Erica Tsai

3/19/2014
English
B4

Jurassic Park In-Class Essay

In most science fiction books and films the filmmaker or Author gives us warnings about
mankinds use or abuse of science and technology. When authors and filmmakers give a warning
in a film or book the readers/viewers wont take offense to the warnings. In the book, Jurassic
Park by Michael Crichton, the author gives a lot of warnings about science and technology. The
author tells us not to always trust new technology.
In Jurassic Park Michael Crichton tells us that new technology isnt always better than
old technology. (pg. 33 Grant explained that in 1978, the first year of the excavations, they had
come out in North Slope octahedral tents, the most advanced available. But the tents always blew
over in the wind.)They put up the most advanced tents available, but they didnt have enough
support when it got hit by wind. People believe that if you have the most advanced
technology/items itll be better than the old technology/items. When they got the octahedral tents
they probably didnt test it.
Michael Crichton wants us to know that we shouldnt always trust advanced technology.
(pg.33 They tried other kinds of tents, with the same result. Finally they started putting up tipis,
which were larger inside, more comfortable and more stable in wind). In this quote, Grant and
other people didnt test this tent until they noticed the most advanced tents wasnt being held up
when the wind was blowing. They thought it was safer because it was the most advanced tent.
They thought the other tents were going to be worse than it.
The third reason Michael Crichton wants us to know about trusting technology. (pg. 127
Does the computer ever make a mistake? Only with the babies. It mixes those up sometimes,
because theyre such small images. But we dont sweat that.) In this quote, Michael Crichton
tells us that we arent always careful because we dont think of the consequences and we trust
technology to much. Arnold says that the computer only makes a mistake with babies but he

Erica Tsai
3/19/2014
English
B4

Jurassic Park In-Class Essay

thinks they only stay with the herd. Arnold trusted his knowledge about the computer
information.
In all science fiction films and books the author or filmmaker put warnings in the book or
film to tell the audience to be careful of something that may happen in the future because of
technology and science. In Jurassic park, Michael Crichton warns us about depending on
new/advanced technology.