TS : bionic eye

When we define the « idea of progress » we usually say that progress is positive: medical progress, social progress, technological progress …all have contributed to our modern-day world being a better place. But how does this technological progress change our lives, is it really a positive change or are we becoming too dependent on new technologies?


1°Bionic eyes :https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R_cCCcafHlg

Gattaca :Gattaca deals with a future that draws ever-ever closer where parents dictate the genetic makeup of their child. Before gestation, embryos are screened for diseases, addictions and other undesirable qualities, and a so-called "Valid" is produced, a child who has his or her lifetime's potential mapped out for them, with perfect 20/20 vision. This is science fiction operating within the "not-too-distant" future, representing a world which is totally familiar, apart from this central trope of genetic engineering, and the prospect of regular rocket launches to the furthest moons of Saturn. It also deals sensitively with the recurrent sci-fi issues of what exactly it is that constitutes humanity: are these perfect children with flawless genes truly human?

Vincent (Ethan Hawke) is one of the last of the 'In-Valids', conceived in love rather than in a test tube. Upon his birth a DNA test suggests he has a 99% chance of developing a heart defect and dying before he is 30. This condemns him to a life lived in fear of early death, a life where he is a source of constant terror to his parents, where schools bar him for being an insurance liability and where he is denied the chance to achieve his dream — that of being a space pilot. His father tells him "Son, the only time you're going to see the inside of a space shuttle is if you're cleaning it."

But Vincent refuses to accept this brave new world, and seeks a way to deny his genetic destiny. He strikes a deal with a crippled Valid, Jerome (Jude Law), and steals his genetic identity. What makes us who we are? Gattaca's answer to this is biological, a meticulous series of close up shots of skin flakes, eyelashes, urine, pinpricks of blood — all the substances used for DNA testing. Vincent layers the biological fragments that make up Jerome on top of his own identity, and applies for the space programme under a false guise.

2° One of the latest inventions is Google Glass, a pair of glasses which do much more than the average smartphone or computer. Is this kind of technological progress positive or will it lead to people becoming more isolated and more stressed?
A DAY WITH GOOGLE GLASSES (ADVERT): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JSnB06um5r4

2°GOOGLE GLASSES PROJECT, A video showing a typical day with Google Glass : :https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JSnB06um5r4

3°Robots teach kids with autism to play : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lm3vE7YFsGM