Comments on: Artifical Evolution – Prey (Crichton, 2002)

By: The Manipulation of Matter - Visions of the Future (3) « BioethicsBytes

The Manipulation of Matter - Visions of the Future (3) « BioethicsBytes — Wed, 09 Jan 2008 12:29:03 +0000

[...] of the Future and that offered by Michael Crichton in his novel Prey (see the BioethicsBytes post Artifical Evolution – Prey (Crichton, 2002)) is striking. Crichton’s novel involves both the injection of nanobots into the human [...]

By: Bonnie Green

Bonnie Green — Mon, 03 Dec 2007 09:45:42 +0000

Thanks Chris. I think the review is a very useful companion to the post above. The overview of the story it perhaps more complete than that above, but I think the point Crichton is making is slightly more subtle than a warning of the dangers of nanotechnology and call for public debate and intervention in the progress of this technology. One of the most important features of the story is the involvement of the company, Xymos, and its relationship with venture capital. It is apparently the convergence of technologies within a particular economic environment that Crichton is wary of, rather than nanotechnology per se. This is a theme he also persued in Next (for example in the way that unethical practices emerged out of the commerical incentive to patent cell lines). I will endeavor to explore this futher in the extended commentary.

By: Chris Willmott

Chris Willmott — Tue, 27 Nov 2007 11:15:36 +0000

I note that a review of Prey has also appeared recently on the Centre for Bioethics and Public Policy website