Customer Reviews

Life Signs: The Biology of Star Trek

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

If you read To Seek Out New Life, I'm sorry. There Andreadis claims to love Star Trek, and spends most of the book proving how false the science of the show is. She forgets the cardinal rule of a Trekkie- apologize for the show. Yes, it has problems in physics. Yes, there are continuity errors. Yes, the biology isn't always up to snuff. But you love the show, so you try to make it work. You try to find a work-around. And then, if you absolutely can't, you admit there was a mistake.

This is the tradition the Jenkinses boldly go with. They use Star Trek to have fun with biology, and understand more about new life. What would Horta psychology be like? Why do Gorgons make us uncomfortable? Where do we find Trill-like species here on Earth? The Jenkinses use Trek to help us understand more about life, in the process fully explaining the biology, but not in such detail to bore the unscientific reader. This is what was great about the show. It entertained, yes, but it took us beyond. It made us struggle with philosophy, history, anthropology, and science. It made us think about new possibilities, and use our imaginations to understand the world around us. It is in this tradition that the Jenkinses lead us.

The doctors Jenkins may not have Dr. Lawrence Krauss's easy way of turning hard science into a page-turner, but their work is an entertaining, informative, accessible book.

The book covers topics from a wide range of biological study, including how the structure of faces affect psychology, why 'silicon-based life' is a possibility while 'aluminum-based life' is not, practical applications of gene therapy, and the traditional chapter of bloopers committed by the Star Trek writers (including the intriguing question of why it is that Captain Picard is the only member of the Enterprise bridge crew who can't seem to grow his own hair back). The single chapter on the biology of love and romance covers such wide-ranging topics as the possible mating customs of various Star Trek races, the biology of inter-species reproduction (including the surprising revelation that you may turn out differently depending on whether your mother or your father was the Vulcan), and the distinctions between biological, psychological, and sociological concepts of gender.

If you're looking for a book heavy on information and light on gushing asides about how wonderful it would be if we all lived in the Star Trek universe, you'll enjoy this book.

This latest entry in the "Science of Star Trek" series examines several important concepts in the field of biology, with an emphasis on genetics. While including many references to various Star Trek episodes, the book's primary mission is to educate the reader, particularly in regard to cutting-edge research and theories. The authors do a great job in presenting this information in a manner that is easily understood, and all Trek fans will be delighted that many glaring "bloopers" (such as, why do so many aliens look so similar to humans? And what exactly happened to the Klingons?) are thoughtfully addressed. In short, this book is a worthy addition to a Star Trek fan's library.

A wonderful book, very readable, offering the insight of two scientists who explain the hows and whys of the biology of Star Trek. They do live up to "The Physics of Star Trek" and express how all this is possible, and gently point out where it isn't (i.e. if your space suit ruptured in open space, you'd probably be crushed by the vacuum, so Worf wouldn't have time to repair his suit with some handy Borg tubing).

Regards to the Publisher's Weekly tease ("Why do all planets look like California?"), the authors actually say that the show was filmed in Souther California, hence, it was only able to offer some traditional Earth plant-life, whereas the real galaxy will have plants we cannot even fathom right now. Bush-Cheney '04.

A fantastic, professional written book, focusing on the most unbelievable (and unthought) aspects of the Star Trek's beings. Now you can understand the most different behaviors and acts of some aliens of ST universe, once believed illogical and strange for you. And you can see it through the eyes of two medical doctors, which give you complete and comprehensive explanation. Recomended for the Star Trek fans (Old Series, New Generation, Deep Space 9, etc.) and everyone who's interest for understanding more how our Terran lifeforms are and how theoretical (????) ET's would be.

This was not the ultra-heavy science book I'd been lead to believe by the title, but it was very a informative and fascinating look at the different humanoids of Star Trek and what really constitutes a life. Definitely for the science fan, the Sci-fi fan, and the Star Trek fan. I don't know that non-Trekkers would like it because they may or may not get it. But definitely a good read.