Quoting Shelley and know jack shit about it

(this is a semi-serious rant)

So, while surfing on the web i found this interesting article on I Fucking Love Science:www.iflscience.com/plants-and-…

In a Nutshell: a handful of scientists is researching the creation of genetically engineered bioluminescent trees that may be used as eco-friendly street lights.
...doesn't sound that bad, perhaps in the future it may be viable.
but guess what, a quick link to the Huffington Post got us to this: www.huffingtonpost.com/rachel-…

"First and foremost, there is little basis for confidence that these trees will "behave" as their makers proclaim. Like Frankenstein, they are likely to cause trouble. "

Because it's not a technophobic, obscurantist ramble until someone randomly mentions Mary Shelley's Frankenstein.
I fucking hate when anti-science zealots mention Frankenstein Ad Mentulam Canis*, because they think it's the Holy Book of anti-science.
in general there is this schizophrenic attitude toward science in western society, we relish in what it gives us but we still see it as a monstrosity.
Let's be clear: Mary Shelley's Frankenstein is not an anti-science novel, it's message is not 'Science is evil' or 'Don't play God', its message was 'With the power of God also come the responsibilities'.
All of the terrible things that happen in the book happen because Baron Victor Von Frankenstein does not take responsibility of the consequences of his actions, AKA he gives life to an artificial human and then, rather than take care of him, has a 'OMFG what have i done!!!111!1!' moment because he deems his creation too ugly and leaves him to die, then when the understandably pissed off Monster comes to him and asks him to take the responsibilities of his actions, good ol' Victor just keeps avoiding them, spelling the doom of his own life and family.

in that single phrase i quoted there is all of the ignorance about the novel:
01- supposes that 'Frankenstein' is the name of the Monster, a mistake i am still amazed that someone could do, Frankenstein is the SURname of the creator, Victor von Frankenstein...the Monster had no name in the novel, although Mary Shelley referred to him in letters to her friends as 'Adam';
02- probably the author thinks the Monster is the square-headed, bolt-necked patchwork zombie retard of the '30s film, nothing farther from the novel. in the novel, the Monster is not some sort of undead, he is an artificial human with true vital functions, and he is described as a 8-feet-tall, powerfully built man with the perfect proportions of a greek statue, with vaguely translucent skin, sunken azure eyes and long, flowing black hair, his monstrosity comes from his gigantic size and Uncanny Valley-ish features(Victor wanted to build him to be perfect, he made him too perfect). also, he is not retarded, instead he is highly intelligent and quick-learning, being able to speak fluently and read/write in a few months;
03- the Monster does not cause all of the destruction he causes because SCIENCE IS EEEEEEEEEEVIL and anything coming from it is evil as well, but because he has been left for dead by his 'father' and all of his attempt at relating with human beings have resulted in rejection at best and aggression at worst, causing him to become more and more resentful toward mankind and especially against his creator for abandoning him.

so dear anti-science zealots, if you want to go on with your 'hurr durr science is eeeeevil nature will punish you for daring to play god!!!111!!1!!onelevenone!' rambling(possibly not on the internet because, ya know, it was create thanks to science), please stop butchering the novel that started Science-Fiction as a genre.

* Latin for 'At dog's dick', 'Alla cazzo di cane' is italian vulgar slang for 'completely at random'.