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From: okie@ihuxi.UUCP (Cobb)
Newsgroups: net.sf-lovers
Subject: Re: Andromeda Strain question
Message-ID: <1246@ihuxi.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 14-Aug-85 09:39:32 EDT
Article-I.D.: ihuxi.1246
Posted: Wed Aug 14 09:39:32 1985
Date-Received: Mon, 19-Aug-85 22:10:51 EDT
References: <207@proper.UUCP>
Distribution: net
Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories
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> I haven't seen _The_Andromeda_Strain_ in a few years, but I began to wonder
> about this recently.  As the scientists who are to investigate the bug are
> taken deeper and deeper into the lab complex, they are progressively cleaned,
> shaven, disinfected, weaned from real food, etc. etc. etc., so they will be
> REALLY clean when they get to the lowest level.
> 
> What for?
> 
> They never interact with anything important except through waldos and other
> interfaces built to eliminate contact, so what's the difference?

The idea is to prevent any *possibility* of contaminating the organism
to be studied/developed.  People still have to handle equipment; gaskets
break; even the best isolation systems can break down from time to time.
If that happens, there's much less chance of contaminating the organism
from a clean body than a (relatively speaking) dirty one.  Also, the
defense barriers between organisms being studied and the people studying
them don't have to be as elaborate when the body is cleaner (although
the Andromeda Strain seems to belie that principle).

B.K.Cobb
ihnp4!ihuxi!okie