Book description
Anne Simon is a world-renowned biologist and expert on plant viruses.
She has also been scientific advisor to the X-Files since the series
began. In this fascinating book she explores the extraordinary realities
that lie behind the strange discoveries made in each episode by agents
Mulder and Scully, weird and threatening life forms, mutations and alien
creatures. Despite the achievements of modern science and technology,
she points out, it is estimated that less than 1 per cent of our fellow
living creatures have yet been identified. Unknown plants, animals and
microbes still inhabit our planet, and new and astonishing discoveries
are made every year - like the giant interconnected fungus Amilaria
Ostoyae, which spans an area of 2. 5 miles and is thus the largest
organism on earth, found recently in the state of Washington. Dr Simon
goes on to discuss such hot scientific topics as cloning, genetic
engineering, hybrid organisms and genetics, cancer and ageing,
cyrogenics, killer viruses and much else - and throughout she refers
constantly to the X-Files episodes relevant to her subject, and gives
the inside story of how the story-line was developed.
