Puzzle box shows can often focus too heavily on world building and mysteries while overlooking their characters – but Biohackers provides an engaging change of pace.
Mia joins a flat of eager student biohackers who use petri dishes in their refrigerators and alter their own genomes, hoping to win over her lecturer, Prof Tanja Lorenz. Her aim is to gain her trust before going forward.
Citizen Bio
This Showtime documentary investigates the rising phenomenon of biohacking, or citizen scientists who conduct their own experiments or conduct research outside conventional biomedical industry practices to optimize and upgrade their bodies. Grinders use their scientific backgrounds and interests to address issues like disease and aging. They’ve been known to inject stem cells, gene-splicing proteins, microbiomes or implant computer chips which transmit body data or activate devices. Some hackers even integrate hacking into performance art. Biohackers may have earned themselves a bad rap, but some biohackers have made significant breakthroughs, including Jonas Salk testing his polio vaccine on himself before it was widely distributed, as well as Chinese chemist Tu Youyou and Australian internist Barry Marshall discovering Helicobacter pylori causes stomach ulcers through self-experimentation.
Trish Dolman’s riveting film introduces us to a fascinating subculture characterized by science-fiction elements, conspiracy theories and self-serving hubris. Aaron Traywick, an self-professed biohacker who believes DIY genetic engineering technology will allow him to extend his lifespan and eradicate incurable diseases is at the centre of it all.
Biohacking is a carefully choreographed in-group performance that draws upon an alternative ontology of science that does not depend on representational modes or referential models (Pickering 2010: 73). Biohacking‘s methodology involves performing scientific practice rather than reflecting upon it as something consisting of truths and falsities (Latour 2004: 214).
Although Traywick himself is captivating, what really stands out about this documentary is when it veers away from its singular focus to examine his subculture’s intersection between noble goals and dubious methods – the film fails to explore this volatile dynamic sufficiently in-depth.
This movie is both mesmerising and thought-provoking, providing an examination of both human psychology and an underground movement. With an intriguing narrative and haunting soundtrack that captures its subject matter eerily well, The Ritual serves as a moving testament to human life that reminds us to cherish every moment as time slips away despite our best efforts at self-improvement and manipulation – but ultimately death awaits all of us in its inevitable embrace.
Unnatural Selection
Netflix’s four-episode docuseries about genetic engineering, maverick biohackers and designer babies begins with an alarming scene – setting the scene for this timely documentary series from producers of such award-winning documentaries as “The Genetic Code.”
“Citizen Bio” follows individuals striving to maximize the benefits of genomic technologies such as Crispr.
It features three patients suffering from genetic disorders and one whose DNA contains HIV who all seek treatments using Crispr-based gene editing technology. Josiah Zayner is a self-described biohacker who sells home gene editing kits online; his unorthodox approaches and regulatory concerns are highlighted as this episode explores whether such powerful technology could ever be misused.
The show offers an engaging journey, featuring multiple perspectives. Alongside three patients featured in its premiere episode, viewers also meet a college professor who advocates biohacking and tests out DNA-altering tools on himself, a Mississippi dog breeder and businessmen working to bring Crispr-based treatments to market; furthermore there are siblings living with cystic fibrosis who desperately require lifesaving drugs; this series explores tension between academic science and those trying to bring the benefits of Crispr to a mass market.
Unnatural Selection differs from other biohacking movies by not shying away from discussing its risks and ethical considerations, including interviews with experts in biology, medicine, law and technology fields – such as interviews with specialists from biology, medicine and law – making clear just how hazardous gene editing can be for human life, war or eugenics projects, discrimination or warfare. Furthermore, it raises important issues around genetic discrimination through gene editing techniques used as weapons in wartime scenarios or used against genetic discrimination by nations or discrimination between genetically diverse populations using gene editing technologies in general versus genetic discrimination due to potential issues surrounding weaponisation of gene editing as an anti-war tool in potential battle situations eugenics discrimination of some sort involving discriminatory aims that might arise with gene editing being weaponised compared with traditional gene editing technologies used as weapons in conflict zones and genetic discrimination that exists across nations versus genetic discrimination between those involved with regards to use potential weapons of war use when gene editing becomes weaponised through use as weapons of wartime discrimination caused by discriminatory laws against genetic discrimination discrimination or discrimination through gene editing technology being weaponised and discriminatory uses such as weaponisation eugenisation and discrimination or genetic discrimination and discrimination being discussed among others raised throughout its production and potential use within its implementation in countries as weapons against wartime war or as weaponized weaponisation of genetic discrimination between nations as potential wartime; with potential war zones when gene editing could become weapons or discriminated upon using gene editing as weapons being weaponised as weaponised as weapons weaponisation or genetic discrimination become weapons or weaponised using genetic.
Although this film does a solid job of covering many facets of this new field, at times it can feel frenetic without a clear narrative voice to guide its story. Furthermore, at times there can be confusion regarding various genomic technologies or scaremongering about future forms of gene editing technologies that don’t exist yet – however despite these shortcomings it remains worthwhile watching for its insight into this exciting and potentially revolutionary technology.
Mindhack
MINDHACK is a visual novel in which you get to transform evildoers’ minds into blooming gardens of beauty. As an expert hacker, you are capable of penetrating and dismantling other people’s thoughts; within this game, this allows you to change criminal personalities by either erasing or typing specific words into their brains, alter their eye color or even change prisoner names! Set against both fantasy and real world conditions.
Beginning in a jail cell, security guards bring you before a criminal. They call you a ‘doctor” due to your extraordinary talent of hacking into people’s minds and turning nefarious intentions into blossoming fields of flowers. At your special facility where BUGs (Bullets of Unhappiness) from citizens are removed and converted into well-mannered civilians; you have many patients including sea urchin gang leaders, fanatics of dangerous cults, demon kings who wish to destroy humanity all as well as fatal glitches who threaten humanity altogether!
Mindhack features both discussion sequences and typing segments where players must attempt to patch prisoners’ flaws with a special interface that shows your hands as you type. The graphics have an attractive retro sci-fi aesthetic with special hands-over-keyboard effects; dialogue is engaging; characters believable and relatable; the music adds atmosphere of dystopian setting; plus it’s also easy for even novice gamers to play this engaging and immersive title!
Mindhack differs from its predecessors by not offering in-game currency or microtransactions, instead featuring a rewards system which gives bonus points when players purchase in-game items or complete tasks that reward them bonus points, which they can then use to unlock new items or earn achievements for completing specific tasks. Furthermore, there’s even an interactive chat room where players can connect and discuss their progress while having fun while playing!
Biohackers
Netflix has once again created waves with their sci-fi thriller Biohackers, the German series following medical student Anna. Anna sets off on an investigation related to a family tragedy connected with a professor promoting synthetic biology – an emerging form of laboratory work which involves manipulating living organisms for industrial use, often seen as highly risky – creating vaccines, drugs and biofuels among other applications.
While some use the term biohacking to refer to an overall movement, others take it more literally by conducting biotechnological experiments on themselves. Such biotechnological trials might include trying different substances or injecting synthetic hormones to increase performance – these biotechnological trials can range from trying new ones to adding synthetic hormones into your system for increased performance – some may be highly risky and could have fatal results; American biohacker Aaron Traywick tragically passed away after trying to administer ketamine via syringe bypassing traditional clinical testing procedures and administering through syringe and bypassing traditional clinical testing procedures for medical testing procedures.
These self-experimenters, known as “biohackers”, often conduct self-experiments for personal growth or spiritual enlightenment purposes. Many experiments take place using online forums and communities as platforms.
Though biohacker movements have historically been limited to Western and Westernized countries, with most participants hailing from Westernized areas, globalisation allows individuals from diverse cultures and languages to engage with one another via the internet. Participants share common language, interests, and experiences while hackers share ideas through blogs, mailing lists, discussion forums, wikis etc.
Biohacking‘s unique value lies in its ability to combine therapeutic and enhancement efforts into one cohesive vision of human optimisation. For instance, L-theanine may help heal an illness but can also be administered intravenously as a performance enhancer.
The show, set against scenic lake scenes and airy student flats, also takes place in an innovative lab where biohackers experiment on human bodies. One unique aspect is that its first episode was stored as DNA data; making this recording method the first time ever used in television history!
