Jurassic Park
The girl shrieks as the giant tree trunk of a leg crashes down shaking
the earth. Her screams are then drowned out by the prehistoric roar of
the genetically engineered Tyrannosaurus Rex as it searches for prey
(Crichton,
1991). Everyone remembers this scene from the best-selling novel by
Michael
Crichton, Jurassic Park. These scenes were then brought to life by
producer/director Steven Spielberg in the immensely popular movie by
the same name. Is this possible? As technological advances in
molecular biology steam into the twenty-first century, many scientists
have found themselves asking this very question. With continuing
advancements in the methods of recombining DNA (Deoxyribonucleic
Acid), as well as the ability to read its genetic language, people
have started wandering just how science fiction these ideas really
are.
There has been some limited success. DNA has been extracted and
processed from some extinct organisms. Single-celled organisms have
even been "awakened" from a long endosporic state, that do not exist
in the same form in present times. The recent cloning of the sheep
"Dolly" at the Rosalin Institute in
Scotland has served as a wake up call to many as to the abilities
modern biotechnology possesses (Currie and Psihoyos, 1996). Assuming
one had all the necessary means, would it be possible to create an
extinct organism with all the traits it once held? The answer seems to
be yes. The feasibility of such a thing does not seem too far-fetched
when one considers the rate at which science continues to break down
barriers in all fields of study. So one final question brought before
r...
... middle of paper ...
...llions of little kids around the world. Conclusion
Cloning ancient life forms like in the movie and book, Jurassic Park
is a sequence of "long shot" chances. The path from finding and
sequencing suitable DNA, as well as providing a host for growth and a
suitable environment for it to function is beset with many obstacles.
Maybe after decades of extensive research in each of these areas, such
a project as recreating a dinosaur may be attempted, but most
scientists agree that their"extinction is permanent" (Paabo, 1993).
Thus, cloning dinosaurs or any ancient organism, remains a frontier of
the future. However, as David Grimaldi writes, "While it is a long way
from amplifying a bit of DNA to reconstruct a whole dinosaur - or even
a termite - these new developments open up many exciting scientific
possibilities" (1993).
In the late twentieth century, the field of biotechnology and genetic engineering has positioned itself to become one of the great technological revolutions of human history. Yet, things changed when Herber Boyer, a biochemist at the University of California, founded the company Genentech in 1976 to exploit the commercial potential of his research. Since then the field has exploded into a global amalgam of private research firms developing frivolous, profit-hungry products, such as square trees tailor-made for lumber, without any sort of government regulation.
Jurrasic Park 2 Jurassic Park Jurassic Park takes place on an Island off the Coast of Costa Rica which is owned by a multimillionaire, John Hammond. On this island he has set up a genetic engineering facility which permits him and his scientist to create dinosaurs from blood extracted from prehistoric mosquitoes, that have been preserved in amber. Before he opens this attraction to the public, he needs specialists to approve the park. He brings them to the island and begins to show them what he has accomplished. While they are touring the island, one of the computer programmers, Dennis Nedry, is secretly planning to steal dinosaur embryos from the park and sell them to a company that is trying to compete with Hammond.
As the human population of the world continues to increase the flora and fauna of the planet are becoming an increasingly smaller part of the picture. Environmentalist and conservationists all over the globe are working hard to find strategies and methods for the preservation of disappearing creatures and species. An increasingly popular idea that would allow for great benefits in the field of conservation became apparent in 1996 with the cloning of sheep by the name of Dolly. Since then the scientific debate on the relationship between cloning and conservation has ensued. Although the answer to that question remains on the horizon, cloning for helping endangered species is a process that may become a frequent procedure in the future.
Steven Spielberg’s Jaws (1975) and his other film Jurassic Park (1993) both contain a major theme of what makes a successful hero in society. In Jaws, police chief Martin Brody must successfully eliminate the threat of a Great White Shark from attacking Amity Island. In Jurassic Park, billionaire John Hammond creates a theme park where cloned dinosaurs come alive, hoping that his ideal resort becomes a major success. Through the use of film style elements, such as editing and mise-en scene, Spielberg develops Brody’s character as a person who must learn from his past mistakes in order to become a successful hero while Spielberg creates Hammond’s character as a man who only sees himself as a hero of science and technology without realizing his attempted control over nature is what leads him to his ultimate failure.
The Question of Control as Presented in Jurassic Park According to Arnold Pacey How could one describe the relationship between humans and nature? Perhaps it is one of control, a constant struggle between the power of the elements and the sophistication of human mechanization. Could it be one of symbiosis, where man and nature coexist in relative peace? Are we, as a species, simply a part of nature’s constantly changing realm? This issue is one that philosophers have debated for centuries. Where does mankind fit into the vast network of interacting environments and beings called nature? From the beginning of time, we have attempted to set ourselves apart from the rest of Earth’s creatures. Given the ability to reason, and to feel, and most importantly, to choose, we find ourselves with "the impulse to master and manipulate elemental force" (Pacey 86). We must fight, we must advance, and we must control all these elements of the natural world. But just how much of that world do we control? Surely people attempt and perceive control over nature, but do they succeed? The question of control, over nature in specific, is one of the prevalent themes that runs through Michael Crichton’s Jurassic Park. This novel is set on a small island off the coast of Costa Rica called Isla Nubar. On this island, construction of a new, virtuostic, state of the art park is almost complete, when a gathered team of paleontologists, businessmen, and a mathematician arrive to approve of the park opening. All seems well until the "experts" lose control of the park, leaving the main attractions, genetically engineered dinosaurs, free to roam and hunt. This loss of control further contributes to the downward spiral the park experiences, resulting in numerous deaths. How, one might ask, could a team of technicians and experts let something like this happen? The answer is simple. They over-estimated their perceived sense of control over one of the world’s most unpredictable forces… nature. The theme of man’s perceived control over nature is one that Crichton has masterfully incorporated into his novel. The actions of the park experts present to the reader the false idea "that the proper role of man is mastery over nature" (Pacey 65). Mankind has always attempted to achieve this mastery, and the construction of Jurassic Park is a perfect example. Crichton uses the character of Ian Malcolm to constantly present this theme.
Toys, movies, clothing is a clear indication that our fascination with dinosaurs is much more than what the word represents, but also a genuine interests in the actual creatures scientists have uncovered. Dinosaur toys allow children to use their imagination to transport back to a time when dinosaurs walked the earth, became extinct, and eventually became fossils. Any kind of toy figure encourages imagination, dinosaur figures gives children an opportunity to learn about the science behind dinosaurs and fossils. Dinosaur toys, movies, clothing and advertisements also encourage children to ask questions, which becomes an opportunity to visit the library. “Judging from their frequent appearances in the movies and on television, dinosaurs have a firm hold in the popular imagination, one realm in which they show no danger of becoming extinct” (History.com, 2009). They are fierce, strong and because of anthropomorphism, dinosaurs are our
The history of the human race follows a plot detailing the struggles and triumphs of various individuals with the concepts of power and control. In George Orwell’s novel, Animal Farm, these elaborate concepts are further explored through various characters such as the shire boar, Napoleon. Napoleon’s ability to exercise control over the animals derives from his capability to indoctrinate them with his partial ideologies. Napoleon then further clasps his power by his avail of expert power throughout the novel. Finally, the excessive and abusive use of coercive power, secures Napoleon’s control over the animals. In George Orwell’s Animal Farm Napoleon assumes the reins of power over the animals and controls them by means of physiological manipulations.
Jurassic Park is a book about the cloning of dinosaurs and they are used as the park entertainment on an island. In this park where dinosaurs are the attraction, not every thing will go as planed. Reading this book will teach someone how Michael Crichton feels about biological science and the cloning of extinct animals. There are things that caused the park to be unsuccessful. Dr. Malcom and Dennis Nedry where two of the parks problems, and the other was the nature of the animals.
Animal Farm, written by George Orwell, is a dystopian allegory. Its book cover sports a red and black background, with a pig (presumably Snowball) sneaking in front of a windmill. Set in Manor Farm, a group of farm animals are mistreated by their owner, Mr. Jones. Shortly before Old Major, an old, highly-respected pig, dies, he tells all the animals to revolt against Mr. Jones. After his death, and shortly after, the expulsion of Mr. Jones, leadership on the farm is divided between Snowball and Napoleon, two intelligent pigs who utilize conflicting methods of rule. Initially, they held equal sway among the other, less intelligent residents of the farm. However, when Snowball, a passionate speaker, tried to convince the farm to build a windmill to make their lives easier, Napoleon set vicious dogs he had raised himself to drive Snowball out of the farm. Justifying this by saying the windmill was a useless idea that would overburden the farm, Napoleon takes sole authority of the farm, leading the animals in an increasingly harsh manner. Ironically, Napoleon also makes a plan to build a...
“They’re breeding.”(Crichton 164). Ian Malcolm had predicted that the dinosaurs of Jurassic Park were, in fact, breeding. This was discovered to be true later on in the book, when the numbers of dinosaurs were exceeding the expected count. The use of frog DNA to restore missing portions of dinosaur DNA was the underlying cause. It gave them the ability to reproduce by switching gender. Malcolm had said, “But life finds a way”(Crichton 160), early on in the trip to Jurassic Park, and as he had said, life truly did find a way. The very process of making certain that the dinosaurs were all female, thus unable to reproduce, through first, genetically engineering them to be female, and then irradiating them may have been the very reason why they did in fact reproduce. Any miniscule change, possibly caused by the irradiation, could have caused a metamorphosis. Or it may have been...
The Matrix The Matrix is a science fiction movie about artificial intelligence computers replacing mankind. I believe that this movie is a common type of display from the media that is common paranoia so that they can get a reaction from people and sell their story. In the case of The Matrix, the movie dazzles people with awesome special effects using modern computer technology, which I find ironic. I find it self-conflicting and hypocritical for the media to use modern computer technology for their own good to show people how bad technology is.
The movie Rise of the Planet of the Apes is an incredible science fiction movie that not only exposes the fault of the human mind, but also demonstrates a completely original structure and a unique point of view on an apocalyptic type film. The movie is based around a young scientist, Will Rodman, whom is in pursuit to find a cure for Alzheimer’s in hopes to cure his very sick father (Charles Rodman). He works in a science lab where their main test subjects are apes. When the initial tests go sour and one ape in the lab lashes out at another scientist causing chaos throughout the entire lab, all but one of the apes were euthanized. The ape that did not get killed was rescued by Will, and named Caesar. Will notices that Caesar is unusually smart, even for an ape, that is when he discovers that the effects of the medicine that was given to Caesar’s mother (ALZ-112) had been passed on to Caesar himself.
Jurassic Park, by Michael Crichton is an incredible book, which describes genetic engineering and the creation of an extinct species. Michael Crichton uses marvelous detail throughout the book. As great as the book is, it is not that appropriate for children who are 15 and under because of the gore, description, violence, and obscenities through out the story.
The Jurassic Period of our earth’s history was one of great change. It began with a major extinction even, bounced back, and was yet again the victim of an extinction event. The Jurassic was a flourishing time of new species adapting, changing, and modernizing to suit the ever-changing world they
Few movies have been panned by critics but widely accepted by viewers across the nation. National Treasure is one of them. Even after receiving sub par reviews including only two stars from Roger Ebert, National Treasure won over the public, earning almost $350 million worldwide. Even though the movie is under the Walt Disney Company and has a PG rating, this movie is not just for children. Superb acting and action from beginning to end will keep people of all ages glued to their seat as they follow one man’s quest for a hidden treasure.