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for

A.C.D., M.D.,

who first proposed

the problem

The survival value of human intelligence has never been satisfactorily demonstrated.

—Jeremy Stone

Increasing vision is increasingly expensive.

—R. A. Janek

CONTENTS

Books

Title

Copyright

Dedication

Acknowledgments

DAY 1:

1. The Country of Lost Borders

2. Vandenberg

3. Crisis

4. Alert

DAY 2: Piedmont

5. The Early Hours

6. Piedmont

7. "An Unusual Process"

8. Directive 7-12

9. Flatrock

10. Stage I

11. Decontamination

DAY 3: Wildfire

12. The Conference

13. Level V

14. Miscellaneous

15. Main Control

16. Autopsy

17. Recovery

18. The Noon Conference

19. Crash

20. Routine

21. The Midnight Conference

DAY 4: Spread

22. The Analysis

23. Topeka

24. Evaluation

25. Willis

26. The Seal

27. Scared to Death

28. The Test

29. Three Minutes

DAY 5: Resolution

30. The Last Day

Epilogue

References

About the Author

Acknowledgments

THIS BOOK RECOUNTS the five-day history of a major American scientific crisis.

As in most crises, the events surrounding the Andromeda Strain were a compound of foresight and foolishness, innocence and ignorance. Nearly everyone involved had moments of great brilliance, and moments of unaccountable stupidity. It is therefore impossible to write about the events without offending some of the participants.

However, I think it is important that the story be told. This country supports the largest scientific establishment in the history of mankind. New discoveries are constantly being made, and many of these discoveries have important political or social overtones. In the near future, we can expect more crises on the pattern of Andromeda. Thus I believe it is useful for the public to be made aware of the way in which scientific crises arise, and are dealt with.