An ancient world recreated on a private island. Plants and animals genetically modified in secret. Artificial – living – dinosaurs as tall as buildings. Every now and then a novel comes along so enchanting that even the most skeptical reader begins to believe in the possibility of its content. Michael Crichton accomplishes just this in his thrilling novel, Jurassic Park. The ideas and scientific aspects integrated into this novel have such truth even today. While the creation of dinosaurs may seem a bit outlandish at first glance, this achievement is not far from the nature-defying discoveries our scientists are currently making. With recent advances in cloning, the astonishing ability to create a form of life, and geoengineering, the alteration of the very structure of our earth, it is easy to see that science has opened up opportunities far beyond our understanding. As Jurassic Park progresses, readers learn more about the advances and risks of modern technology and develop a sense of Crichton's message that scientists are becoming increasingly irrational and irresponsible; we as humans are essentially trying to "play God" and have completely lost our respect for nature. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay While Michael Crichton's novel may be fictional, his ideas spark incredible debate in the scientific scene. The complexity and comprehensiveness of this novel captivates readers from the beginning, and Crichton's stylistic choices leave readers on the edge of their seats even after the last page. This is largely due to Crichton's ability to lay such a solid foundation for the novel's plot. In the introduction, Crichton details the work of scientists in a particularly controversial field: biotechnology. Biotechnology is known as the exploitation of biological processes for purposes such as genetic manipulation. This type of technology is exactly what the Jurassic Park scientists use to create their ancient creatures in real life. The knowledge of biotechnology that Crichton offers to his readers in the introduction justifies the idea that a scenario like the one described in the book could actually be achievable in the real world, and this is precisely why this novel can seem so real and at times alarming. . Although the scientists in Jurassic Park are able (or at least appear to be able to) harness the powers of biotechnology, in many ways they fail to realize that “life breaks free. Life expands into new territories. Painfully, perhaps even dangerously. But life finds a way” (Crichton 160). This is exactly why Jurassic Park ends up having so many problems in the future (dinosaurs changing sex, mating, escaping the island, etc.). Just like the scientists in the novel, we believe that nature is a force that we can easily overcome. But with this kind of arrogant attitude at the forefront of today's technological advances, our fate is most likely headed in the direction of the characters in the novel who shared these same alarming qualities. The mentality of Western culture has always been that we can ultimately come to understand the natural world through science. However, scientists today rarely stop to think about the fact that just because they have the ability to do something, it doesn't necessarily mean they should do it. Many new technological advances have become quite controversial for this reason. For example, cloning of food andanimals is now a possibility through the use of biotechnology and DNA manipulation, a technology very similar to what we see scientists use to create dinosaurs in Jurassic Park. And just like the technology in the novel, cloning food and animals may prove to be more trouble than it's worth. Although animal cloning has the potential to feed more people than ever before, there is a serious downside that could lead to a reduction in the gene pool. Such a factor could lead to numerous unpredictable consequences. After examining the pros and cons of this new technology, the European Group on Ethics in Science and New Technologies (EGE) found that “considering the level of suffering and health problems of surrogate mothers and animal clones, [they] they had doubts whether cloning for food purposes was justified” (Petetin 297). This once again brings us back to the idea that just because humans now have the ability to challenge the natural world, does not mean that these acts are justified. These unnecessary advances, just like the creation of dinosaurs, are unnecessary, ignorant, and irresponsible. Although the government is currently focusing on the economic considerations of the issue, it has not taken any precautionary measures. Based on the content of the novel, we know that when scientific regulations are not established, scientists begin to experiment in uncharted waters and endanger much more than their own lives. These scientists have what Ian Malcolm would call “subtle intelligence”. They see the immediate situation. They think narrowly and call it “being focused.” They don't see their surroundings. They don't see the consequences” (Crichton 284). Man evolved to have a burning desire to be in control. We are constantly trying to manipulate the world around us to make it just the way we want it. But is the ability to create other lifeforms really a skill the human race needs to add to its list of tricks? The line has to be drawn somewhere so nature can do what it does best, but it seems humanity will never be satisfied. Not only do scientists desire to be in control of life itself, but also of the very soil we stand on. Geoengineering, the deliberate large-scale manipulation of an environmental process that affects Earth's climate, is among the latest controversial technologies. We are so concerned about the well-being of our planet as we constantly try to "solve" the many human-caused environmental problems. But we rarely assume the idea that “the planet has survived everything, in its time. It will certainly outlive us” (Crichton 368). While geoengineering could help our earth in areas such as reducing greenhouse gas emissions, “unregulated research projects could have unwanted and unexpected effects on ecosystems and human livelihoods” (Lin 677). This seems alarmingly similar to the situation we see in Jurassic Park: a private company having a scientific heyday that ultimately led to life-threatening consequences. Just as Hammond failed in his attempt to recreate a Jurassic environment from millions of years ago, we will consistently fail in our attempt to alter our powerful and ever-evolving earth. Through the story of Jurassic Park, we see the many threats that modern technology imposes. . However, we must realize that the villain here is not technology, but rather humans are. We have lost our humility before God and our faith in the ability of the natural world to move forward without our help. Discovery is not necessary at this point; otherwise, “the.. 2014.