Mei Yiqiu is currently troubled by the Cat-Killing Order.
Before this, their plan had gone very smoothly, even too smoothly, to the point that he once doubted Lester's guess was wrong, that there were no aliens at all, otherwise the invaders would have already taken action against them.
He imagined that the other side would inevitably use the power of those who had already successfully infiltrated the Third Space Foundation to pressure the foundation through the government or other forces, causing the Foundation to split or even dissolve. He and several key members had long prepared for the worst. However, in doing so, the intruders would inevitably expose some of their people and strength, bringing them into the open, which was better than hiding in the shadows like shadows.
Of course, the invaders might resort to more extreme measures, such as assassination. Mei Yiqiu has already written her will in Lester Signature, so that if she were to meet with misfortune, she could issue another public warning to humanity, just like Lester.
But none of these things happened. Instead, the frequent online revelations and the Cat-Killing Order completely unexpected and disrupted the Third Space Foundation's plans.
Besides their ongoing Space Box and Dream Guide games, their current research focus originally included three other areas: the development of a Gray Brain Virus vaccine, in-depth research on the origin of Toxoplasma gondii, and the identification of human consciousness and Parasitic Consciousness.
Of these three directions, the third is the most difficult. Currently, apart from knowing that extraterrestrial consciousness can induce the brain to emit those unusual electrical waves that cause Toxoplasma gondii to perform Dance of Death, there are no other discoveries. It is highly likely that a breakthrough will not be made until the Space Box is successfully developed. The first direction also seems fraught with difficulties due to the limited number of virus samples and cases, and the development of a virus vaccine is itself a long process. Only the second direction seems to have the greatest chance of success, due to the widespread existence of Toxoplasma gondii and the fact that there is already a century of research foundation.
But once the Cat-Killing Order was issued, it became very difficult to find a cat in the city, let alone conduct observations and experiments in its natural state. Although other animals and humans also carry large amounts of Toxoplasma gondii, even more than cats, felines are the definitive hosts of Toxoplasma gondii. Without cats, a crucial link is missing.
Mei Ziqing, dressed in a white work uniform and wearing gloves, walked into the office carrying a black and white tabby cat. "Professor, are you really going to keep it here?"
Mei Yiqiu put his pipe in his mouth, reached out and took the cat, placing it on his lap, saying, "Why not? You can hardly see any cats on the streets anymore."
"But aren't you worried about getting infected?" Mei Ziqing asked with concern.
Mei Yiqiu laughed heartily, "Why should I worry now when I wasn't worried before?" Suddenly, his expression turned serious, and he said, "Public panic stems from ignorance. You're a scientist; how could you have such thoughts? Cats are the definitive host, and Toxoplasma gondii doesn't just magically transfer from the definitive host to humans. The danger of cats lies in the large number of oocysts in their feces. As long as they are disposed of promptly, and you don't lick your cat's rear end, how could you be so easily infected?"
"But dogs are different. Dogs like to eat feces and may lick a cat's rear end before licking you, which could very likely transmit toxoplasmosis eggs to you. Therefore, the chances of getting toxoplasmosis from a dog are higher than from a cat."
"Of course, the main route of human infection with Toxoplasma gondii is neither cats nor dogs, but eating raw meat. There are many intermediate hosts for Toxoplasma gondii, including cattle, sheep, chickens, ducks, and dogs. People can become infected by consuming undercooked beef, mutton, poultry eggs, or substandard fresh milk. Westerners prefer raw food, while we have historically preferred cooked food, which is why the infection rate of Toxoplasma gondii in my country is much lower than in Western countries. In the early 1990s, a census showed that the infection rate in my country was only 15%. Nearly 30 years later, many of the people's lifestyles have become Westernized, and the situation is not optimistic. You've seen the recent sampling survey data; at least in urban areas, the infection rate among residents has exceeded 40%."
Mei Ziqing smiled and said, "Professor, I know all that. I was just worried about you!"
The cat lay on Mei Yiqiu's lap, moving warily and uneasily, a hint of fear in its eyes.
"Look, it's scared." Mei Yiqiu gently stroked the cat's fur. The cat arched its back, turned around, and meowed twice. "It can sense that its species is in danger."
Mei Ziqing asked in surprise, "It can even know what's happening outside?"
Mei Yiqiu said, "Any species can sense a racial crisis, of course, only when the crisis occurs. You might lock yourself in a room and not feel anything is wrong, but if people outside are being slaughtered or there are zombies everywhere like in the movies, you will definitely feel the crisis. If the human population continues to decline, falling below a certain number, say ten thousand, then even if you don't hear any news or see any deaths, you will feel the loneliness brought about by the sparse population. This loneliness is not your personal loneliness, but the loneliness of the species. You must have heard a very famous saying—no two leaves in the world are the same."
"I've heard of it; it's a famous quote by Leibniz," Mei Ziqing said.
But you may not have heard another saying.
"What?"
No two leaves in the world are the same, nor is there a single, unique leaf.
"What... does this mean?" Mei Ziqing asked, puzzled.
Mei Yiqiu and said, "This is an analogy that Professor Frank used when describing quantum states, but many people in the biological and physics communities have later extended and interpreted this statement, and then deduced a very important theory— the Non-Uniqueness of the Universe."
" The Non-Uniqueness of the Universe?" Mei Ziqing asked curiously, "Why haven't I heard of this theory before?"
Mei Yiqiu laughed and said, "Because strictly speaking, this is a philosophical viewpoint, not a scientific theory. It means that in this universe, nothing exists alone and uniquely; there must be something of the same kind existing at the same time. There can't be only one leaf, only one tree, only one person, and even the universe isn't unique. Scientifically speaking, we haven't yet discovered two completely identical things. Even in the microscopic world, two identical atoms have different electron trajectories. Similarly, we haven't discovered anything that exists uniquely."
Mei Ziqing nodded and said, "I understand. This means that extraterrestrials must exist. It's impossible for life to exist only on Earth in the universe."
Mei Yiqiu laughed and said, "You're right, but that's not what I wanted to talk about. What I wanted to say is that if everyone in the world died, and you were the only one left, you would definitely die. Theoretically, you should die at the same time as the last person besides you."
Mei Ziqing said, somewhat confused, "This... is a bit unbelievable."
"Now you should understand why there's this sense of racial crisis, right?" Mei Yiqiu picked up the cat from her lap and handed it to Mei Ziqing. "Talk to Qingmu and see if we can find a place to keep more cats."
The cat struggled in Mei Ziqing's hands for a moment, but Mei Ziqing seemed to understand the little guy's anxiety and unease.