Midday on Ethics: Tragic Triplets, Frankenstein at 200

Today, another edition of Midday on Ethics with Dr. Jeffrey Kahn of the Johns Hopkins Berman Institute of Bioethics. On this installment, we’ll explore some ethical questions drawn from the documentary film Three Identical Strangers and the novel Frankenstein.In the film, a set of triplets were adopted at six months old by separate families in the New York City area. The children were part of a secret scientific study that examined the outcomes for genetically identical children who were raised in different circumstances. We then shift the conversation to discuss the ethical consequences of the work of a fictional scientist, Dr. Frankenstein. The novel by Mary Shelley is now 200 years old. Yet, the ethical questions raised by the novel and the many Frankenstein films that followed raise relevant questions about what it means to be human and the hubris that many possess when creating and modifying life. Dr. Kahn will be part of a panel discussion at the Parkway Theatre on Oct. 31 titled ----What Frankenstein's Monster Can Teach Us About Being Human.---- The panel is part of a series of events hosted by Johns Hopkins University to celebrate the 200th anniversary of Frankenstein's publication. You can see a full list of events here.Email us at [email protected], tweet us: @MiddayWYPR, or call us at 410-662-8780.