To Seek Out New Life : The Biology of Star Trek

Rating:
Summary: Star Trek is a religion...
Review: ...welcome to the freethought sector.

This book doesn't praise Star Trek above anything else. As far as the biology and pseudoscience in Star Trek is concerned, this book is the equivalent of a chainsaw - but what precision in that chainsaw!

Andreadis disassembles the aliens in Star Trek, explaining with style and humour what does work and what doesn't. How can Odo shapeshift? How come all races can interbreed? The book cuts down the biology that doesn't work and shows that in many cases, even wilder things are possible than what the Star Trek scriptwriters thought of.

Andreadis really goes where no one has gone before.

Rating:
Summary: Katapliktiko (Terrific)
Review: A scholar, a scientist fluent in five languages and brilliant in each, Dr. Andreadi has created a stunning work that compares favorably with any of the classics in the genre. Perhaps I am given to hyperbole, but until proven wrong I rate this as a must read!

Rating:
Summary: WHAT DID STAR TREK EVER DO TO HER?
Review: AFTER READING THE EXCELLENT BOOK "THE PHYSICS OF STAR TREK" I THOUGHT THIS BOOK WOULD BE WORTH WHILE. HOW COULD I BE SO WRONG? Dr. ANDREADIS MUST HAVE GONE THROUGH SOME FORM OF CHILDHOOD TRAUMA THAT WAS CONNECTED TO STAR TREK. SHE COMPLETELY OVERLOOKS THE FACT THAT THIS IS A WORK OF FICTION. SHE WOULD HAVE THE STORIES AS BORING AS MOST PEOPLES HUM-DRUM LIVES. SHE DWELLS ON HER OWN OPINIONS REGARDING RELIGION, THE SEXES, SOCIETY ETC... GRANTED THESE THEMES COULD BE EXPLORED IN CONJUNCTION TO "ALIEN BEINGS", BUT NOT WHEN ONE IS AGAINST ALL THESE THINGS. SHE MAY KNOW BIOLOGY, BUT THAT SEEMS TO BE WHERE HER KNOWLEDGE ENDS, AND HER OPINIONS BEGIN. SHE ALSO SEEMS TO BE OBSESSED WITH USING LANGUAGE THAT THE LAYMAN WOULD NEVER UNDERSTAND. ONE WOULD THINK SHE WAS GOD, BUT ACCORDING TO HER, BELIEF IN GOD MAKES ONE CERTIFIABLE. SAVE YOUR MONEY THIS TIME.

Rating:
Summary: Great vehicle to teach science fact!
Review: All right, we all acknowledge that, "realistic" or not, most of us have been influenced by the "Star Trek" phenomenon. In this volume, an Ivy League neurology professor with a doctorate in molecular biology (WHAT biology?) admits it too. Other, physicists, psychologists, you name it, admit the same. But this is from a biological perspective.

I first heard of this book from a part of it which was published in "Astronomy" magazine. In that part, the author pointed out that the "extraterrestrial" environments in Star Trek always seem to be, what a surprise, like Southern California. The article led me to the book.

For those of us who learned some "science" in our teens particularly from TOS (The Original Series), it is helpful to distinguish between the pure fantasy of Star Trek and what reality would present. Sure, everyone questions the "warp speed" concept," from Albert Einstein and Arthur C. Clarke (the latter in the intro to his book "Songs of Distant Earth"); and Carl Sagan described that a human mating with a Vulcan ala Mr. Spock would be less biologically likely than, say, a human mating with a kumquat. Dr. Andreadis describes WHY that mating is not likely to be successful. Then there's the issues of ESP/empathy, holographic doctors, and on and on. Indeed, many of the facts Dr. Andreadis cites are pretty much common sense but things we don't think about much. Such details are important to know, yet, with a person like the author describing them, they do not require us to have an in-depth knowledge of biochemistry.

The author used the text also to make some political and social comments with most or all of which I sympathize. But that's part of science too--integrity, fact vs. rhetoric--and clearly part of drawing a distinction between fact and fairy tale.

Oh, OK, there was a point or two where I, as a male, got a little defensive, when the feminist rhetoric picked up. But I found myself agreeing with Dr. Andreadis, not because of her expertise but because her statement was true, not a means of describing feminine superiority (which I, unfortunately, hear from so-called feminist colleagues all-too-frequently).

Oh, well. It's been at least a few weeks since I completed the book. So I can recall fewer details than if I'd written this immediately upon completing it. I guess you'll have to read it yourself to get the details.

It was a wonderful read which amused me while educating me. Two comments, however, I have that are not to be construed TOO negatively:

(1) While challenging one item after the other in the Star Trek theories, the author spends the last few pages of the book praising it. The judgement seems almost incongruous with the comments that preceded it. In any case, I praise the author for her endorsement of science--something powerful and necessary in these postmodernist times, "The most crucial positive elements of Star Trek are its overall favorable attitude toward science and its strong endorsement of exploration."

(2) I must disagree with the good doctor that DS9 is the best of the series. I found that series to be Cowboys and Indians in Space. I still fall for the original, though The Next Generation surely had far superior special effects and even plots. It's only because of my disagreement with that of the author's judgements that I give it merely 4 stars. Yeah, I confess, I AM petty.

I solidly endorse the book, as a means of reflecting upon the series which is almost a cultural milestone and to learn some science and ABOUT science. Thank you, doc, despite your endorsement of DS9.

Rating:
Summary: Great vehicle to teach science fact!
Review: All right, we all acknowledge that, "realistic" or not, most of us have been influenced by the "Star Trek" phenomenon. In this volume, an Ivy League neurology professor with a doctorate in molecular biology (WHAT biology?) admits it too. Other, physicists, psychologists, you name it, admit the same. But this is from a biological perspective.

I first heard of this book from a part of it which was published in "Astronomy" magazine. In that part, the author pointed out that the "extraterrestrial" environments in Star Trek always seem to be, what a surprise, like Southern California. The article led me to the book.

For those of us who learned some "science" in our teens particularly from TOS (The Original Series), it is helpful to distinguish between the pure fantasy of Star Trek and what reality would present. Sure, everyone questions the "warp speed" concept," from Albert Einstein and Arthur C. Clarke (the latter in the intro to his book "Songs of Distant Earth"); and Carl Sagan described that a human mating with a Vulcan ala Mr. Spock would be less biologically likely than, say, a human mating with a kumquat. Dr. Andreadis describes WHY that mating is not likely to be successful. Then there's the issues of ESP/empathy, holographic doctors, and on and on. Indeed, many of the facts Dr. Andreadis cites are pretty much common sense but things we don't think about much. Such details are important to know, yet, with a person like the author describing them, they do not require us to have an in-depth knowledge of biochemistry.

The author used the text also to make some political and social comments with most or all of which I sympathize. But that's part of science too--integrity, fact vs. rhetoric--and clearly part of drawing a distinction between fact and fairy tale.

Oh, OK, there was a point or two where I, as a male, got a little defensive, when the feminist rhetoric picked up. But I found myself agreeing with Dr. Andreadis, not because of her expertise but because her statement was true, not a means of describing feminine superiority (which I, unfortunately, hear from so-called feminist colleagues all-too-frequently).

Oh, well. It's been at least a few weeks since I completed the book. So I can recall fewer details than if I'd written this immediately upon completing it. I guess you'll have to read it yourself to get the details.

It was a wonderful read which amused me while educating me. Two comments, however, I have that are not to be construed TOO negatively:

(1) While challenging one item after the other in the Star Trek theories, the author spends the last few pages of the book praising it. The judgement seems almost incongruous with the comments that preceded it. In any case, I praise the author for her endorsement of science--something powerful and necessary in these postmodernist times, "The most crucial positive elements of Star Trek are its overall favorable attitude toward science and its strong endorsement of exploration."

(2) I must disagree with the good doctor that DS9 is the best of the series. I found that series to be Cowboys and Indians in Space. I still fall for the original, though The Next Generation surely had far superior special effects and even plots. It's only because of my disagreement with that of the author's judgements that I give it merely 4 stars. Yeah, I confess, I AM petty.

I solidly endorse the book, as a means of reflecting upon the series which is almost a cultural milestone and to learn some science and ABOUT science. Thank you, doc, despite your endorsement of DS9.

Rating:
Summary: Is this a scientific analysis of Star Trek or a soap box?
Review: As a Star Trek fan from its inception and a scientist, I was quite interested in this book when I found it in the local library. Unfortunately, the title and liner notes are deceiving. The majority of this book is not about the biology of ST characters, but about the authors opinions about just about any social issue you could name. The potentially interesting topics which begin to be addressed in the book get bogged down in the authors knee-jerk liberal attitudes re: feminism, capitalism, religion, the military-industrial complex, environmentalism, etc. Very tedious. In addition, the science is very superficial and in spots outright wrong, especially when she gets very far outside her area of expertise. I hope this topic is visited again by an author who is more scientifically astute and more open-minded.

Rating:
Summary: Buy LIFE SIGNS instead
Review: Buy this book and then buy it again and then again! Give it to every Trekker, Trekkie, or Star Trek fan you know. Give it to anyone who has ever enjoyed even one episode or one movie. Once you've exhausted this group, give the book to everyone who would like to be on the cutting edge of biology, who would like to know enough to discuss cloning, next generation computer controlled prosthetics, neurophysiology, or home-grown organs intelligently, but who probably had a lousy science teacher in high school and is too easily intimidated by scientific jargon. All these people will sing your praises forever.

Gene Roddenberry gave us the magic and the fascination that was Star Trek, and Athena Andreadis, Ph.D., answers all "zone" of the next dimension of imagination, and how much is prediction, a brief, tantalizing glimpse into what science of the future will accomplish? Can a Scotty of the future beam me up? Will a universal translator make immediate communication with any and all ET's possible? Is translation even going to be necessary once we get proficient at mind melds? Will passengers on Spaceship Earth be able to procreate with the alien visitors, enriching the universe with another Spock or Deanna Troi or B'Elanna Torres? What life forms are possible in our universe, the touchingly maternal silicon-based Horta, the chemically dependent Jem'Hadar, Odo's shapeshifters? How well will the holodeck in my house work? When can we staff our hospitals with holo-doctors?

Reading "To Seek Out New Life", you want to get out the videos and watch all the shows and movies again. This isn't necessary to check up on Dr. Andreadis; her attention to detail in the Star Trek universe is as meticulous as her attention to the details of science she discusses so brilliantly. Yet the book is about all aspects of life, not just biology. Dr. Andreadis analyzes different societies from Vulkan to Klingon; she inspects the challenges of universal translators and the linguistic improbabilities she sees with the portrayed Klingon language. She looks at the social implications of the Federation and the predicted development of planet Earth by the 24th century. Her analysis of the inconsistent implementation of the prime directive in the Star Trek cosmos is unsurpassed!

Dr. Andreadis takes the Star Trek universe seriously and treats it affectionately; her conclusions about what is science and what is fiction are kind; she bends over backwards to give every life form and every phenomenon a chance. As a scientist, she can explain what works in our universe; as a Star Trek fan her admiration and gratitude for the show permeate every sentence. This is one magnificent book! Star Trek gave us the idea of seeking out new life; Dr. Andreadis gives the opportunity to let our thoughts go where no one has been before, to explore all the possibilities of life in the universe. Where we would be lost in big bang of information exploding around us, she organizes, summarizes, and explains. Miraculously, it then all makes sense. More importantly perhaps, this an extraordinarily funny book. There is at least one soft chuckle or genuine laugh on every page. Dr. Andreadis is one of those rare authors who can explain complicated material while making it very entertaining. Without realizing how difficult it is, the reader suddenly understands truly difficult concepts of the natural sciences, linguistics, anthropology, sociology, chemistry, and other fields. Not since Isaac Asimov and Carl Sagan has a scientist been able to "translate" cutting-edge science so skillfully into accessible and humorous writing. Having grown up in Greece, Dr. Andreadis has a unique perspective on the unintentional portrayal of American society to be found in Gene Roddenberry's universe. She can step back and describe the forest while everyone else is running into trees.

Again, buy this book and share the pleasure Dr. Andreadis has added to Star Trek!

Rating:
Summary: Buy this book!
Review: Buy this book and then buy it again and then again! Give it to every Trekker, Trekkie, or Star Trek fan you know. Give it to anyone who has ever enjoyed even one episode or one movie. Once you've exhausted this group, give the book to everyone who would like to be on the cutting edge of biology, who would like to know enough to discuss cloning, next generation computer controlled prosthetics, neurophysiology, or home-grown organs intelligently, but who probably had a lousy science teacher in high school and is too easily intimidated by scientific jargon. All these people will sing your praises forever.

Gene Roddenberry gave us the magic and the fascination that was Star Trek, and Athena Andreadis, Ph.D., answers all "zone" of the next dimension of imagination, and how much is prediction, a brief, tantalizing glimpse into what science of the future will accomplish? Can a Scotty of the future beam me up? Will a universal translator make immediate communication with any and all ET's possible? Is translation even going to be necessary once we get proficient at mind melds? Will passengers on Spaceship Earth be able to procreate with the alien visitors, enriching the universe with another Spock or Deanna Troi or B'Elanna Torres? What life forms are possible in our universe, the touchingly maternal silicon-based Horta, the chemically dependent Jem'Hadar, Odo's shapeshifters? How well will the holodeck in my house work? When can we staff our hospitals with holo-doctors?

Reading "To Seek Out New Life", you want to get out the videos and watch all the shows and movies again. This isn't necessary to check up on Dr. Andreadis; her attention to detail in the Star Trek universe is as meticulous as her attention to the details of science she discusses so brilliantly. Yet the book is about all aspects of life, not just biology. Dr. Andreadis analyzes different societies from Vulkan to Klingon; she inspects the challenges of universal translators and the linguistic improbabilities she sees with the portrayed Klingon language. She looks at the social implications of the Federation and the predicted development of planet Earth by the 24th century. Her analysis of the inconsistent implementation of the prime directive in the Star Trek cosmos is unsurpassed!

Dr. Andreadis takes the Star Trek universe seriously and treats it affectionately; her conclusions about what is science and what is fiction are kind; she bends over backwards to give every life form and every phenomenon a chance. As a scientist, she can explain what works in our universe; as a Star Trek fan her admiration and gratitude for the show permeate every sentence. This is one magnificent book! Star Trek gave us the idea of seeking out new life; Dr. Andreadis gives the opportunity to let our thoughts go where no one has been before, to explore all the possibilities of life in the universe. Where we would be lost in big bang of information exploding around us, she organizes, summarizes, and explains. Miraculously, it then all makes sense. More importantly perhaps, this an extraordinarily funny book. There is at least one soft chuckle or genuine laugh on every page. Dr. Andreadis is one of those rare authors who can explain complicated material while making it very entertaining. Without realizing how difficult it is, the reader suddenly understands truly difficult concepts of the natural sciences, linguistics, anthropology, sociology, chemistry, and other fields. Not since Isaac Asimov and Carl Sagan has a scientist been able to "translate" cutting-edge science so skillfully into accessible and humorous writing. Having grown up in Greece, Dr. Andreadis has a unique perspective on the unintentional portrayal of American society to be found in Gene Roddenberry's universe. She can step back and describe the forest while everyone else is running into trees.

Again, buy this book and share the pleasure Dr. Andreadis has added to Star Trek!

Rating:
Summary: Serious trekkers will love this book.
Review: Dr. Andreadis thoroughly analyzes Star Trek biology in the light of real world fact. The book is engaging and full of chuckles as well as scholarly. Her love of the concept of the Star Trek universe is obvious.

Rating:
Summary: What a wonderful book!
Review: I am not certain if I can ever recall anyone I worked with during my years at NASA who was not a Star Trek fan. I am sure there are some, but I do not think I ever met one. I could not even begin to count the number of times that Star Trek references were used at work, often in frustration at our current level of technology. Moreover, as a space biologist, I was constantly asked questions about what life might be like elsewhere, often with a reference to a specific alien species that had appeared in a Star Trek episode. My point? Star Trek has had a profound impact upon the way many people view life in the universe - including the very people who are exploring the universe right now.

Sadly, those perceptions are often in violation with the laws of physics.

In this marvelous book, "To Seek Out New Life: The Biology of Star Trek" , author Athena Andreadis takes on the daunting task of examining the biology that has developed within the Star Trek universe. I use the term "daunting" because she, despite being an overt fan of Star Trek, risks the wrath of the faithful by questioning some of the core precepts of Star Trek biology.

Andreadis takes on virtually every facet of Star Trek biology - from mind transfer and shape shifters to transporters and interspecies mating. In so doing, she is careful to separate art from science thus allowing you to enjoy your favorite episode again even if you know that one of the core plot details is improbable - even impossible.

It would be easy for just about any competent biologist to run through a list of things that have appeared in Star Trek and debunk them. Andreadis doesn't do that. If there is a shred of a chance that something could happen she eagerly addresses the issue teasing out the possible from the improbable. Again, you leave this book with a balanced view - one respectful of both the myths and the facts.

The writing style is similar to that of Stephen Jay Gould - one wherein each page often contains a dry pun, a cogent observation on biology, a bit of pop culture, and a provocative thought you'll find yourself thinking about after you have put down the book. Moreover, Andreadis clearly knows her biology and it shows. She uses language that allows even the least biology-savy to fully appreciate the concepts she is discussing. That alone makes this book worth reading inasmuch as it is crammed with a number of quick and painless introductions to the basic principles of biology.

To me, the most important thing Star Trek has done is to spur millions of people to ponder the structure of the cosmos - with a yearning to actually go out there and see things for themselves. This book is a frank critique of both the flaws and strengths of the underlying science in Star Trek. In so doing, however, this book allows the reader to look at Star Trek armed with a fresh scientific perspective and revel anew in the inspiration one gets from pondering all of the amazing things we'll find out there. That alone makes this book worth reading. - Keith Cowing, Editor: NASA Watch and The Astrobiology Web