Science and Technology changing Society

Question 1

Name the three laws of robotics (by Isaac Asimov)

Answer 1

1. Robots must never harm human beings or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm.
2. Robots must follow instructions from humans without violating rule 1.
3. Robots must protect themselves without violating the other rules.

Question 2

What are some Pros of Robots/AI?

Answer 2

-“unlimited” memory
- could be beneficial in eldercare (dull duties, tasks that failing memories make difficult)
- military advantages (use in bomb disposal and surveillance to protect soldiers’ lives)

Question 3

What are some Cons of Robots/AI?

Answer 3

-“some very smart human things can be done in dumb ways by machines”
- Eldercare: a robot would not fulfill the human need of love and human contact.
- armed robots (AI systems can’t discriminate between a combatant and an innocent)
- lack of ethical guidelines

Question 4

How can you define artifical intelligence?

Answer 4

• The Science of making machines do things that lead us to believe they are intelligent.
• It is the person who designs the algorithms and programs the machine who is intelligent, not the machine itself
• Intelligence requires creativity, the ability of problem solving and thinking of new things. A computer can simply act on what has been fed to him.

Question 5

Define Genetic engineering

Answer 5

direct manipulation of an organism’s genetic make up

Question 6

What does GMO stand for?

Answer 6

genetically modified organisms

Question 7

When and what was the first GMO?

Answer 7

1973: bacteria

Question 8

GM food

Answer 8

• since 1994
• herbicide resistant or better nutritional values

Question 9

What are the capabilitys of stem cells?

Answer 9

• to develop into any kind of cell
• to reproduce themselves many times over

Question 10

What is the difference between stem cells in embryos and in adults?

Answer 10

• in embryos: develop into various body parts
• in adults: repair cells damaged e.g. by injury

Question 11

What is an ethically controversial fact about stem cell research?

Answer 11

pluripotent embryonic stem cells are taken from “leftover” fertilised embryos in fertility clinics
(In many countries strictly regulated or banned)

Question 12

Define cloning

Answer 12

(the process of) producing genetically identical cells and organisms

Question 13

What are the two types of cloning?

Answer 13

• therapeutic cloning
• reproductive cloning

Question 14

How does therapeutic cloning work?

Answer 14

-aims to manipulate stem cells to develop into tissues or whole organs needed for e.g. transplants
-Ethics: an embryo is destroyed

Question 15

How does reproductive cloning work?

Answer 15

• a cloned embryo would be transplanted into an unterus for development and natural birth
• ethics: forbidden on humans in most countrys

Question 16

What are some Pros of genetic engeneering?

Answer 16

• healthy babies
• less abortions
• helpful in terms of labour
• stopping genetic diseases
• stopping the spread of dangerious diseases (modified mosquitos immune to malaria)

Question 17

What are some cons of genetic engeneering?

Answer 17

• eugenics (will be very accessible very soon)
• expensive
• loss of diversity
• a reason to discriminate against people
• marketing
• unintended consequences
• weeding out babies with incurable diseases (fuels the view that lives of people with disabilities or genetic diseases are somehow less worthy)
• ethical problems (attempt to play God)

Question 18

What is a Gene Drive?

Answer 18

a way to pass on the gene to the offspring 100%

Question 19

Who are the Inventors of CRISPR and what makes them special?

Answer 19

• Biochemist Jennifer Doudna (US) & Microbiologist Emmanuella Charpentier (F)
• won Nobel Prize, first one only shared by women
• received the Nobel prize only 8 years after their discovery

Question 20

How did they find out about CRISPS?

Answer 20

• while examining streptucoccus-Bakteria
• were actually trying to develop a new antibiotics

Question 21

What are the steps of the CRISPR method?

Answer 21

1. Locating target
2. Cutting
3. Repairing

Question 22

How does CRISPR work/ why is it revolutionary?

Answer 22

It makes the selective modifications of the DNA at preselected sequences in the genome possible

Question 23

What is the first step of the CRISPR-Method?

Answer 23

Locating target:
- CRISPR-System recognises the target through the help of the guide RNA
- target: specific DNA-Sequence (supposed to get rewritten)
- the guide-RNA and the DNA of the target fit together perfectly

Question 24

What is the second step of the CRISPR-Method?

Answer 24

Cutting:
the Cas 9-Protein linked to the CRISPR-section cuts out the exact preselected sequence of the DNA-String
(double sequence DNA cleavage, Crispr-Cas-genetic scissors)

Question 25

What is the third step of the CRISPR-Method?

Answer 25

Repairing:
the repair-system of the cell put the string back together

Question 26

How does CRISPR help?

Answer 26

• scientists are able to study the function of genes more easily
• Plants can be changed to protect themselves from parasites and droughts better (custimised crops)
• in medicine: CRISPR makes new cancer therapies/treatments and the healing of heriditary diseases possible
• stopping the spread of dengerious diseases (genetically modified mosquito, which is immune to malaria)

Question 27

How was CRISPR abused?

Answer 27

• In China the first genetically changed human was born
• Ethics: comitees are now supposed to monitor experiments and studys