estate that produces massive quantities of Opium and is ruled by a powerful drug lord named Matteo Alacran, the story depicts a disturbing but likely portrayal of [...]
Dolly Sheep with scientist who created her Ian Wilmut Scientists first began cloning with frogs in the 1950’s, not extremely successful but since then things have only gone forward. The first mammal being Dolly the sheep in 1996, that died five years later. However, human cloning is a controversial topic and has yet [...]
The Talmud is a key text in Judaism recorded in the first or 2nd century CE over the course of 600 years. It is comprised of rabbinic discussions of the Oral Law, statutes not written in the Torah that were passed on through oral tradition from rabbis to students. Rabbis became concerned that the Oral [...]
Our lives can end at any moment. Even if we entertain the possibility of indefinite life by means of medical technology, we cannot escape the risk of being killed in any number of unexpected ways. Some have attempted to quantify this risk. The micromort is a concept introduced by Ronald Howard in 1980, which is [...]
With the ever-advancing technology of virtual reality and simulated experiences, one can be placed in an alternate space that feels and looks very, maybe too real. Through sound, 360-degree visuals, and even sensory stimulation, VR artists are toeing the boundaries of realistic computerized scenarios. We see such an invention being used as a new form [...]
We’ve discussed preservation before with Egyptian mummies, however, the “bog bodies” are a unique but related case. Their preservation was completely unintentional and a unique occurrence. Located in various countries in Europe such as the UK, Denmark, Ireland, Germany etc, the bodies date back to the Iron Age 800 B.C. to 200 A.D. The bodies [...]
Qin Shihuang, China’s First Emperor, ascended to the throne of the state of Qin in 246 BCE at the age of 13. During his 36 year reign, he defeated the kingdom’s neighbors, completed the Great Wall of China, and united the states in order to form most of modern day China. However, as soon as [...]