Intentional use of "colossal" in The Andromeda Strain?

Maybe this has already been answered many times over, and if so, I apologize for tramping over plowed ground, but here goes:

In the "Situation Room" scene of 1971's The Andromeda Strain, Mr. Secretary is played by (in his final film role) Glenn Langan, who occupied the title role in the '50s sci-fi film, The Amazing Colossal Man. Returning now to The Andromeda Strain, at the end of the Situation Room scene, Dr. Robertson expresses his disapproval of the president's decision to postpone Directive 712 for 24 to 48 hours, by saying, "It should have been left up to the scientists. It's a colossal mistake."

I've always wondered...

Does anyone know for sure whether or not this was an intentional reference, considering the actor who was in the room?

the-andromeda-strain

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Were any animals harmed in the making of The Andromeda Strain?

The monkey was "killed" by being placed in a large set filled with carbon dioxide. When the monkey's cage, which contained oxygen, was opened the animal was rendered unconscious by the CO2. An assistant director was off camera and brought a breathing apparatus to the monkey, who recovered immediately.

Who Survived The Andromeda Strain?

Two survivors\u2014the sick, Sterno-addicted, geriatric Peter Jackson and the constantly bawling infant Jamie Ritter\u2014are biological opposites who somehow survived the organism.

Is The Andromeda Strain realistic?

Its visual effects are entirely practical While later movies based on Michael Crichton's books would make extensive use of CGI, no such technology existed in 1971. The Andromeda Strain was made the old-fashioned way: Out of real materials and no small amount of creative ingenuity.

What is the theme of The Andromeda Strain?

The book's prominent theme is the danger that man's intelligence poses to himself. Man is capable of inventing all sorts of ways to destroy the planet, but not rational enough to control these means. Crichton believes that man's capacity for critical thinking breaks down too easily under stress.

Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.

Images: Andrea Piacquadio, Andrea Piacquadio, Andrea Piacquadio, Andrea Piacquadio