Cyborg Reading Group [In Person]

Doors Open @ 6:30pm, Reading Group starts @ 7:00pm

Join our Cyborg Reading Group to discuss the ethical and social implications of emerging technologies and their intersections with life sciences, with Kathryn Hamilton, Liz McClellan, Megan Hines, and other Genspace community members. Exploring topics from feminist critiques of biotech; to leftist biology and niche construction; to interspecies collaboration, we’ll meet once every few months to discuss a topic through the lens of a science paper, a work of science fiction, and a piece of bio-art.

This month’s topic is: MYTHS IN REPRODUCTIVE SCIENCE. Once upon a time, the world didn't know that sperm and eggs contribute in a cytologically equal way to reproduction. The theory of preformation (the theory, now discarded, that an embryo develops from a complete miniature version of the organism rather than two distinct sex cells) crept its way into the reproductive sciences in the form of the homunculi - a tiny preformed human packaged within each sperm. Where did this idea come from? How did scientists move closer to the truth about fertilization? What myths and gaps in knowledge still persist in the reproductive sciences today? And how does the language we use to talk about all of this influence our understanding, identity, and even our policy decisions?”

Selected Readings:

• 72 Letters - Ted Chiang   
• Choosy Eggs May Pick Sperm for Their Genes, Defying Mendel’s Law | Quanta Magazine - Carrie Arnold
• The Fertilization Enigma: How Sperm and Egg Fuse | Annual Reviews- Victoria E. Deneke and Andrea Pauli
• The Ly6/uPAR protein Bouncer is necessary and sufficient for species-specific fertilization | Science- Sarah Herberg, Krista R. Gert, Alexander Shleiffer, and Andrea Pauli  
• The Egg and the Sperm: How Science Has Constructed a Romance Based on Stereotypical Male-Female Roles  - Emily Martin 
• What Biological Stories are Americans Telling About the Egg and the Sperm? A Study Inspired by Emily Martin 30 Years Later- Rene Almeling 

Note: We are charging a small fee to provide snacks and drinks at the event. No one will be turned away for lack of funds. If you need financial assistance, please email us at [email protected] to sign up. Please include your full name, email address, and the name of this workshop.

COVID-19 Safety Notice:

If you are feeling unwell, suspect that you have been exposed to COVID-19 or have tested positive in the past 7 days, please do not attend and let us know ASAP ([email protected]). If you cancel after our 7-day policy, we cannot refund your ticket, but we can exchange and offer credits toward future classes. If you have signed up for Biohacker Boot Camp, we will automatically transfer your registration to the next month’s dates unless you tell us otherwise.

Alyssa Shearer (she/her) is currently a science educator at the Horace Mann School where she teaches in and coordinates their Science Research Program. She holds a doctorate in biomedical research from Columbia University. Through these experiences and others she has formed a strong interest in the influences science and society have on one another, and enjoys exploring these topics through critical pedagogy, science fiction, art, policy, and activism. She is also a leader of March for Science NYC , a member of Science for the People, and holds a doctorate in biomedical research from Columbia University.

Hannah (they/she) is a writer and researcher with an undying love and passion for all things feminist science studies! With a strong focus in health justice and community research ethics, Hannah believes in examining science from every angle, especially the social contexts in which it’s created and applied.

Currently, they’re doing research at Canopie (a maternal mental health organization) and co-showrunning/starring in “It’s Complicated,” a radio call-in style internet show dedicated to untangling complicated relationships (@itscomplicated.show)!

Host or Publisher Genspace NYC