Emerging Scholars Blog

InterVarsity's Emerging Scholars Network

biology

Science Corner: Lightning in a Novel

Image of backlit Frankenstein creature running through the woods
What does this shadowy figure from the past have to say to the present? (Photo by maraisea)

Twenty five years after the original Jurassic Park film brought photo-realistic digital dinosaurs to the big screen, the latest entry in the franchise opens this weekend. While covering the previous film, I brought up Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein and the influence it has on the Jurassic stories and also our perception of science, especially biology. This year is also the 200th anniversary of that novel, first published in 1818 when Shelley was just 20. In honor of that milestone, several universities have put it on their summer reading list. Shelley’s story will also be the springboard for my upcoming talk at this year’s ASA meeting. So it seems like a good time to explore some of the themes of Frankenstein and the world of Jurassic Park.
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Summer Book Suggestion: Strange Survivors by Oné Pagán

As we anticipate summer rhythms, ESN wants to offer book suggestions from our readers. Our hope is that this will provide great conversation starters for ESN members as you engage with each other online and at events like the upcoming InterVarsity faculty retreats and the American Scientific Affiliation conference. We also hope you find some great summer reading. The format is simple: Give us the title, a quotation from the book if desired (150 words or less), and a paragraph on why this book is worth reading (for Christian scholars in general or for you individually). The book can be related to your academic work and life, or related to theology and living the Christian life, or recreational reading that helps you rest and enjoy the summer. Prior Summer Book Suggestions 2018: Spiritual Rhythm by Mark Buchanan and Every Job a Parable by John Van Sloten. Please send us your suggestions in a similar format. Thank you. [Read more…] about Summer Book Suggestion: Strange Survivors by Oné Pagán

Science Corner: Designer Genes

Photo of mosquito
Don’t worry; no one is trying to make human/mosquito hybrids. (Yet.) (Image: James Gathany, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [Public domain])

It’s been a busy week in the world of applied biology. Genetically modified mosquitoes were released in the Cayman Islands in an effort to disrupt Zika virus transmission; Florida is considering a similar intervention now that infections have occurred there. While the FDA approved the use of such mosquitoes, Congress has prevented it from even considering any procedures that intentionally modify human embryos in an inheritable way. Meanwhile, the NIH is preparing to fund research involving human-animal hybrids (think pigs with organs suitable for human transplant, not centaurs or werewolves). And that’s not to mention the ongoing conversation about the use of genetically modified organisms for food which factors into the political landscape this election season.
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