The Illinois Humanities Council presents the third program in their series: “Future Perfect: Conversations on the Meaning of the Genetics Revolution.”
CHICAGO – Research suggests that our genetic makeup may determine our behavior, health, and life expectancy. Yet, there is debate about how and to what extent.
If our genes do predispose us to certain behaviors or conditions, does this change our notions of free will? In Kevin Guilfoile’s novel Cast of Shadows, a Chicago doctor clones his daughter’s unknown assailant so he can one day see what her killer looks like. Do we assume this little boy will be a killer because he has a killer’s genes? How much control do we have over our lives and our behavior? Join scientists, writers, and ethicists as they engage in a lively discussion on the relationship between genetics and free will.
How Free Are We? Genetics and Free Will will take place on Wednesday, November 8 from 6:00-8:00 P.M. at the Duncan YMCA Chernin Center for the Arts (1001 W. Roosevelt Road, Chicago). How Free Are We? is presented in partnership with the American Medical Association and the Duncan YMCA.
The speakers for this program arenovelist Kevin Guilfoile, author of Cast of Shadows; Eric Turkheimer, Ph.D., Professor of Psychology, University of Virginia; and Laurie Zoloth, Ph.D., Director, Center for Bioethics, Science and Society, Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medicine. Jeremy Manier, science and medical writer with the Chicago Tribune, will moderate this discussion.
This event is free and open to the public, but reservations are required. To make reservations or for more information, contact the IHC at 312.422.5580 or send an email to ihc@prairie.org. This event is wheelchair accessible. There is free parking at this event available at the rear of the building.
How Free Are We? is part of the Illinois Humanities Council’s year-long series, Future Perfect: Conversations on the Meaning of the Genetics Revolution. Programs are taking place around the state — in Carbondale, Chicago, Decatur, Galesburg, Jacksonville, Lewistown, and Peoria — to increase public knowledge of genetics by engaging Illinoisans in conversations about the genetics revolution and its impact on the individual and on society. Programs feature scholars, scientists, ethicists, artists, medical professionals, and philosophers as guest speakers. For a full calendar of events or for more information, please visit www.prairie.org/genetics. “Future Perfect” is funded in part by grants from the Motorola Foundation and The Boeing Company. Chicago Public Radio (WBEZ 91.5) and Illinois Channel are media sponsors for “Future Perfect.”
The Illinois Humanities Council is a nonprofit educational organization [501 (c) 3] dedicated to fostering a culture in which the humanities are a vital part of the lives of individuals and communities. Organized in 1973 as the state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities, the IHC creates programs and funds organizations that promote greater understanding of, appreciation for, and involvement in the humanities. The IHC is supported by state, federal, and private funds.
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