Archives - Program 2019

Humans of The Future: Too Perfect?

The quest for human perfection resembles science fiction: DNA alteration, genetically modified babies, armies of disease-resistant soldiers.

The growth of scientific innovations makes genome and human race modifications increasingly conceivable, disrupting ethical, political and scientific debates. On the one hand, what if we created humans capable of resisting certain diseases for military purposes? Genetic modification of humans could become a new "space race", pushing states to compete for the control of technologies. On the other hand, the fascination with technological transhumanism (hybridization of the human with computers) and eugenics (myth of perfection and health) is reawakened: but isn't a human being by definition imperfect? How can we understand this desire to escape from the human condition?

Les bébés sur mesure (Dream Babies), by Thierry Robert, analyses the evolution of reproductive techniques. From IVF, to HIV resistance, everything now seems possible, but at what cost?
Le débat se déroule en français.

Digital and innovation Health

Wednesday 13 March

20:15

Espace Pitoëff - Grande salle

Co-presented with the Maison d’Ailleurs

Speakers

Bertrand Kiefer Doctor, Editor-in-Chief of the Swiss Medical Journal

Marc Atallah Director of Maison d'Ailleurs, Senior Lecturer at the University of Lausanne

Moderated by

Isabelle Moncada Journalist, RTS

This debat is preceded by the movie:

Thematic film

Dream babies

By Robert Thierry

An Arte film
Babies with three biological parents, genetic modification of embryos before reimplantation, choice of sex and eye colour, in vitro fertilization with the sperm of "geniuses" : the tailor-made baby is fast becoming a reality. Behind the technology, a business is being put into place, and a profound reconsideration of our understanding of procreation, and ultimately of the human being, begins. An investigation of this imminent scientific and societal upheaval.