Everyone gasped. If Situ Yuli said was true, it was absolutely terrifying.
"How does the Internet... control those people?" Mei Yiqiu asked incredulously. Although it seemed to be unrelated to him, the question of whether the Internet itself possessed intelligence was a major scientific concern for every scientist. If it were true, it would overturn existing understandings of computers and the worldview.
Situ Yuli said, "Almost all of those with the chips implanted went insane, much like paranoid schizophrenia, but they shared many inexplicable behaviors that distinguished them from other patients with similar mental illnesses. Ultimately, the lab concluded through extensive data comparison and signal source analysis that they were controlled by the Internet, essentially having a second consciousness implanted, hence their behavior resembled schizophrenia."
"Second consciousness?" This was something that both Qingmu and Mei Yiqiu were interested in.
"Yes," Situ Yuli said, "Although its existence cannot be proven, everyone involved in the project at the time was quite certain of this conclusion."
How many participants were there in total?
"There are approximately 3,000 people worldwide who have had chips secretly implanted. When I joined this project, the chip technology had already reached its fourth generation."
Is the project still ongoing?
"No, I already said that the project was stopped because it was inhumane."
"I'm afraid it's not just because of inhumane reasons!" Mei Yiqiu said, looking at Situ Yuli.
Situ Yuli was silent for a moment, then said, "Professor, your insight is unparalleled; I couldn't hide anything from you. Initially, because so many participants had gone Madman, someone suggested terminating the experiments out of humanitarian considerations until a better method was found. After that, the lab did not expand the scope of the experiments, but the data monitoring of the participants with implanted chips continued, and the chips were not retrieved. Until five years ago, when Laboratory No. 19 was suddenly attacked..."
"Attack? Whose attack?"
"I don't know." Situ Yuli sighed deeply. "At that time, almost all the projects in Laboratory No. 19 encountered problems, many staff members died inexplicably, and the lab was paralyzed. That's when I left; my husband saved me."
"And then what happened? What became of the people and projects in the lab?" Mei Ziqing couldn't help but ask.
Situ Yuli shook her head. "I don't know. Laboratory No. 19 was isolated from the outside world. After I left, I never heard from it again. I don't know if Laboratory No. 19 still exists at LBNL, but I'm sure of one thing—that project has stopped."
How did you know?
"Because when the lab was attacked, everyone in my project team died, and the equipment was severely damaged. I only managed to salvage a little bit of data." Situ Yuli pointed to the USB drive she handed to Mei Yiqiu. "Also, although the list of personnel containing the chips was destroyed along with the equipment in the lab, I still remembered some of them. Over the years, I've tried to trace their information and discovered that they are all dead."
"They're all dead?"
"That's right, they're all dead! Most were suicides, and a very small number were accidental deaths. Of course, my sample size is small, less than one-thirtieth of the total, but since there are no survivors, I have reason to believe that all the experimenters are dead."
"Who would do such a thing? Could it be... the Internet!" Mei Ziqing couldn't help but shudder at the thought.
Mei Yiqiu lit a pipe, took a few puffs, then rubbed the USB drive between his thumbs, exhaling smoke as he muttered to himself, " Internet... AI... second consciousness... consciousness intrusion..."
As he read, he suddenly turned to Situ Yuli and said, "This experimental data is indeed very valuable! However, it doesn't seem to have anything to do with the virus we mentioned in the email, does it?"
Situ Yuli smiled and said, "You are the true discoverer of the Gray Brain Virus. I have no more information to give you, but I can give you a hint: the origin of the Gray Brain Virus is very likely toxoplasmosis."
"Toxoplasmosis?" Mei Yiqiu found it a bit unbelievable.
Qingmu scratched his head and asked, "What is Toxoplasma gondii?"
Mei Ziqing explained, "It's a parasite called Toxoplasma gondii, the smallest and simplest parasite in the world. It was discovered in 1908 by the France scholar Nicolle in the liver and spleen mononuclear cells of the North Africa comb-toed rat. Because its body is arched, it was named Toxoplasma gondii. It parasitizes the nucleated cells of humans and many other animals, causing toxoplasmosis, damaging the brain, heart, and fundus, and weakening the immune system, especially when the host's immune function is low. It is an opportunistic protozoan. More than half of the world's population is infected with this parasite, with infection rates exceeding 90% in some countries. However, humans are only intermediate hosts; cats and other felines are the definitive hosts of Toxoplasma gondii."
Qingmu nodded and said, "Oh, it's something similar to a roundworm, right?"
"Uh..." Mei Ziqing couldn't understand why this person, who could discuss quantum mechanics, higher-dimensional space, and theories of non-materiality with professors, had such a simple understanding of parasites, like a primary school student. "Almost... almost, except the roundworms are a bit bigger."
Qingmu asked, "So what does it have to do with viruses?"
Situ Yuli said, "Parasitic organisms can sometimes control the behavior of their hosts. To date, scientists have discovered thousands of such parasites. For example, after a horsehair worm infects a mantis, it first grows inside the mantis and gradually controls its behavior. Once the horsehair worm grows into an adult, it controls the mantis, making it have a strong desire for water. Eventually, the mantis will jump into the water and drown, while the horsehair worm enters its own reproductive paradise."
United States biologist Kevin Lafferty proposed that Toxoplasma gondii can alter a person's feelings and personality, potentially changing human culture on a vast scale. Dr. Gary Wink pointed out that Toxoplasma gondii can cause the brain to release large amounts of the neurotransmitter dopamine; infected men become suspicious, stubborn, and more aggressive; infected women are more prone to suicidal tendencies.
Mei Ziqing retorted, "These theories are not accepted by mainstream academia; they can only be considered speculation, and there is no evidence to prove them!"
"I've heard all these theories. Ziqing is right, they're all guesses. Aside from third-rate magazines and online editors irresponsibly quoting them for sensationalism, no responsible scientist would casually say such things." Mei Yiqiu looked at Situ Yuli with some disappointment.
Situ Yuli smiled slightly and said, "In terms of size, strength, reaction speed, and intelligence, felines are the most perfect species on this planet. If it weren't for humans, who are like bugs in intelligence, they might already be the rulers of this planet. From a domestication perspective, cats are not suitable as pets, but humans' preference for cats is growing stronger."
"Are you saying that Toxoplasma gondii has influenced humans, making us like keeping cats so that it can more easily find its final host?"
Mei Ziqing found it ridiculous, but Qingmu thought it made a lot of sense, while Mei Yiqiu, with his pipe in his mouth, fell into deep thought.
Situ Yuli looked at them and smiled, "Perhaps it's a bit absurd, not like something a rigorous researcher would say, but isn't science often about finding truth in absurdity?"
"The definitive host of Toxoplasma gondii is felines, and human society is the least suitable place for felines to survive. The fact that Toxoplasma gondii chose humans as an intermediate host does not conform to the laws of natural selection. Therefore, something must have gone wrong in the evolutionary process of this parasite, and they are currently correcting that error."
"My husband and I have a theory: when those Parasitic Consciousness first arrived on Earth, their targets weren't humans, but felines, because from a biological perspective, felines are the perfect examples of evolution. Until they discovered the existence of humans, this 'bug'..."