By Rachel Martinez, Public Relations Chair 2024-2025
Many individuals are familiar with the tale of Frankenstein, but not many have considered the engineering reality behind it! To give a quick synopsis, the story follows a talented scientist, Victor Frankenstein, who manages to create life through one of his experiments. However, this isn’t an immediate success, as the specimen he creates is seen as a hideous creature by both the public and Victor himself. [1]
Now, you may ask, how does engineering play a role in the novel? Although the story is fictional, the implications of engineering are very present! The world of biomedical engineering is woven throughout the novel, from the “piecing together” of Frankenstein’s creation to the ethical discourse that many biomedical engineers face today.
Dr. Frankenstein created life by stitching together the body parts of various corpses, demonstrating a real-life parallel to tissue engineering and organ transplants, where scientists use human cells to create or repair living tissue. This is similar to the advancements in genetic engineering, such as CRISPR gene editing. CRISPR is a gene-editing technology that allows scientists to modify an organism’s DNA, much like Frankenstein’s exploration of manipulating genetic material to create an entirely new life form. While the idea of assembling different corpses seems rather outlandish, it can be compared to the modern-day technology of xenotransplantation, where animal organs (such as pig hearts) are transplanted into humans. This has been a growing research field! Reflecting on the story of Frankenstein gives us the ability to recognize similar technological advancements going on in our current world!
As with every advancement in biomedical engineering, it must confront the ethical dilemmas of reality. As with Frankenstein’s creature, there is debate over whether humanity would be prepared to face the unforeseen biological, societal, or environmental risks with such advances in technology of this field. This raises the question: should we proceed with such radical technologies before fully understanding their long-term effects? What would happen if something goes wrong (hopefully not as disastrously as in Frankenstein’s case)? Should there be a limit to how far researchers can go in experimenting on human life? Frankenstein allows us to carefully consider the ethics of scientific advancement and the responsibilities us engineers should take toward our own “creations”.
Mary Shelley, the Author of Frankenstein, has offered us more than just a tale of horror; she presented us a reflection of our own biomedical world. It’s truly amazing how our favorite stories can collide with our real life passions! Have a safe and wonderful Halloween SWEeties!
References:
“Frankenstein – Plot summary” BBC Bitesize, 23 May 2023 https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/guides/z2s3j6f/revision/1#:~:text=Walton’s%20ship%20again-,Frankenstein%20%2D%20Plot%20summary,Victor%20and%20mankind%20in%20general.