The novel “Prey” by Michael Crichton, follows Jack Foreman as he uncovers the secrets and lies upon a new creation:nanotechnology. Jack, a stay at home dad, has to adjust to his new lifestyle. When he loses his job as a head of a programming team, he must take care of his three kids, Eric, Nicole and Amanda. While Jack stays at home, his wife, Julia, works at the company Xymos as the Vice President. Xymos technology was developing a form of nanotechnology, and they were making some great progress. The nanobots were as small as a blood cell and could go into the human body and transmit pictures of the inside. There was a lot of pressure on them though, because they were trying to raise twenty million dollars in venture capitalists. Julia is gone often …show more content…
working on the revolutionary design. She misses out on spending time with the kids and Jack. Jack eventually learns about the little bots, that the Xymos company are so dedicated to. Jack started to notice many strange things happening with his family. Julia was behaving very different to her usual charming self. Julia started acting very tense and tough,like she had a problem with everyone. She wasn’t getting along with the kids, even though she denied it. Julia also would try to “take control” of the house after everyone was quiet and calm. She would disrupt everyone just so she could have her way. She wasn’t acting like a normal mom to her kids, or a normal wife to her husband. Her appearance changed too. She had lost weight and had a sort of sleeker look. Instantly Jack thought she was cheating on him. It wouldn’t have been hard to so either. Jack’s thoughts got ignored when he witnessed something peculiar. Julia was preparing for bed after coming home late when Jack saw a black cloak that somewhat engulfed her. Jack didn’t know what to make of this and just passed it off as a dream. Other strange things were happening to Jack’s kids, Amanda and Eric. Jack woke up one morning to Amanda screaming and crying. She was agitated and couldn't calm her down. Suddenly a rash spread across her whole body. They went to the hospital and somehow the rash cleared up after taking an MRI. The next day after Amanda got her rash, Eric claimed that he had seen men come vaccine the house as well as a ghost. Jack just thought Eric was making things up since he was a little kid. Everything unusual happening to Jack was brushed away when he got offered a job at the company where his wife worked, Xymos.
They wanted him to try to fix one of the distributed systems that he worked on at his old job: PREDPREY. The program wasn't working correctly and it had trouble staying focused on its goal. After being offered the job, Julia got into a car accident and was sent to the hospital. Jack was with the car being towed when he saw an Xynos van with a Nevada license plate. He was very confused on exactly what was happening up there. Jack took the job, and was flown out into a desert in Nevada. On his arrival, he was greeted by Ricky, his former coworker and friend, and he gives him a tour of the fabrication plant. As he travels through the plant, many of his past co-workers are working here. They seem to be acting different than their normal, content selves. Instead they were more tense and nervous. Wondering why everyone was so uptight, Jack asked Ricky what really was going on here. The nanobots had been changed from their original job as medical to military assistance. The nanoparticles were being made by using bacteria to crank out their molecules. But there was major problems that needed to be
fixed. The nanoparticles had a “mind of their own” and escaped the laboratory. The solar-powered units are learning how to survive in the desert. They have developed a way so that when the wind blows, they don’t get blown away. The bots always return back to the fabrication plant and try to get in. They don’t know why but everyday they would come back. The swarms are hunting. They had killed multiple animals in the desert like a rabbit and a rattle snake. The bots somewhat suffocate the animal until it cannot fight back any more. The nanobots could somehow coordinate their movements with each other. Multiple swarms of the bots could come together and form one big swarm with the same movements. They could make themselves look smaller than they actually are, basically instead one swarm there was actually three. These swarms have created their own memory. The bots were far more smarter than they were programmed to be and this concerned Jack, Ricky and the other scientists at the plant. Eventually they could come together to form a body of a human, and imitate people that they have seen like Ricky. They knew that they were dangerous, but they couldn’t figure out how to stop them. Jack takes multiple risks to go outside of the plant, exposing himself to the swarms. Together, Mae, David, and Rosie followed Jack into the desert to get a substance they believed could help with killing the bots. The substance was in a shed outside of the lab. Though they made it there, the swarms showed up. The bots were able to follow their footprints in the sand and lead them to the shed where they lay hidden. In an attempt to escape from the bots, Rosie and David were killed, leaving Mae and Jack to fend for themselves. After the killing, Jack and Mae wanted to figure out where exactly the bots would go at night since they would only come out during the day. They eventually found them in a cave miles from the lab. Mae and Jack went deep into the underground cave and manage to blow it up, killing the bots. Jack ended up being unconscious from the blow and doesn't wake up till they get back at the plant. When Jack wakes up, he is greeted by Julia. She is very needy and affectionate towards him, almost like she is ignoring the whole bot situation. Jack did not want to deal with her little games and tried to stay away from her the best he could. The next morning Jack woke up early and found Mae watching the security footage. They uncover that Julia is having an affair, with Ricky, and they are infected with the nanoparticles in their bodies. Everyone is contaminated besides the two of them, and they hatch a plan to release a virus, killing the nanoparticles. As they started the process of their plan, things backfire for the two of them. Ricky and Julia catch on to what they are doing and get Mae out of the picture. The two of them then search the whole building for Jack and once they find him, they brought him to the high magnetic field room. He struggles for a while but he finds a way out after learning that the swarms are coexisting inside their body. Jack eventually makes it out of the room and struggles to put the virus in the sprinklers. The sprinklers are turned on and the virus is released. Julia, Ricky and everyone else who was infected start to disintegrate. Mae finds Jack and they both leave the plant immediately because methane was released into the air. The entire plant explodes, relieving Jack of his past problems. Going into reading this book, I wasn’t excited. The thought of having to read a scientific book made me want to ignore the whole project entirely. But once I started reading, I was intrigued. The author did a great job describing the nanoparticles. I had never heard of this type of technology before, and now I feel that I could easily describe it. I could picture every moment in the novel, and I never was confused on what was happening. It felt like I was reading a regular nonfiction story instead of a scientific story. The author did a great job of describing the dangers and concerns of nanotechnology with his story. We need to take into consideration the consequences of our actions before we take major steps in advancing our technology.
Jack is a low down dirty character who feasts on the imaginations of little boys to gain power amongst himself. Being only ten years old you would wonder how a little kid could become so rotten so early well Jack is living proof of that. Being in control of others brings Jacks happiness sky high its almost as if something comes over him every time he speaks to someone, it's as if in his past life he had horrible experiences with the world and has come back just to tarnish the lives of many young boys during the most tragic tragedy of their lives.I most deeply admire the fact that Jack knows what he wants which is essential in a life that we are living in today because it may interpret your future. What I dislike is that Jack knowingly arrived on this famished island with a plan even though the crash was not expected.The plan was to take existent land that was not entitled to anyone and turn the island into "Jacks World", a place where you will be taken
Jack is "a twentysomething wage slave" of the late 20th century who bases his identity in his material possessions (Smith 58). The scene in his apartment where he discusses the type of things that he owns illustrates this point, and shows that he thinks he can find happiness and identity in these items. As he walks through the apartment it is portrayed as an Ikea catalog with his possessions having product descriptions and prices underneath them. This illustrates the fact that Jack is trying to find happiness through materialism, which proves to be a very hollow lifestyle to partake in and serves as the main catalyst for the creation of Tyler.
Rumors surface that the entire division will be sold unless performance increases leaving no one with jobs. Alex reflects on a conversation his friend and physicist, Jonah, and realizes his plant is not operating as efficiently as he believed because robots are not decreasing inventory and payroll expense or increasing the number of products shipped.
Have you ever wanted to read a book about nanotechnology? Well neither have I until I read Bzrk Reloaded. This book is the second book in the Bzrk series by Michael Grant. It is an amazing book that talks about a group of people that are trying to save the world from being taken over by nanobots. If you have not guessed already this book would be considered a science fiction.
Jack was the problem that’s the real answer to all of this if it wasn't for Jack’s behavior and action just maybe there would be no
Jack went on asking why Babette needed this drug and what it’s purpose was. He
K. Eric Drexler is known to be “the founding father of nanotechnology,” and theorized the creation of mechanical nanoscale systems that would revolutionize the world of manufacturing and technology. However, many opponents of his theory feared the implications and applications of such nanotechnology, and therefore began to spread panic through the concept of the menacing “grey goo.” “Prey” by Michael Crichton delves into the concepts Drexler proposed concerning nanorobotics computation and artificial intelligence through an interesting and insightful science fiction novel. Crichton delves in to the ethical implications of the unpredictability of evolutionary and machine learning programs, inability of technologists to learn from past mistakes,
Jack didn’t know what to do in this situation, but all the while he suspected that his wife was cheating on him as well. Jack calls his sister Ellen to get her opinion, but in the process she ends up deciding to come down and stay with them for a while. Jack seemed hesitant but grateful for the company because Julia was never home anymore, she was too busy working at the fab plant for Xymos. When Julia hears that Ellen is coming over, she decides to leave work early. When she pulls in, Eric the middle child says he see someone in the cart with her, but when she walks through the door, she is alone. After dinner, julia abruptly leaves, but as Jack sees her pull out, he sees the figure of a man in the passenger
...nessing “the power of nanotechnology” to radically change the way we diagnose, treat, and prevent cancer.” The most likely method implemented will by the use of nanovectors for targeted delivery of anticancer drugs, and then heating nanoparticles that are attached to cancer cells so that the cancer cells explode. (5, 9) There are still many obstacles that must be overcome before this is a reality: from the ethical concern by some that nanobots will take control of the body to the more practical problem that this method of treatment will be very expensive and funding will be an issue. (6) But with millions of people suffering from some form of cancer, scientists are searching for cures and treatments and nanotechnology offers the greatest promise. One day, cancer may be completely curable thanks to nanotechnology which is something everyone would benefit from.
Jack worked with his dad as a contractor for a hotel. Jack was getting paid well and had an overall good lifestyle but decided that being a contractor wasn't what he wanted to do with his life. Jack had dreams of becoming a writer, and he was determined to fulfill them. Jack told his parents that he was moving back to the States to finish high school and his father found him a family to live with.
At the end of the story, Jack realizes that blending in with society is not ideal. He regrets the past decade that was full of loss and regret when it could've been full of trust and love. People may be tempted to make unwise decisions to blend in with society. But think about it: the world is like a crowded marketplace. If you don’t stand out, you are invisible. Unique qualities define your identity. Without them, you are not yourself. At least on Qingming, the mother’s poor spirit can rest easy, knowing her son is with her in heart, but that can never make up for the years of hurt and betrayal directed at
First things first, what exactly are nanotechnology and biotechnology? There has been some less than mild discussion of late about what constitutes legitimate nanotechnology, and suffice it to say that it doesn’t include things like laundry detergents, chemical additives, makeup micro-beads or anything of the like that may be claimed by some companies that are looking for an advantage over their competitors. Also, neither of these growing scientific disciplines includes any of the many terrifying, often alien technologies that swarm and smother, seek and destroy, or otherwise attempt to eradicate the human race from the face of the earth, ad nauseam. Here is a concise definition from The American Heritage Science Dictionary: “Nanotechnology is the science and technology of precisely manipulating the structure of matter at the molecular level. The term nanotechnology embraces many different fields and specialties, including engineering, chemistry, electronics, and medicine, among others, but all are concerned with bringing existing te...
Dan’s naivete towards Jack 's sexuality is the conflict in their relationship. His inability to accept his son is the reason why their relationship is so complicated. Dan, caught off guard when faced with his son and another boy together, loses his temper and their relationship is compromised forever. This event makes him reevaluate his parenting behavior and the role he will play in his son’s future. What hurt Dan the most, was not being in jail, but the realization that he did not know his family, and that he was ignorant of even the most obvious things. That day he lost both his freedom and his family, thus fueling his dedication to do right by his son. He resolves, after his symbolic road trip with Cam, to make a grand gesture towards his
Another way that Jack proves his determination for his job is by working 24 hours straight. Everyone else that was working with him decided to take a break but he didn’t. When Jack finally presents his data to the president, Jack suggests that they should just save the people in the South and not the people in the North because there’s nothing they can do to help because the storm is extremely dangerous. Jack’s data is very important because in some way, the sake of the world is in his hands.
I have chosen nanotechnology as my topic area of choice from the food innovation module.