Jurassic Park is real
I was definitely too young when I first watched Jurassic Park and The Lost World: Jurassic Park as a 3 and 6 year old. I was unjustifiably terrified of the city of San Diego for the better part of my childhood because maybe, just maybe, a T.Rex would sneak aboard a ship and rampage through the Lamplight District.
And I may be too old to find Jurassic Park as a critical piece of American literature, but the story of genetically modified giant lizards, belongs right up there with the works of F. Scott Fitzgerald and Hemingway. As an adult, I can appreciate the deeper messages that the novel conveys, particularly regarding the dangers of technology. The central theme of Jurassic Park is that just because we can do something with science and technology, it doesn’t mean that we should.
In the novel, John Hammond, the creator of the park, is driven by his ambition and desire for profit, and he doesn’t fully consider the ethical implications of resurrecting extinct species. He ignores the risks and the warnings of the scientists who have raised concerns about the stability of the ecosystem and the potential danger of the dinosaurs.
As a result, chaos ensues. The power goes out, the security systems fail, and the dinosaurs escape their enclosures, wreaking havoc on the island and threatening the lives of everyone involved.
During my lifetime, I’ve witnessed the rise of emerging technologies that have become like the escaped dinosaurs from Jurassic Park. Social media platforms were originally built with the noble intention of connecting people and increasing empathy and understanding. However, instead of bringing people together, these platforms have often divided the world more effectively than any of Jurassic Park’s electric fences ever could. What were once noble principles have been replaced by the pursuit of profit through targeted advertising.
Now, new technologies that leverage artificial intelligence (AI) are the hot new space. While there is no doubt that AI has the potential to revolutionize many industries and improve our lives in countless ways, we must be careful not to repeat the mistakes of the curators of Jurassic Park, InGen. We must consider the potential risks and consequences of these technologies and work to ensure that they are developed and used responsibly, with transparency and accountability.
Lack of transparency and accountability
In Jurassic Park, the decision-making and operations of the park are shrouded in secrecy, with only a select few individuals privy to the inner workings of the project. This lack of transparency makes it difficult for anyone to fully understand the risks and consequences of the technology being used. Additionally, there is no clear accountability structure in place for the project, which makes it difficult to assign blame or take action when things go wrong. This highlights the importance of transparency and accountability in the development and use of technology.
The law of unintended consequences
The dinosaurs in Jurassic Park are genetically engineered to be female, in order to prevent them from breeding and reproducing. However, as we see in the novel, this plan backfires when the dinosaurs start to change their sex in order to reproduce, leading to unexpected and dangerous outcomes. This serves as a reminder that even the most carefully planned and thought-out technological solutions can have unintended consequences that are difficult to predict.
The limits of human control
In Jurassic Park, the humans believe that they are in complete control of the situation, but ultimately they are powerless in the face of the dinosaurs’ overwhelming strength and intelligence. This underscores the fact that technology can never fully be controlled or tamed, and that we must always be prepared for the unexpected.
This cautionary tale serves as a warning to us all. In our quest for progress and innovation, we must be mindful of the unintended consequences of our actions. We must consider the ethical implications of our creations and weigh the risks and benefits of new technologies.
Wrapping Up
In the case of Jurassic Park, the unchecked use of genetic engineering leads to disaster, but it’s not hard to imagine similar scenarios playing out in real life if we are not careful. From climate change to artificial intelligence, the potential dangers of new technologies are real and should not be underestimated.
Jurassic Park may be a work of fiction, but its message is clear: we must approach technology with caution and foresight. The novel teaches us that the power to create comes with a great responsibility to ensure the safety and well-being of our world.
