The characters in The Andromeda Strain are all experts in their field. Stone, Leavitt, Burton, and Hall are chosen for the Wildfire Project because of their outstanding credentials, though there are additional considerations in the case of Hall. Additionally, men like Manchek have risen through the ranks to positions of importance by demonstrating their competence. These men represent the sum total of human accomplishment. They are skilled professionals lauded for their understanding of the world. However, they run into a big problem. A mysterious extraterrestrial organism arrives and shows them that there is a realm of knowledge far beyond their understanding. The men’s efforts to understand the Andromeda Strain teach them how little they actually know about the universe.

The novel uses scientific theories and data to outline every single possibility that might explain the Andromeda Strain’s presence on Earth. The book uses graphs and tables to add a sense of authenticity to the scientific information, while the end of the book provides a list of references and citations to illustrate that the fictional account draws from real scientific theories. One of these is the Messenger Theory, which suggests that the organism may be an attempt by an alien race to communicate with the rest of the galaxy.