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Lacie McElyea
Movie Critique
July 2, 2017
Lori White
ED 407 (31497)
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Minority Report is a movie directed by Steven Spielberg and set in the year 2054. Minority
Report is centered on the main character, John Anderton, trying to figure out the reason for his own
crime using the pre-crime software and the human future-predictor named Agatha. Minority Report
is an interesting and complex movie; however, it is best known for the accuracy of its predictions of
emerging technologies. Throughout the movie, many technology tools are showcased that are in
use or in development in todays world. This critique of Minority Report will include an explanation
of the technology prediction process, a description and availability status of four technology tools
Process of Predictions
In 1999 Steven Spielberg invited fifteen computer and innovation experts to attend a three-
day think-tank convention to help predict and create a realistic world for the movie Minority
Report. The three-day think-tank convention focused on predicting the architectural, socio-
economical, political, and technological aspects of the world in the year 2054 (Technologies,
2017). To predict what the future held, the individuals participating in the think-tank analyzed
and discussed every aspect of the world in 1999 and formed a futuristic world that is majorly
advanced in every architectural, socio-economical, political, and technological aspect. Some of the
experts that participated in the think-tank convention were Peter Schwartz, Stewart Brand, Peter
Calthrope, Douglas Coupland, Neil Gershenfeld, Shaun Jones, Jaron Lanier, and many more. Steven
Spielberg and the fifteen experts discussed and accurately predicted the use of many emerging
technologies. For example, Steven Spielberg and his fifteen experts predicted the development and
use of spiderbots, retina scanners, 3-D holograms, and e-papers by the year 2054 (Technologies,
2017).
Spiderbots
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Spiderbots in Minority report were silver, very small, and had eight legs. The spiderbots
also have multiple on-board sensors that can sense movement, sound, and objects. In Minority
Report the spiderbots were used to scan peoples retinas to find criminal suspects, and they were
used to relay information about the suspects to the law enforcement (Staff, 2012). The spiderbots
in Minority Report are very advanced; therefore, spiderbots are not easily available to the public.
Spiderbots are, however, being created and used by the U.S. Military for reconnaissance missions.
The U.S. Militarys insect robots are very similar to the spiderbots presented in the Minority Report.
Also, around the year 2012 a group of spiderbots was placed in Mount St. Helens to detect
Even though spiderbots are not easily available to the public, they could be modified and
effectively used in the field of education. Spiderbots or other robots with artificial intelligence
could be used to grade assignments within the classroom (Staff, 2016). Spiderobots could be
modified to include artificial intelligence that will scan and grade multiple choice tests, fill-in-the-
blank tests, and essay questions. Spiderbots that are able to quickly and effectively grade would
give the students immediate feedback and the teacher more time to teach the curriculum (Staff,
2016). Spiderbots are not, however, the only technology tool presented in Minority Report that
Retina Scanners
In Minority Report retina scanners are everywhere. They are located on all of the business
doors, subway stations, and advertising billboards; furthermore, they were used to identify crime
suspects and personalize ads. Retina scanners were developed in the 1980s before Minority Report
was created (Fleming Companies, 2014); however, Steven Spielbergs movie predicted major
advancements in retina scanning (Technologies, 2017). Retina scanners map the unique
patterns of the blood vessels and surrounding tissue in a persons eye by shinning a stream of low-
energy light in the eye. Once a high-quality picture of a persons eye is captured, the retina scanner
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memorizes the eye patterns (Fleming Companies, 2014). Retina scanners are very accurate
because no one has the exact same eye patterns, and retina scanners are now used for many high-
security environments. For example, FBI agencies, CIA agencies, NASA, many banks, many prisons,
and many ATM machines now use Retina scanners. Retina scanning is also used to diagnose some
Retina scanners are used by many agencies and corporations but could also be effectively
used in the field of education. Retina scanners could be used to increase the safety of children
within a school system. That being said, retina scanners could be placed outside of the school
doors, and each person that wishes to enter the building must have their retina scanned and
approved. Retina scanners could be a lifesaver for many students who attend low-security, high-
crime-rate schools.
3-D Holograms
3-D holograms, on the other hand, are not imperative to student safety but could still
enhance students educational experiences. 3-D holograms are used in Minority Report to virtually
display one of John Andertons memories of his wife and son. The 3-D holograms in Minority Report
allow John Anderton to view his wife and his son from multiple angles (Staff, 2012). Holograms are
created by photographically recoding a light field instead of an image. Laser lights are required to
view holograms, and holograms can be hard to distinguish from the actual object (Holography,
2017). 3-D holographic videos of people are, however, still in the stage of major development. For
example, Nasser Peyghambarian, a member of the University of Arizona and the National Science
Foundation, was still working on making viewing live 3-D holographic videos possible in October of
3-D holographic videos could be a great tool in education. Teachers and other educators
could use 3-D holographic videos to incorporate speakers from any state or country. Teachers
could also use 3-D holographic videos and images to allow students to observe life-size objects that
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cannot be brought on school grounds. For example, a 3-D holographic video and picture can be
used to show students the effect of nuclear weapons and analyze what a nuclear weapon looks like.
Also, students could use 3-D holographic videos and images to present information to the class. 3-D
holograms could engage and interest many students of every age and culture.
E-Papers
The last technology tool that will be analyzed from the movie Minority Report is e-papers.
E-papers are used all throughout the movie Minority Report. E-papers are papers that update
themselves; therefore, when any new news is received, e-papers automatically update. For
example, the e-paper would update if there were a crime or a murder near the person holding the e-
paper. E-papers are not made out of actual paper; they are made out of some type of plastic or
other hard material. Like 3-D holographic videos, e-papers are still under major development.
There are newspapers, magazines, and books that are available on Kindles and iPads, but there is
not an e-paper available that does not require a Kindle, iPad, phone, or computer. The LG Company
in Korea has, however, started producing a plastic e-paper that could soon become available (Staff,
2012).
students and parents were able to carry e-papers home, like the one presented in Minority Report,
the teachers and administrators could constantly, quickly, and easily keep the students and parents
updated. The e-papers can be used to inform students of assignments and parents of school
activities. Last but not least, e-papers would drastically cut down on the amount of paper that
Personal Reaction
Minority Report allows viewers to see the technological world in a whole new way.
Technology can be very powerful, and new technology is emerging every single day. One of the
most interesting aspects about the movie Minority Report and the technologies associated with the
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movie is that many of the technologies are already emerging. It is excited and scary at the same
time to see many of the technology tools used in Minority Report being developed right now. Last
but certainly not least, Minority Report also showed the frightening fact that technology could, one
Conclusion
In conclusion, Steven Spielberg created an intriguing film in 2002 that predicted a realistic
version of the world in 2054. Steven Spielberg and fifteen computer and innovation experts
created the predictions of the many emerging technologies; furthermore, the technological
predictions left many people in awe because of the amount of accuracy the predictions had. Steven
and the fifteen experts predicted the use of spiderbots and retina scanners that are already in use
today and the use of 3-D holograms and e-papers that are currently being developed. Minority
Report may be a look into what the future, associated with technology, looks like.
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Resources
Fleming Companies. (2014). How Does Retinal Scanning Work? Retrieved from
http://www.fleminc.com/newsblog/5/how-does-retinal-scanning-work
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holography
King, R. (2013, July 12). Explainer: Retinal Scan Technology. Retrieved from
http://www.biometricupdate.com/201307/explainer-retinal-scan-
technology
OBrien, M. & Walton, M. (2015, October 26). Like being there: The next generation of
https://www.nsf.gov/news/special_reports/science_nation/nextgenhologra
m.jsp
Staff, T. (2016, March 14). 10 Roles For Artificial Intelligence In Education. Retrieved
from http://www.teachthought.com/the-future-of-learning/10-roles-for-
artificial-intelligence-in-education/
Staff, W. (2012, June 21). How Accurate Were Minority Reports Technology Precogs?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Technologies_in_Minority_Report
https://campustechnology.com/Articles/2017/01/18/11-Ed-Tech-Trends-
to-Watch-in-2017.aspx?Page=4
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