Science Relies on Evidence

However, the young girl seemed somewhat shy and timid, offering no response to Xiang Kun. Professor Li explained on her behalf, "She explained to me before that there isn't actually a fixed method for distinguishing them. Even among birds of the same species, each individual can be different; one has to judge based on the surrounding circumstances at the time. If multiple birds are calling, one also needs to compare them against each other for reference. Ultimately, it's really just judging their emotions through sound. But I've tried following her method many times and couldn't hear a thing. I suspect it has to do with her superior hearing, which allows her to pick up more sound details and a wider frequency range..."

After chatting about this topic for a while longer, Little Apple seemed less timid and began participating in their discussion.

Li Yang mentioned that his daughter's hearing was stronger than an average person's, allowing her to catch more details, which made it difficult for him to learn. But this problem did not exist for Xiang Kun; he was certain his own hearing was far, far stronger than the girl's.

After communicating directly with the girl for a while, he also grasped some of the tricks to distinguishing bird calls. Furthermore, by comparing them to the various bird sounds he had heard in the deep mountains over this period, he confirmed that what the girl said was useful.

However, to master it and apply it in practice, he would still need further exploration and training.

As they talked, Xiang Kun learned that Professor Li, an associate professor, was actually from the School of Life Sciences. His primary research field was "the interrelationships of complex microbial communities with important functions in natural and artificial environments." From the perspective of improving cultivation methods and mastering metabolic characteristics, he attempted to cultivate and isolate microbial groups that had important functions and application value but were previously unculturable.

Although Xiang Kun had devoured a large number of books on biology, medicine, cells, and genetics over the past while, he still felt a bit lost when Li Yang truly delved into professional topics, leaving him no choice but to ask questions like a student.

Xiang Kun had always hoped to consult a professional about his own situation. Professor Li's field of expertise and knowledge base certainly qualified him as a "professional."

Of course, he wouldn't tell Li Yang about his own situation directly; instead, he slowly steered the conversation toward the direction of mutations and genetic changes.

"...Professor Li, do you think it's possible for birds to mutate for some reason, growing to three, four, or even five or six times their original size?"

"Are you talking about an individual, or an entire population?"

"An individual, like a certain owl... or perhaps a vulture."

"It's almost impossible. You have to realize that if the body size increases by three or four times, the weight might increase by more than a dozen times; the bones and muscles wouldn't be able to support it." Li Yang shook his head. "Even if it occurred, such an individual wouldn't survive. Unless its entire body structure and tissue strength were reshaped, but mutations occurring in an individual are never that orderly or stable."

"...Professor Li, do you think it's possible for a human to mutate for some reason, for example, in their digestive system, causing their method of energy intake to change, with other organs and tissues in the body changing accordingly, resulting in enhanced physical functions..."

"You aren't trying to say that one would gain superpowers after mutating, are you?" Li Yang couldn't help but laugh. "We often use a phrase to describe the characteristics of genetic mutation: universal, random, low frequency, mostly harmful, rarely beneficial, and non-directional."

Li Yang continued to explain, "This means that genetic mutations are universal in the biological world; they can occur at any stage of development and in any part of an organism. They are random, and the mutation frequency is very low. Moreover, mutations are generally harmful to the individual, with very few being beneficial. As for non-directionality, it refers to the fact that it can produce more than one allele..."

"...The human body is a precise, complex, stable, and orderly system. Any change can lead to terrible consequences. The usual external manifestation is illness or deformity. Brother Xiang, you're a programmer; if a large, complex, and precisely designed program—like an operating system—has a bug, is that bug good or bad?"

Xiang Kun thought for a moment and said, "To a programmer or administrator, bugs are definitely bad and need to be fixed. But sometimes, for the user, a bug might bring benefits..."

Li Yang nodded. "See, that's exactly it. In most cases, it's a disadvantage. Occasionally, in special circumstances, a few might bring benefits, but there is always the risk of a total collapse. Mutation is the same. If it's a very small mutation, the impact on the entire human body might be minimal, or it might bring certain benefits or conveniences. For example, lactose tolerance mutation allows adults to secrete lactase, enabling them to enjoy dairy products more safely. But if the mutation has a significant impact, the benefits are not worth mentioning compared to the harm, and it could even trigger a domino effect, causing the entire human body system to collapse, or even death..."

"...In the future, there might be a possibility of artificially modifying genes to create superhumans, but for now... relying on accidental mutations to produce the superheroes seen in movies and comics is basically impossible."

In fact, Xiang Kun already knew everything Li Yang said from the large number of biology and genetics books he had read. It was just that the things happening to him and that giant owl made it impossible for him to fully trust the textbooks.

"Professor Li, do you think there's a possibility that nature actually has a set of mature mutation mechanisms that are just hidden... hidden within the bodies of certain humans or other creatures, and only triggered once certain conditions are met?"

Li Yang shook his head. "You're already in the realm of mysticism. In literary works, novels, and movies, you can just make up the settings as long as the logic holds. But science is about evidence. Without evidence, one cannot make inferences out of thin air."

Xiang Kun asked again, "Professor Li, what is your take on vampires?"

"If you were asking about rabies or porphyria, I could talk about those; after all, there are cases, pathological studies, and various documents. But vampires, zombies, and the like are essentially the same as superheroes—they are existences in literary works, legends, and myths. There is no actual evidence to prove they have ever appeared in reality. So, we can only discuss them from a literary perspective, not a scientific one... Hmm, I quite like Interview with the Vampire and Dracula..." Li Yang laughed.

Xiang Kun really wanted to reach back, grab the collar of Li Yang in the backseat, and shout at him: I am a vampire! I am the living proof!

But that was just a thought; he certainly wouldn't reveal his secret to someone he had just met.

In fact, they had reached the foot of the mountain long ago, but Li Sheng saw that the three of them were having a very heated discussion—mostly Xiang Kun and Li Yang. So, he simply drove Xiang Kun to the city bus station, since they were heading back to the city anyway. This way, they could continue their conversation along the way.

Upon arriving at the station, Xiang Kun exchanged WeChat contacts with Li Yang, Li Sheng, and Little Apple before getting out of the car to say goodbye.

Watching Xiang Kun's back as he walked into the ticket hall, Li Yang in the car shook his head and sighed, "I didn't expect Brother Xiang, at thirty years old, to still be so obsessed with superheroes. By the way, Little Apple, what was that term you mentioned earlier? Something 'chu'?"

"Chuunibyou," Little Apple said, shaking her head. "Uncle Xiang isn't being a 'chuuni'; it seems like he wanted to hear theories from Dad that could help him explain those superheroes and vampires."

"How could that be possible..." Li Yang laughed.

Li Sheng, who was driving, suddenly said, "Brother Xiang's feet were very dirty." He paused, then added, "Extremely dirty."

"Hmm?" Li Yang frowned in confusion. Because they had hit it off during the trip, Li Sheng had given Xiang Kun the pair of slippers he had been wearing. Li Sheng saying this definitely didn't mean he was disgusted by Xiang Kun's feet, but rather that he was expressing something else.

Li Yang thought for a moment and then understood. "You mean, Brother Xiang walked a very long distance barefoot?"

Li Sheng nodded. "The thick layer of hardened mud wrapped around his feet definitely didn't come from walking on the mountain road. He must have walked quite a distance in the mountains. And I was right there when he washed his feet; there were no wounds on them. This shows he walks with great skill and knows how to avoid obstacles that would injure his feet. I suspect he intentionally went into the mountains barefoot and didn't wear shoes at all."

"Intentionally didn't wear shoes? And why would that be?" Li Yang asked.

"Maybe he really is an ascetic monk. Tsk tsk, if he were wearing a monk's robe, I would have really thought he was a monk with real kung fu," Li Sheng said, laughing to himself.

Li Yang shook his head. "He's a programmer, don't talk nonsense about monks. He even said himself that his bald head is because of hair loss..."

At this moment, Little Apple, who was sitting beside him, suddenly spoke up, "Uncle Xiang didn't have any smell on him."

This remark stunned both of them. It was past two in the afternoon, with such a bright sun and such hot weather; let alone walking on a mountain trail, even standing still for ten minutes would leave one drenched in sweat.

But thinking back now, Xiang Kun seemed remarkably dry and clean; there was no sign of him sweating at all. Even if the sweat had dried later, there would surely be some residual acidic odor from the sweat he had produced earlier. Both of them knew very well that Little Apple's sense of smell was as sharp as her hearing. If even she said there was no smell, then he must not have sweated at all.

Li Sheng smiled and shook his head. "This Brother Xiang is quite interesting."