Jurassic Park @ 35: Reflections on evolutionary genetics, de-extinction, and the science-society interface

C. Brandon Ogbunugafor 

On the 35th anniversary of the release of Michael Crichton’s Jurassic Park, I reflect on both technical and cultural themes of the novel that resonate in the current moment. First, I offer a concise review of three evolutionary concepts—plasticity, pleiotropy, and epistasis—that complicate our efforts to engineer organisms with desirable phenotypes. I show how these ideas play out in the fictional narrative of Jurassic Park and in real-world genome engineering projects such as the “de-extinction” of the dire wolf. I then consider the broader technical
and social significance of the novel: its lessons for our quest to control biological systems, its cautionary critique of techno-optimism, and its rich portrayal of scientists. The perspective is organized around quotes from Ian Malcolm, a fictional mathematician who offers insightful commentary on the challenges of the biotechnological exploits in the story. I argue that the novel’s lessons are especially valuable today, as we reassess the ambitions guiding scientific practices.