Tweet
FG: Mafia XXIV: Jurassic Park
The late twentieth century has witnesed a scientific gold rush of astonishing proportions: the headlong and furious haste to commericalize genetic engineering. This enterprise has proceeded so rapidly -- with so little outside commentary -- that its dimensions and implications are hardly understood at all.
But the biotechnology revolution differs in three important respects from past scientific transformations.
First, it is broad-based. American entered the atomic age through the work of a single research institution, at Los Alamos. It entered the computer age through the efforst of about a dozen companies. But biotechnology research is now carried out in more than two thousand laboratories in America alone.
Second, much of the research is thoughtless or frivolous. Efforts to engineer paler trout for better visibility in the stream, square trees for easier lumbering, and injectable scent cells so you'll always smell of your favorite perfume may seem like a joke, but they are not. Indeed, the fact that biotechnology can be applied to the industries traditionally subject to the vagaries of fashion heightens concerns about the whimsical use of this powerful new technology.
Third, the work is uncontrolled. No one supervises it. No federal laws regulate it. There is no coherent government policy, in America or anywhere in the world.
But most disturbing is the fact that no watchdogs are found among scientists themselves. It is remarkable that nearly everry scientist in genetics research is also engaged in the commerce of biotechnology. Everybody has a stake.
...
In this commercial climate, it is probably inevitable that a company as ambitions as International Genetic Technologies, Inc., of Palo Alto, would arise. It is equally unsurprising that the crisis it created should go unreported. After all, Ingen's research was conducted in secret; the actual incident occured in the most remote region of Central America; and few more than twenty people were there to witness it. Of those, only a handful survived.
...
The helicopter touched down on the landing pad. Dr. Grant and Dr. Satler jumped out, followed by Ian Malcom, Ed Regis, Gennaro, Guitierrez, Dr. Stone, and Lex and Timmy. Hammond was there to greet them, hugging his two grandchildren. "Do you have the raptor?" he asked.
"It's in the helicopter. I found it after it killed several children in Costa Rica, and Dr. Stone here identified it as a Velociraptor," replied Guitierrez. "Come look."
"How'd you restrain it? Sometimes, for us, steel bars aren't strong enough," said Hammond, as he entered the helicopter. "Nothing that difficult," said Dr. Stone, "just a good dose of anesthetics."
When they went into the back, though, the Velociraptor was dead.
...
"As you recall, I predicted something like this would happen. It's inherent in the nature of the park. It's all in my original report, if you'd care to read it," remarked Malcom sardonically.
"Oh, for Christ's sake," muttered Hammond irritably.
"It appears it died of lysine deficiency," reported Dr. Harding, the head veterinarian for the park. "But I specifically recall asking someone to inform the pilot that the raptor needed lysine-rich food stat."
Hammond was furious. "Get that helicopter pilot here right now! I'll have his head for this!"
"Now, now, Hammond, don't be so hasty. According to chaos theory, if you go this way you'll probably all die. It's likely not even the poor pilot's fault. Someone could have messed with the food beforehand, maybe even someone not on the island. The best thing to do would be to vote on who we think did it, and then kill that person," said Malcom calmly.
...
Ross was on the line with Gennaro. "You say there've already been problems?"
"Yes, but nothing about the park, don't worry," said Gennaro.
"OK, but if there's ANYTHING wrong with the park, tell me stat. At the first sign of trouble, the corporation is bailing out on InGen. Understand? I never really like Hammond anyway."
But the biotechnology revolution differs in three important respects from past scientific transformations.
First, it is broad-based. American entered the atomic age through the work of a single research institution, at Los Alamos. It entered the computer age through the efforst of about a dozen companies. But biotechnology research is now carried out in more than two thousand laboratories in America alone.
Second, much of the research is thoughtless or frivolous. Efforts to engineer paler trout for better visibility in the stream, square trees for easier lumbering, and injectable scent cells so you'll always smell of your favorite perfume may seem like a joke, but they are not. Indeed, the fact that biotechnology can be applied to the industries traditionally subject to the vagaries of fashion heightens concerns about the whimsical use of this powerful new technology.
Third, the work is uncontrolled. No one supervises it. No federal laws regulate it. There is no coherent government policy, in America or anywhere in the world.
But most disturbing is the fact that no watchdogs are found among scientists themselves. It is remarkable that nearly everry scientist in genetics research is also engaged in the commerce of biotechnology. Everybody has a stake.
...
In this commercial climate, it is probably inevitable that a company as ambitions as International Genetic Technologies, Inc., of Palo Alto, would arise. It is equally unsurprising that the crisis it created should go unreported. After all, Ingen's research was conducted in secret; the actual incident occured in the most remote region of Central America; and few more than twenty people were there to witness it. Of those, only a handful survived.
...
The helicopter touched down on the landing pad. Dr. Grant and Dr. Satler jumped out, followed by Ian Malcom, Ed Regis, Gennaro, Guitierrez, Dr. Stone, and Lex and Timmy. Hammond was there to greet them, hugging his two grandchildren. "Do you have the raptor?" he asked.
"It's in the helicopter. I found it after it killed several children in Costa Rica, and Dr. Stone here identified it as a Velociraptor," replied Guitierrez. "Come look."
"How'd you restrain it? Sometimes, for us, steel bars aren't strong enough," said Hammond, as he entered the helicopter. "Nothing that difficult," said Dr. Stone, "just a good dose of anesthetics."
When they went into the back, though, the Velociraptor was dead.
...
"As you recall, I predicted something like this would happen. It's inherent in the nature of the park. It's all in my original report, if you'd care to read it," remarked Malcom sardonically.
"Oh, for Christ's sake," muttered Hammond irritably.
"It appears it died of lysine deficiency," reported Dr. Harding, the head veterinarian for the park. "But I specifically recall asking someone to inform the pilot that the raptor needed lysine-rich food stat."
Hammond was furious. "Get that helicopter pilot here right now! I'll have his head for this!"
"Now, now, Hammond, don't be so hasty. According to chaos theory, if you go this way you'll probably all die. It's likely not even the poor pilot's fault. Someone could have messed with the food beforehand, maybe even someone not on the island. The best thing to do would be to vote on who we think did it, and then kill that person," said Malcom calmly.
...
Ross was on the line with Gennaro. "You say there've already been problems?"
"Yes, but nothing about the park, don't worry," said Gennaro.
"OK, but if there's ANYTHING wrong with the park, tell me stat. At the first sign of trouble, the corporation is bailing out on InGen. Understand? I never really like Hammond anyway."
Code:
mafia
| Name | Position | Status |
| 1. Kuciwalker | Ian Malcom | GM |
| 2. Whoha | Dr. Grant | Still around |
| 3. Adagio | Velociraptor | mafia r0 lysine deficiency |
| 4. Spaced Cowboy | Dr. Satler | Still around |
| 5. Method | Hammond | Still around |
| 6. Gamecube64 | Ed Regis | Still around |
| 7. Jonny | Arnold | Still around |
| 8. rah | Muldoon | Still around |
| 9. Ljube-ljcvetko | Nedry | Still around |
| 10. Snowfire | Lex | Still around |
| 11. Hercules | Lab Technician | Still around |
| 12. Kassiopeia | Timmy | Still around |
| 13. loinburger | Gennaro | Still around |
| 14. joncha | Ross | Still around |
| 15. FlameFlash | Helicopter Pilot | Still around |
| 16. Ben Kenobi | Park Guide | Still around |
| 17. Skanky Burns | Construction Worker | Still around |
| 18. duke o' york | Dr. Harding | Still around |
| 19. DrSpike | Security Guard | Still around |
| 20. gjramsey | Dr. Wu | Still around |
| 21. Tuberski | Dinosaur Handler | Still around |
| 22. Frozzy | Guiterrez | Still around |
| 23. DarkCloud | Dr. Stone | Still around |
ACK!
Me too... me too... says the pilot to the construction worker...
Comment