Latest By
Category:
Armor
Artificial
Intelligence
Biology
Clothing
Communication
Computers
Culture
Data Storage
Displays
Engineering
Entertainment
Food
Input Devices
Lifestyle
Living Space
Manufacturing
Material
Media
Medical
Miscellaneous
Robotics
Security
Space Tech
Spacecraft
Surveillance
Transportation
Travel
Vehicle
Virtual
Person
Warfare
Weapon
Work
"The writing is clicking away in my head and piling up, and unless I get it on paper somehow it's going to create uncomfortable pressure in my skull."
- Isaac Asimov
 |
| Automated DNA Typing | ||
| A device that takes quick samples of DNA and compares each sample to a database. |
In the future society depicted in the film, employment is strictly controlled. Certain positions have absolute genetic requirements.
In fact, for particular jobs, you must prove every day that you are who you say you are. And you must prove that you are genetically pure and worthy - every day. To make sure, you give a small blood sample taken by an automated DNA typing machine.
 (Employees provide a DNA sample upon entry)
 (A droplet of blood from each employee is analyzed) |
| From Gattaca,
by Andrew Niccol. Published by Columbia Pictures in 1997 Additional resources -
|
DNA typing (also called genetic fingerprinting, DNA testing, DNA typing, and DNA profiling) was invented by Sir Alec Jeffreys at the University of Leicester in 1985. Since human beings have almost all genetic material in common with each other, genetic fingerprinting exploits highly variable repeating sequences called minisatellites. Two unrelated humans will be unlikely to have different numbers of minisatellites at a given locus.
At present, DNA typing can be (to some extent) automated, but it is too time-consuming to provide a good access-control technology as shown in the film.
Comment/Join this discussion ( 0 ) | RSS/XML | Blog This |
Additional
resources:
More Ideas
and Technology from Gattaca
More Ideas
and Technology by Andrew Niccol
Tech news articles related to Gattaca
Tech news articles related to works by Andrew Niccol
Automated DNA Typing-related
news articles:
- DNA Fingerprint Database For Workers Gattaca-Style Proposed
- Gattaca-Style DNA Databank For 3 Million Americans
- Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act Passed
- Spartan DX Real-Time DNA Check
- Eyedox Genetic Test To Exclude Color Blind
- Boy Banned From School For Bad Genes
- Court OK's DNA Collection Like 'Gattaca'
- Kuwait Creates Mandatory DNA Database For Citizens
- Is Genetic Testing At Businesses A Bad Idea?
- Should You Submit Your DNA To A Database?
| Biotech Firms Raised $Millions For Anti-Agathics (Longevity Drugs) |
| Medical Tattoos Are STILL Being Researched |
| Rise Of Skywalker Could Trigger Epileptic Seizures |
| Injectable Magnetic Fluid Slows Bleeding, Aids Magneto |
Want to Contribute an
Item?
It's easy:
Get the name of the item, a
quote, the book's name and the author's name, and Add
it here.
| <Previous | Next> |
|
|
|
Technovelgy (that's tech-novel-gee!) is devoted to the creative science inventions and ideas of sf authors. Look for the Invention Category that interests you, the Glossary, the Invention Timeline, or see what's New.
|
Convincing video shows progress (and limitations).
'The speech patterns you actually hear decode the brainwave matrix which has been fed into your mind by your Babel fish.'
'Against Death doth no simple grow.'
'His legs relaxed with a rattle as he cut off all power below his waist... and ran his eye down the Help Wanted - Robot column...'
'It can be mass-produced only in the orbiting factories.'
'He realized that it was not quite a clear lens.'
'Noiselessly, on rubber-tired wheels, they journeyed down the long aisles...'
'Here is the chronoscope... Scansion depends upon a special curved field...'
'It's illegal to hold back information during a psyche test.'
