The Real Science Behind the X Files: Microbes, Meteorites, and Mutants - Hardcover

Simon, Anne; Carter, Chris

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0684856174 ISBN 13: 9780684856179

Publisher: Simon & Schuster, 1999

Synopsis

For a good part of the 1990s, tens of millions of Americans have been abducted every week -- not by aliens, but by a television show featuring fare such as extraterrestrial cancer implants and genetically engineered human clones. Mark Twain might have been talking about The X-Files when he wrote that truth is stranger than fiction because "fiction is obliged to stick to possibilities; truth isn't." The Truth (which is famously "out there" in the show's credits) is actually in there, or, rather, in here, because dozens of the wildest and most speculative story lines in the hit series are well and truly inspired by discoveries from the world of science. And a lot of that inspiration comes from the job of Anne Simon, Ph.D., the world-class virologist enlisted by X-Files creator Chris Carter to serve as the show's science advisor.

What are the chimeric cells featured in the episode "Gethsemane"? What would it take for an alien organism to survive a centuries-long trip on a meteor -- as, for example, the brain-sucking worms in the episode "Ice" do -- and still arrive virulent enough to attack a human being? How would a scientist known she was peering at an alien microbe -- the dilemma faced by Scully in "The Erlenmeyer Flask"? Telomeres, cloning, the Hayflick limit, nanotechnology, endosymbionts, and lentviruses are all supporting players to agents Mulder and Scully in the television drama, but here they are elevated to starring roles by Dr. Simon's dazzling insights and wonderfully readable style. When Chris Carter was searching for fictional creatures for future episodes, Dr. Simon related to him the science behind a real-life fruit fly -- one with legs coming out of its mouth -- and the episode "The Post-Modern Prometheus" was born. Whether recounting the genesis of such story lines or taking the reader on a voyage through the intricacies of the p53 gene and its potential in cancer therapy, The Real Science Behind The X-Files is that rarest and most prized thing: a book by a scientist with a genuine gift for writing.

Here is the truth behind the immunocompromising fungus from "El Mundo Gira," the latest on the probability of life on Mars as tantalizingly indicated by the Antarctic meteorite ALH84001, the scientific foundation beneath the dark genetic secret of the Peacock clan in the episode "Home," and a primer on the technical challenge of successful cryobiology (not to be attempted at home). Combining the author's hard-headed rationalism with her awe at the wonders of the natural world, gracefully written, and accompanied by a foreword from Chris Carter, The Real Science Behind The X-Files is a remarkable book.

About this title

About the Author

Anne Simon, Ph. D., is Professor and Associate Head of the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, and an editor of the international journal Virology. She lives in Amberst with dogs Jane and Max, cat Cleo, and horse Grinder.

Reviews

YA-Acknowledging that many of the plots are pure science fiction, Simon demonstrates that the core of many of these stories is rooted in fact. At the conclusion of the "Firewalker" episode, protagonists Mulder and Scully find themselves spending a month in a decontamination room. Simon informs readers that just such a facility actually exists, in Fort Detrick, MD. In other chapters, she educates them about microbes that can live in temperatures as high as 235 degrees Fahrenheit near vents in deep ocean trenches, botfly larvae in Central and South America that literally crawl beneath an infected person's skin, and the interaction between cells and viruses. Other captivating facts include a true incident in 1994, in which a patient was rushed to a California emergency room. In the course of her unsuccessful treatment, odors from her blood caused 6 medical workers to faint and 28 others to suffer distress. The reason is still unknown; the case remains unexplained. X-Files buffs will delight in learning the background for the many familiar episodes, but being a fan of the show is not a prerequisite. Teens with any interest in science will find this book quite compelling.
Carol DeAngelo, Kings Park Library, Burke, VA
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Virologist Simon doubles as the science adviser for television's The X-Files, helping agents Scully and Mulder's adventures fit, or at least approach, plausibility. Her informative book cuts back and forth between X-Files script excerpts, behind-the-scenes anecdotes of her work on the series and accounts of the real-life counterparts and inspirations for the show's many biological plot devices. Where, for instance, Scully and Mulder find a town whose citizens stay young through cannibalism, Simon explains the real consequences when people eat people: a rare brain ailment caused by rogue proteins called prions. Simon (who teaches at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst) likes to remind readers that professional scientists watch The X-Files and look for mistakes. For one episode, Simon insisted that the correct DNA code for a certain virus, rather than just random letters, appear on a geneticist's computer. A visiting professor at her university used the episode in a lecture: he expected to mock the show, and was stunned when a database search showed that The X-Files got it right. When Scully developed cancer, the tests she underwent were real, but their results arrived unrealistically fast: as a result, Simon says, some biochemists tell their colleagues to "call Scully" when an experiment goes slowly. "X-philes" who enjoy these and similar stories will learn plenty of biology in the bargain; among the other hot fields and ideas Simon explains are extraterrestrial bacteria, cloning, genetic mutations, biological warfare, the ominous decline in the world's population of frogs and the likelihood of extending the human life span. Agent, Esmond Harmsworth at Zachary Shuster. (Oct.)
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

TVs popular X-Files, criticized for peddling woo-woo ideas, is actually careful to preserve scientific accuracyso says the show's science consultant. Simon (Biochemistry/Univ. of Mass., Amherst) was a fan of the show before she discovered that its creator, Chris Carter, was a family friend. She was attracted by the characterization of Scully, the show's resident skeptic, one of the most realistic scientists to appear as a regular TV character. When Carter contacted Simon to vet the science on one episode, she became a regular consultant. Here she examines the scientific basis for a number of the shows, focusing on her own areas of specialtybiochemistry and molecular biologyfrom which many episodes have drawn material. The biology of our own planet still has many unexplored areasnew species are being discovered every day, many in environments formerly thought hostile to life (the ocean depths or deep underground). Simon lays the groundwork for an understanding of how DNA and the other basic molecules of life operate. The show's tension between the credulous FBI agent Mulder and the skeptical Scully arises from the unexpected ways that living things can act. Many episodessuch as the one featuring El Chupacabra, the goat-sucking vampire of Hispanic folkloreinvolve Scully's finding a naturalistic explanation for what Mulder is ready to see as a supernatural phenomenon. This gives Simon plenty of room to explore byways of science, and she does so without betraying either her scientific training or the entertainment value of the show. She cites specific episodes, often with excerpts from the script, then goes off to explore the wider scientific background. This gives her a shot at everything from evolution to exobiology, from cryptozoology to DNA sequencing, and the result is a lively, well-written book that will please fans of the show without embarrassing serious scientists. Of most interest to fans, but the science is still solid. (Author tour) -- Copyright ©1999, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

To watch an episode of The X-Files is to enter a world of skin-crawling diseases, possibly alien life-forms, and vague government conspiracy. The producer's prescription for pulling in an audience of the gullible? Not at all, avers the producer's scientific advisor, real-life molecular biologist Anne Simon, who believes the show's success arises from its realistic portrayal of scientists. Its main characters, the beautiful, cerebral Scully and her impetuous, credulous sidekick Muldar, investigate all manner of weird deaths--Muldar typically rushing to UFO explanations, whereas Scully cautiously awaits lab results. Simon explains the underlying biological plausibility of various plot devices in the series. Could microbial pathogens emerge from rain forests? From drilling activity in the deep crust? From comets or other planets? Could silicon-based life wreak havoc on the earth's carbon-based biota? How likely is that sci-fi standard, the genetically mutant monster? Interspersed by her fanzine-style commentary about the series, Simon's science should snare viewers of the extremely creepy program. Gilbert Taylor

Edition details

• Publisher: Simon & Schuster
• Publication date: 1999
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0684856174
• ISBN 13: 9780684856179
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 320