First, we will examine the relationship between Kidder and his creatures as they become more advanced. Then we will consider this in the larger picture.
In the beginning, the Neoterics are merely an invention to Kidder. They don’t even have a name until later in the story. Kidder’s obsession in searching for knowledge and inventions sparks the experiment. One major problem drives him: humans take too long to invent. In his frustration, Kidder begins searching for a way to address the issue. There isn’t much strength in the relationship between Kidder and the invention in its early stages because he hasn’t become genuinely invested in it. It isn’t until the invention evolves past being a single-celled organism that he begins to see its potential. …show more content…
In fact, when Kidder first invented the Neoterics, he didn’t have a clear vision in mind yet. Driven by his frustration in the slowness of human progress, he blindly jumped into an experiment. I read once in Guns, Germs, and Steel that inventions often fulfill a purpose that is unknown at the time of their invention. On page 5 the Narrator says, “This, then, was the answer to his problem. He couldn’t speed up humanity’s intellectual advancement enough to have it teach him the things his incredible mind yearned for. “Kidder didn’t realize the potential of his experiment to answer his problem until the creatures were more highly evolved. While many advancements may have been born out of necessity, the invention of the Neoterics was not.
Humans have a strange relationship with technology. Kidder, who is relentless in his pursuit of knowledge, forces the Neoterics to invent under the threat of death. We want to improve upon humans. Kidder doesn’t respect humanity as it is and creates a “super-race” to replace them. Not in the “I’m going to destroy all humans” way, but he no longer is looking to humans as he was before. Kidder is a monster. Is this how humans would be perceived – chaotic, ruthless, and powerful - from a non-human