Comments on: Who let the dinosaurs out?

By: ProfessorKettlewell

ProfessorKettlewell — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 01:10:12 +0000

All that Nature-As-Agency stuff is creepy…..it’s about a step away from Intelligent Design.

By: DaveCausey

DaveCausey — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 19:18:07 +0000

LOL. Indeed. Isn’t “Nature” just the flapping of a Butterfly’s wings, or a broken toaster that can send me back in Time? Same-same, right?

Oh, one more criticism: when Alan and Ellie are trying to hold the door against the Raptors, and Lex is rebooting the computer, why in the name of all that is reasonable doesn’t Timmy hand the shotgun to an adult? Oh, that’s right. Spielberg.

By: lyzard

lyzard — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 10:04:24 +0000

Yes, it is fascinating watching the line between “taking action” and “interfering” shift according to the philosophies of the speaker.

I also have to wonder how a proponent of the Michael Crichton school of chaos theory can even talk about “interfering with Nature” and “the natural order”, since presumably there *are* no such things, in a world where everything is random and unpredictable. And if everything’s a crap-shoot, then what does it matter what anyone does?

By: DaveCausey

DaveCausey — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 08:59:38 +0000

Lyz, I just watched “Jurassic Park” again. As always, the dinosaurs give me goosebumps.

But something occurred to me. Ian’s little ethics speech: “Nature SELECTED dinosaurs for extinction,” isn’t that like saying: “Dave, you’ve got several illnesses that, even though they are managed by meds and therapy, PROVE that Nature does not intend for you to survive or reproduce.” In other words-dino dung.

By: The Mud Puppy

The Mud Puppy — Sat, 22 Aug 2009 15:18:27 +0000

Well, in the book Tim sees them through his nightvision goggles. From near the T-Rex paddock, I believe.

So, apparently the deckhands on the cargo ship are just really not very perceptive. Of course, it’s rather amusing that the captive raptors attack anybody they see — but the wild-bred raptors seem to have mastered the art of not running around like a rabid dog on PCP.

By: Dav

Dav — Sat, 22 Aug 2009 11:08:48 +0000

Are we sure they could be seen sitting on deck? All the evidence from The Lost World (movie) suggests they are invisible on board ship…..

By: lyzard

lyzard — Sat, 22 Aug 2009 02:56:56 +0000

Braineater :

… a pair of them sitting on the deck of the cargo ship in plain sight.

… on deck chairs, with zinc oxide smeared on their noses and a cheap paperback in their claws, wondering when the waiter is going to bring them their Mai Tais. Silly raptors — it’s a cargo ship!

Muted trombone: Mwah mwah mwaaaah!

Stay tuned for more of Up Your Raptor, the wacky new comedy series from Micheal Crichton! Only on SyFy!

I'd pay good money to see that.

By: Braineater

Braineater — Sat, 22 Aug 2009 00:32:39 +0000

... a pair of them sitting on the deck of the cargo ship in plain sight.

... on deck chairs, with zinc oxide smeared on their noses and a cheap paperback in their claws, wondering when the waiter is going to bring them their Mai Tais. Silly raptors — it's a cargo ship! Muted trombone: Mwah mwah mwaaaah! Stay tuned for more of Up Your Raptor, the wacky new comedy series from Micheal Crichton! Only on SyFy!

By: B. Wood

B. Wood — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 23:29:36 +0000

I do so hope you do the other two Liz.

By: lyzard

lyzard — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 21:29:08 +0000

Yes, they’re definitely meant to be velociraptor tracks. I feel doubly aggrieved, being robbed of a swarm of baby ‘raptors both in the facility and in the wild.

it’s possible — if unlikely — that a breeding pair could have escaped without the keepers’ noticing.

What, not with all the stringent security measures in place, surely? No, you’re right, that whole subplot is impossible.

I love the novel’s subplot about the velociraptors escaping, which involves a pair of them sitting on the deck of the cargo ship in plain sight.