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From: #d22%ddathd21.BITNET@WISCVM.ARPA
Newsgroups: net.sf-lovers
Subject: Re: Andromeda Strain Question (Issue 325)
Message-ID: <3351@topaz.RUTGERS.EDU>
Date: Mon, 19-Aug-85 19:43:04 EDT
Article-I.D.: topaz.3351
Posted: Mon Aug 19 19:43:04 1985
Date-Received: Sat, 24-Aug-85 15:38:08 EDT
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Organization: Rutgers Univ., New Brunswick, N.J.
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From: <#d22%ddathd21.BITNET@WISCVM.ARPA> (Ralf Bayer)

>From: proper!judith@topaz.arpa (Judith Abrahms)
>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.
>They never interact with anything important except through waldos
>and other interfaces built to eliminate contact, so what's the
>difference?

As far as I remember (from reading the book) it was to prevent
possible interaction between Earth's bacteria and the "Thing from
outside", should the scientists accidentially get in contact with
the virus from space.

They were always afraid that something even worse than the strange
virus could develop.

Ralf (#d22%ddathd21.BITNET@WISCVM.ARPA)
(Beware of the number sign (#) - it's part of my User-ID)