[This post was written by Adam Hadhazy, an intern at SciAm]It seemed inevitable that the new two-part TV miniseries of Michael Crichton's 1969 technothriller novel about a lethal extraterrestrial superbug would strain credulity with pseudoscience and quick thrills.But at least through part 1 of the series, which aired last night, The Andromeda Strain has stimulated without going too far overboard. A remarkable amount of the science in the 40-year-old original still holds up as compelling and has been wisely retained. Who doesn't get excited when the scrambling scientists, whisked away to a top secret laboratory, discover that the microscopic invader contains no DNA or RNAmaking it unlike any other life-form on Earth? To try and wow science-savvy people, as well as inveigle the layman, A&E cranks its version up a notch by throwing in buckyballs and singularity wormholes, though somewhat unnecessarily.Like the Lord of the Rings screen adaptations, this Andromeda Strain update seems to reflect modern moviegoers' appetite for adrenaline-fueled action that borders on spectacle. Without giving too much away, consider the nuclear cliffhanger that closes out the first installment as well as the chainsaw suicide. (In fairness, a menagerie of similarly grotesque self-annihilations occur in the book, too.)Even so, there is a remarkable fidelity to the painstaking lab work that made the novel and the staid but excellent 1971 film so gripping and authentic-feeling. The amount of technical detail is not quite as impressive but still satisfies, thanks to some solid, believable technobabble. Of course, the jargon is scaled down exponentially from Crichton's trademark hyperrealism (which makes it even more surprising that the celebrated author is a full-fledged global-warming denier.)Bottom line: this viewer likes what he's seen so far in the "modernized" version of The Andromeda Strain. The most off-putting thing about part 1 is President Scott, who appears to be a bizarre hybrid of the two most recent POTUSes, channeling Bill Clinton's Arkansan drawl and George W. Bush's whether-I-know-it-or-not swagger. Though the acting is hardly Shakespearean, thespianism is rarely the draw in science fiction films, anyway (except when it comes to U.S.S. Enterprise captain Jean-Luc Picard).Part 2 premieres tonight at 9 p.m. Eastern time and the full four hours will be re-aired on Saturday, May 31, starting at 8 p.m. Eastern.Let's hope the second half keeps it real, too.

 

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