8 'Yeah, Science!' Moments In Film And TV

6. Genetics By Design - Gattaca

Much like Her, Gattaca grapples with an issue that our technological advancements may force us to grapple with one day.

Gene therapy is beginning to truly realise its potential at the moment, and soon we could be using it to treat a huge variety of ailments that we currently combat with pharmaceutical drugs. As anyone with half a brain knows, prevention is better than a cure, so it could be that we see gene modification coming into preventative medicine too, perhaps treating birth defects in utero, or screening and modifying parent's genes before fertilisation.

The thing is, is that this quickly leads you down the road of designer humans. I Gattaca, the majority of babies are conceived through IVF, and genetic screening ensures that only the genetically superior embryos get a chance at life. This creates not only a society of genetically perfect humans, but also a genetic underclass. Those conceived and born by natural means, such as the central character, Vincent, are restricted from all but the lowest jobs

The great thing is that Gattaca not only deals with the possibility of creating a whole new reason for humans to discriminate against one another, but also with the idea of genetic determinism. It explores the notion that our lives, capabilities and our characteristics are not completely dictated by our genes, and that sheer determination can work just as well - a nature/nurture debate that still rages on in the real world.