Altered DNA: The Radiation Poisoning of today? ;)

Just a thought I had when watching the Spiderman movie a while back. The 'vegtable' thread got me thinking about it again so I thought I'd say something.

In Spiderman we see the good old Radioactive spider replaced with a genetically modified spider. Now we're all well aware that radiation isnt going to rpoduce super powers, just as we're all aware that a modified organism does not have the ability to magically modify anything it touches. ;)

It just seems to me that Genetics is replacing Radiation in movies and peoples thoughts on the subject are disturbingly simular to the thoughts people once had about radiation. "Ah! Its contagious! It will infect everyone and they will become horrible beasts!"

Thoughts? How right/wrong am I?

You're right - see my reply on the veggies thread.

I remember reading somewhere how stories (usually horror) reflect the scientific advances that are around at the time.....Frankenstien being written at a time when controlling electricity was a major advance in science....Dracula written at a time when they were just starting to develop blood transfusions.....

Playing on the fears of people is a good way to put a story across... and if little is still known about what's being written about...all the better for the story I guess :)

True enough.