Dr. Frankenstein

Newswise — Can a monster from the past help scientists of the future find direction? A traveling exhibit devoted to the fictional character Frankenstein reminds us that the scientific buzzwords of our new century " cloning, genetic engineering, gene manipulation " can raise troubling questions about very the nature of humanity. The ability to create life in a laboratory " science fiction in 1818 when Mary Shelley wrote the classic novel " now looms on the near horizon. "The National Library of Medicine's traveling Frankenstein exhibit now in Birmingham provides an intriguing catalyst for discussions about medical responsibility, scientific experimentation and the nature of life itself," says Stefanie Rookis, curator of the Alabama Museum of the Health Sciences at UAB.