To Seek Out New Life : The Biology of Star Trek

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: 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: Weak on biology but full of political correctness
Review: I read this because of a biology project I was doing for school--a fun project. My professor recommended this book, and I think he's the best because this book really dealt with all that I was looking for.

Now, don't get scared by the title--you really don't need to have watched every Star Trek episode and series spin-off in order to have an understanding of what the author is talking about. However, being an avid trekker myself, I enjoyed her side-comments and Trek references immensely, because it just showed all the much more how much she enjoyed the subject amtter herself.

This book investigates the Star Trek universe. I've heard that THE PHYSICS OF STAR TREK started this "debunk the Trek" era, but I haven't yet read it, so I couldn't say. Anyway, Dr. Andreadis does a nice job of explaining the Trek reality, then explaining our scientific reality. She uses small words, and explains the big ones. Learn about interspecies reproduction, evolution--you name it, she's covered it.

This book was done not long ago, so it covers the happenings up until Voyager and Star Trek: First Contact. Not too bad, considering Enterprise should be covering all "old" organisms, anyway.

This was really a nice read, and I would have picked it up even had I not had to do a seminar on the biological aspects of Star Trek.

Rating:
Summary: Weak on biology but full of political correctness
Review: The book itself should be divided into two books. One about biology which is pretty simple stuff and the other a study of the political correctness of star trek.

Rating:
Summary: An inspiring romp through the genre of science fiction/fact
Review: There is little I can offer here that has not been said already. I am an avid Star Trek fan and a science voyeur and this project of Dr. Andreadis was well worth the read. As mentioned in other posts, her enthusiasm and wealth of knowledge inspires you to pursue the topics she broaches further. Virtually impossible to put down, it was a delightful romp through the subject on the wings of cultural, scientific, and historical topics. Reminiscent of only to top few popular science writers, I would put this on top of your reading list. I look forward to seeing more from this author...

Rating:
Summary: Doesn't live up to its title!
Review: This book is a disappointment, primarily because it is mistitled. It's not the serious and considered analysis and discussion of the biological plausibility and possibility of the alien flora and fauna of the Star Trek TV shows and movies that it should be. It even gets a lot of terrestrial biology wrong. For example: 1)In mentioning prion diseases like kuru and spongiform encephalopathy, for example, she says that, "many scientists are arguing that prions are accompanied by an associated virus." In fact, it has been known for some years that prions are normal brain proteins with abnormal shapes that can induce the same abnormal shape change in other molecules of their kind. It's an amazing blunder since Andreadis is an assistant professor of neurology at Harvard Medical School. 2)In discussing symbiosis, Andreadis calls lichens " a union of an alga and a moss. In fact, lichens are symbiotic unions of an alga and a fungus, while mosses are actually plants. She also refers to "angelfish" as being able to live in sea anemones, when it is *clownfish* that do this. 3)Andreadis makes numerous categorical statements that are open to question, to say the least. She asserts "unequivocally," for example, that "humans are sexually dimorphic." In biology, this applies to species like peacocks, in which the males have a very different plumage than the females, or certain spiders, in which the females can be many times larger than the males, or other species in which males and females are very different from one another. Human males and females, on the other hand, are very much alike in almost everything but their genital anatomy, and this is the rational basis for gender equity, of which Andreadis is an obvious supporter. The fact that we can - usually - distinguish men from women does not make our species sexually dimorphic. Even more disappointing and distracting than these errors, though, is the superficiality of most of this book and the many irrelevant digressions and remarks offered by Andreadis. These better reflect late 20th Century politically correct thinking in general and Andreadis' personal opinions and prejudices in particular than what 25th Century biology and medicine might be like. Andreadis, besides being careless, just doesn't seem to have put much thought into this work.

Rating:
Summary: Lively and opinionated
Review: This is a lively and opinionated entry in the "fill-in-the-blank of Star Trek" series and therefore one of the best, certainly up there with Physics and parsecs beyond Computers.

Andreadis brings a strong scientific and biological background as well as an encyclopedic knowledge of the franchise in all its manifestations to bear throughout. She celebrates the more reasonable ideas shown, like silicon-based life forms. But she also deconstructs the silly, unscientific ones and showing just why they're silly and unscientific. (This includes such franchise mainstays as the holodeck, the universal translator, shape-shifters, and interspecies fertility.)

Those wanting a more objective approach and annoyed by the occasional interjection of feminist and leftist commentary might find this book annoying. However, I enjoyed the fresh approach, the clever references, and the very individual and personal viewpoint. It's well worth reading both for Trekkies and for those wanting a different approach to biology.

Rating:
Summary: through the alimentary canal with phaser and tricorder
Review: this is a short but very rewarding read. the author, a recognized authority in her field, is a trekkie and her love of star trek comes through. that having been said, ms. andreadis's exploration of star trek biology via our present understanding of science is enlightening (maybe i don't get out as much as i should, but i haven't learned as much about science since i read gary zukav's "the dancing wu li masters"). ms. andreadis introduces us to what i'd call speculative biology and in a legitimate scientific manner dissects the "neat stuff" such as the transporter, parasites and symbionts, the universal translator (this one's GREAT!), and what the Federation really might be like. the book has no difficult vocabulary to chew through and i'd recommend it without qualification.