Michael Crichton interview on Charlie Rose about “Prey“ (2002)

Michael Crichton sits down with Charlie Rose to discuss his book, Prey. Synopsis: In the Nevada desert, an experiment has gone horribly wrong. A cloud of nanoparticles — micro-robots — has escaped from the laboratory. This cloud is self-sustaining and self-reproducing. It is intelligent and learns from experience. For all practical purposes, it is alive. It has been programmed as a predator. It is evolving swiftly, becoming more deadly with each passing hour. Every attempt to destroy it has failed. And we are the prey. In Michael Crichton’s words: “In the case of Prey, I was interested in knowing where three trends might be going—distributed programming, biotechnology, and nanotechnology. As a concept, nanotechnology dates back to a 1959 speech by Richard Feynman called There’s Plenty of Room at the Bottom. Forty years later, the field is still very much in its infancy. But practical applications are starting to appear. Nanotechniques are already being used to make sunscreens, stain-resistant fabrics, and composite materials in cars. Soon they will be used to make computers and storage devices of extremely small size. And some of the long-anticipated “miracle” products have started to appear as well. In 2002, one company was manufacturing self-cleaning window glass; another made a nanocrystal wound dressing with antibiotic and anti-inflammatory properties.“ Learn more about Prey: Courtesy Charlie Rose, interview aired November 26, 2002.