NIETZSCHE; DEAD PHILOSOPHERS' INBOX

[explosivecombat]

[TEXT; LOCKED TO doitrockapella]

The offer for conversation is always open, should you desire to take me up on it; I can't guarantee that I'll respond immediately, nor will it necessarily be the response you want, but I'll always respond in some way.

In the name of enlightened discourse.

Comments

[doitrockapella]

[Why, is there something wrong with lions? >:3]

So we could say, then, that assuming there were such thing as a "blueprint" for forming a human, the human blueprint would call for the trait of fingers but not claws, and the one for lions would call for claws but not fingers. Is that fair?

[explosivecombat]

[ >B( ]

I suppose. I don't see why not.

[doitrockapella]

There is such a thing as a blueprint for forming a human — and for all living creatures, as a matter of fact. It looks like this.

[doitrockapella]

[explosivecombat]

[...wait, wait. Good lord, it's been well over a year since he had this discussion and most of it went over his head, but the longer he thinks about it...]

You're describing DNA, aren't you? Differentiations in the way it's put together, either natural or through mutation, are what contribute to individuality, correct?

[Okay, he has a really basic and somewhat bad grasp on it, but he's at least heard of this thing. Sorta.]

[doitrockapella]

Well, that saves me some trouble, if you've heard of it already.

The basic elements that make up a living being form four distinct molecules, annotated there as A, T, C, and G. A always pairs with T, and C always pairs with G, but the sequence they form by pairing up is what determines a given organism's traits. A complete strand of DNA is like a textbook that describes how to build a living creature, and the varying parts of it — called genes — are like the chapters of the book. Finger cells reference the "chapters" that involve how to construct fingers, eye cells references the ones that determine aspects of a person's eyes, and so on.

In other words, if you were to rewrite the "chapter" on fingers to detail how to form claws instead, then in theory a person's cells would grow claws instead of fingers naturally — no alchemic smashing necessary.

[explosivecombat]

In theory, that's fair - however, were it really that simple, you can't tell me that we wouldn't have people with such alterations running around already. That sounds like the sort of thing human nature wouldn't allow to be left alone - someone would be creating abominations left, right and center.

[doitrockapella]

That's precisely what has me wondering about where that mysterious illness of last year came from.

I think you put it exactly right — someone wasn't able to leave it alone, and ended up with an abomination because of it.

[explosivecombat]

[...]

The initial strain of it was given to volunteers. It was intended to remain among that group of volunteers; it wasn't seen as an illness at the time, either. The unfortunate side effects came later.

[doitrockapella]

You volunteered for it, didn't you.

[explosivecombat]

I was also one of the first to experiment with testing its boundaries.

You remember what happened on the fourth of this month, last year.

[doitrockapella]

You were one of the ones upon whom I founded my theory in the first place. Are you flattered?

[explosivecombat]

Very.

For what it's worth, I wouldn't do it a second time, if offered the chance.

[doitrockapella]

Do you know how it got out to the population at large?

[explosivecombat]

I wasn't being misleading when I told you that I have no idea how that happened; only that it wasn't supposed to.

[doitrockapella]

That rules out some unpleasant possibilities, at least.

I'm assuming there was no "cure" subsequently developed after it got out of hand? Whatever it was, it resolved itself on its own?

[explosivecombat]

That's right, yes...or, if there was any sort of cure, then I wasn't made aware of it. Given how many volunteers there were, I'd think that they would have at least received an offer, if something like that was available; as it stood, I didn't hear anything about it - we were more or less expected to just deal with it.

[doitrockapella]

The aftereffects on my SO lingered for months. "Just deal with it" as a solution doesn't particularly endear me to your...event coordinators.

Not that I was ever particularly enamored with them in the first place.

[explosivecombat]

Believe me, I didn't find that to be acceptable either, nor am I fond of those particular individuals myself.

[doitrockapella]

If they didn't take care of you, I hope your superior did, at least.

[explosivecombat]

He did, actually; he's good to me like that.

[doitrockapella]

I'd be disappointed if he weren't. It's a shame to see a good sword go to rust for lack of care.

[explosivecombat]

Indeed, though he claims that isn't even a part of the equation. He gets rather annoyed with the entire "weapon" business, actually.

[doitrockapella]

In other words, he's fond of you, and you find it irritating in its needless sentimentality.

[explosivecombat]

...Something along those lines. It's more complicated than that, but that's accurate enough.