Biomedifuturism
From autonomous robots, via chip implants to deep brain stimulation – the boundaries between human and machine seem to fade. It confronts us with all kinds of challenges and questions, about current as well as future issues. Every year the Biomedical Master Students of Radboudumc explore futures of biomedical science. Their stories are bundled in the publication Biomedifuturism.
Exploring biomedical futures
Scientists have powerful tools in hands to shape the world for better or worse, but scientists don’t often stand still and ponder this power and how they personally relate and emote to the subjects they study.
After all, Western science attaches great value to objectivity and rationality. But to understand science’s power, it is important to understand how it is situated in society, how it relates to other forms of knowledge, and how to share and communicate science’s findings.
Over the course of two weeks, Master students are invited on a two-day journey into biomedifutures, a quest to become better researchers and communicators.
“Stories are powerful things: they create our reality as much as they explain it.”
Alex Evans, The Myth Gap
Science fiction prototyping
Students are asked to write a ‘day in the life’-story situated in the year 2083 using the method science fiction prototyping. The result is a mosaic of utopian and dystopian stories, of diseases cured forever and technology misused for financial gain. Read excerpts of a few stories below.
from: Neural Synchrony
It is January 20th, 2083. Me and my grandson Hans have an appointment at the genome sequencing centre.
“Are you nervous?,” I asked Hans, while we were sitting in the waiting room of the genome sequencing centre. “A little” he said. The day finally came that we were called in for whole genome sequencing to determine which treatment or combination of treatments would be best for his ADHD.
The path up to this point has not been easy for the both of us. Oh, how have the times changed. I have struggled with ADHD my whole life, but luckily, I belong to the generation in which ADHD was finally recognized as a real disorder. Still, when I was young, I had to try multiple types of therapy and drugs to determine which treatment worked for me personally. This process took me several years, but fortunately I was able to receive the right medication and counselling.
(..)
Using whole-genome sequencing, the unique gene variant combination is identified. Machine learning, based on the sequence data, will then provide the best treatment options for individual patients.
I remember when I was learning about machine learning and whole-genome sequencing during my time as a biomedical sciences student. At that time, the combination of these techniques was seen as an interesting line for future research and a pivotal step towards personalized medicine. Therefore, it is truly amazing to see that this line of future research came true.
from: Live Smart, Stay Smart
“You know how the Sustained live?”
“Yeah, I saw it in the advertisements. They work for one hour a week where they write down ideas to give to the AI Mother. Those who went to college check whether the AI Mother still functions within the laws. The rest of the time they play games, watch films and eat unhealthy snacks (..).”
“Yes, those are the families who were once working on or investing in AI and now they have enough money for several lifetimes of luxury. Whenever their habits backfire and they suffer health issues, they pay for a fix to get healed and it works. (..). If we live healthy on the other hand, most of the time we don’t need inventions like those. We have so easily forgotten the wisdom Nona repeated. The people at the Rainbow wish to spread this knowledge among the Needy, but also among the Sustained.”
“Why? They don’t need it!”
“No, but if they would live healthier, the healthcare costs could fall, at least a little, and Needy could be treated as well.”
“So, dad could have lived?”
“Yes, and other dads, moms and children won’t die before they are actually old.”
“But will the Sustained listen to them?”
“We can try.”
from: The Depressing Happiness of Life
Dobby enters my room, wanting a clear answer. At the same moment, another hologram pops up of Dr. Kaeleen, who I reached out several times asking for help for my depression as she used to work as a psychiatrist. ”Stop bothering me and leave problems of the past in the past! You are probably just imagining this.” At this point, all my hopes have been shattered as she was the only human left who had work in this field previously. Unfortunately, all other prior mental health workers are not around anymore, meaning that there is no one else left who I can reach out to. I do not know what to do anymore, because I have searched all archives and contacted everyone who I could find. “Please Dobby, help me!” “Okay Scarlex, I will prepare dinner”, Dobby replies. I break out crying thinking my life could not possibly get worse. After I had two bites of my dinner, thinking it would make me feel a bit better, Dobby sends a reminder to my LCD that I need to leave in 20 minutes for my monthly anti-depressant probiotic pill compatibility check.
Experiencing complexity and interconnectivity while learning long-term thinking skills
During the lectures and while writing their science fiction stories, students are challenged to explore the complexity and interconnectivity of global developments related to biomedical sciences. Long-term thinking weaves into this, because complex and so called ‘wicked’ problems like antibiotics resistance and climate change need long-term and transdisciplinary solutions. They critically explore emerging issues related to biomedical science and map second-degree and third-degree impacts by creating Future Wheels. These contain the seeds for their own futures stories.
The resulting narratives of biomedifuturism explore not just the biomedical perspective, but takeinto account politics, demographical transformations, and social dimensions. Students examine the frontiers of medical biology and explore the ethical, social and cultural issues that arise from the fading boundaries between human (alive and conscious) and machine (non-living and unconscious). Using AI art-to-image tools they co-create artwork with machines to create visions of utopian and dystopian futures.
Download biomedifuturism