Jurassic Spark: Rethinking Progress in the Messy Middle
The opening of of the book Jurassic Park is easy to overlook because the spectacle of the movie tends to dominate the memory.
Yet the early chapters contain the real insight. Crichton described how genetic engineering shifted from open research to commercial race, how discovery accelerated faster than reflection, and how incentives changed once the work became fashionable and financially attractive.
The details were fiction, but the conditions now feel familiar.
Biology is moving into new territory at speed. Genome editing, biological foundries, engineered cells, organoids, and synthetic materials are now part of commercial strategies rather than distant possibilities. None of this resembles the sci-fi version of de-extinction in the book, but it does mirror the deeper forces Crichton outlined.
Innovation becomes valuable before it becomes fully understood. Commercial pressure outpaces cultural readiness. Systems designed for slower cycles struggle to keep pace.
This is the point where the messy middle begins.
The messy middle is the space between promise and maturity. It is where leaders must make decisions before the landscape is stable. It is where hype and fear compete for attention. It is where opportunities appear faster than the governance and understanding that should accompany them.
Crichton wrote about a fictional version of this tension, but organisations now experience it across AI, biotechnology, automation and nanofabrication.
The film added a second layer of warning. Dr Ian Malcolm summed it up during the moment of awe when the visitors first see the dinosaurs. He said,
“Oh yeah. Oooh, ahhh, that’s how it always starts. But then later there’s running and screaming.”
It was a joke in the script, but the point was serious. Early excitement conceals early risk. New technology creates a sense of wonder that can distract from its consequences.
Leaders often face the same pattern today. The initial demonstrations of AI, synthetic biology or autonomous systems generate enthusiasm, but the implications take longer to emerge.
My work focuses on helping organisations build the capability to operate in this space. Future literacy offers a practical way to understand signals early, anticipate consequences and reduce the noise that surrounds emerging technologies. It steadies decision making and supports leaders who need to act before the rules or norms are fully formed.
A Jurassic Spark is a reminder that progress rarely moves in straight lines. The challenge is not to slow technological advancement but to strengthen our ability to navigate the middle space between discovery and deployment. This is where the real work of shaping the future happens.
If you would like to explore this further or discuss a keynote, workshop or project, you can reach me at scott@artefactlive.com.