With great power comes changing representations: From radiation to genetics in the origin of spider-man

Abstract

In 1962, Peter Parker was bitten by a radioactive spider and transformed into Spider-Man; in 2000, Peter Parker was bitten by a genetically modified spider and transformed into Spider-Man. What does this change in scientific representation mean? This paper reflects a little on this question to suggest that, whilst in one way it is an indication of the cultural penetration of ‘gene talk’ (Howe HF, Lyne J Social Epistemol 6:1-54, 1992) - that is, the rhetoric of the genetic determination of the whole of life (if not quite the universe and everything) - in another way it means nothing of any particular significance at all (In saying this, as should become clear from the following discussion, I do not mean it is merely a ‘McGuffin’ or plot device, although it might be taken to have something of this nature).