Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis enables parents to make sure their future child won't suffer from any inherited diseases but what is also possible is....for the parents to choose the sex, eye colour, hair colour and more ! A controversial topic... Here is a glimpse of what scientists think.
"Fantasy is a genre of fiction that commonly uses magic and
other supernatural phenomena as a primary plot element, theme, or setting. Many
works within the genre take place in imaginary worlds where magic and magical
creatures are common. Fantasy is generally distinguished from the genres of
science fiction and horror by the expectation that it steers clear of
scientific and macabre themes, respectively, though there is a great deal of
overlap between the three, all of which are subgenres of speculative fiction. In popular culture, the fantasy genre is predominantly of
the medievalist form, especially since the worldwide success of The Lord of the
Rings and related books by J. R. R. Tolkien. In its broadest sense, however,
fantasy comprises works by many writers, artists, filmmakers, and musicians,
from ancient myths and legends to many recent works embraced by a wide audience
today. Fantasy is a vibrant area of academic study in a number of
disciplines (English, cultural studies, comparative literature, history,
medieval studies). Work in this area ranges widely, from the structuralist
theory of Tzvetan Todorov, which emphasizes the fantastic as a liminal space,
to work on the connections (political, historical, literary) between
medievalism and popular culture."
"Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with
imaginative content such as futuristic settings, futuristic science and technology,
space travel, time travel, faster than light travel, parallel universes, and
extraterrestrial life. It often explores the potential consequences of
scientific and other innovations, and has been called a "literature of
ideas".Authors commonly use science fiction as a framework to explore
politics, identity, desire, morality, social structure, and other literary
themes."
WATCH...
A video discussing the differences between science fiction and fantasy.
HORROR FILMS
Those are the extracts we studied in class.
The Shining - 1980
Se7en (opening credits) - 1995
Paranormal Activity - 2007
WANNA READ ? Here are only some suggestions...It's up to you !!
FANTASY AND SCIENCE FICTION BOOKS
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland - Lewis Carroll (1865)
1984 - George Orwell ( 1948)
Lord of the Flies - William Golding (1954)
Harry Potter - J.K. Rowling ( 1997 as far as the first volume is concerned)
The Hunger Games - Suzanne Collins ( 2008)
Twilight - Stephenie Meyer (2005)
Star Wars - Timothy Zahn (1977)
The Lord of the Rings - J.R.R. Tolkien (1954 !!!)
The Hobbit- J.R.R. Tolkien ( 1937, even more amazing !)
The Kingkiller Chronicles - Patrick Rothfuss (2007)
Junk food : it refers to all the foods that contain too much sugar, fat or salt and thus, are not healthy at all ( or at least, that could impact your health if you consumed them in huge quantities).
If you have never watched this documentary, it's high time you did ! Here is the trailer :
What is food turned into ?
STATISTICS
FROM VEGANISM TO FREEGANISM
First, a definition for those who tend to confuse vegetarians and vegans:
- veganism is a type of vegetarian diet that excludes meat,
eggs, dairy products and all other animal-derived ingredients. Many vegans also
do not eat foods that are processed using animal products, such as refined
white sugar and some wines. Most vegans also avoid the use of all products
tested on animals, as well as animal-derived non-food products, such as
leather, fur and wool.
- Vegan refers to either a person who follows this way of
eating, or to the diet itself.
- Freeganism is an anti-consumerist movement. It takes issue
with society's focus on buying new and throwing away old (but still useful)
items. In the simplest terms, freeganism is a reaction against the waste of
resources. Participants, known as "freegans," have two main goals: to
buy as little as possible and to use only what they need.
SHERLOCK HOLMES : one of the most famous fictional Londoners. He was a renowned detective created by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. He was able to solve all kinds of mysteries thanks to his logical reasoning or even forensic science.
JACK THE RIPPER : in the late nineteenth century, this unidentified serial killer murdered several prostitutes in the Whitechapel district. His murders have inspired numerous film makers.
The well-known "London fog" may be nothing else than "smog" ( that is to say, a fog due to the excessive amount of smoke in the air, for example: exhaust fumes, from factories or from cars).
SHOPPING...
Westfield Stratford City: the most famous shopping mall. A paradise for all the shopaholics ! ;-)
MULTICULTURALISM...
An interesting video with some teenagers' testimonies
