The Science of Orphan Black

Book excerpt: An official guide to the crazy science of Orphan Black—from cloning to chimerism and much more. Delve deeper into the scientific terms and theories at the core of the Peabody-winning cult-favorite show. With exclusive insights from the show’s co-creator Graeme Manson and science consultant Cosima Herter, The Science of Orphan Blacktakes you behind the closed doors of the Dyad Institute and inside Neolution, with color photos included. Authors Casey Griffin and Nina Nesseth decode the mysteries of Orphan Black—from the history of cloning, epigenetics, synthetic biology, chimerism, the real diseases on which the clone disease is based, and the transhumanist philosophies of Neolution, to what exactly happens when a projectile pencil is shot through a person’s eye and into their brain.