De la guerra de los mundos a la guerra de los tiempos: tecno-bio-poder y aceleración social en el film Blade Runner de Ridley Scott

• Main Author: Josetxo Beriain
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Universidad de los Andes 2018-07-01
• Series: Revista de Estudios Sociales
• Subjects: Author: acceleration; compression of time; shortening of time; techno-bio-power
• Online Access: https://revistas.uniandes.edu.co/doi/full/10.7440/res65.2018.04

This study analyzes the meaning and functions of social acceleration and the intensification of the thresholds of human existence as a consequence of the application of techno-bio-power to human life through genetic engineering, taking the science fiction film, Blade Runner, by Ridley Scott as a case study. The authors from whom I draw support for constructing the conceptual framework of this study are Reinhart Koselleck — his extraordinary socio-historical studies of acceleration—, Herman Lübbe and David Harvey — their analyses of the phenomenon of the compression of time— and Harmut Rosa —with his theory about the driving forces of modern acceleration. The article explores the influence of variables like bio-technology and Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the creation of a new accelerated time, which redefine human nature and its social and cognitive surroundings. The conclusion is that natural evolution has been redefined by human design.