Insanity #05 28 февраля 2000

Самиздат

Cyber Punk 4 - Our neural Chernobyl.

                    OUR NEURAL CHERNOBYL


(C) Bruce Sterling
(C) translation from English Novikova



    The end of the twentieth century and the early years of the 
new Goals, in retrospect, constitute a single era. This was

Epoch Normal Accidents, and then living happily put up with 
people on technological risk, which today would have seemed

madness.

    In this light-hearted, if not criminal negligence period
Chernobyls were surprisingly frequent. Nineties, when powerful
industrial technology spread rapidly in the developing
the world were afraid of huge decade. Enough
remember the oil spill from a supertanker in Jakarta, 
catastrophe Lahore, as well as a gradual but devastating mass

poisoning expired contraceptives in Kenya.

    Yet none of these events are not prepared
humanity to a striking effect of the worst of the global
all biotech disasters: an event that became known
called "neural chernobyl.

    Therefore would have to be grateful that such an authority,
as a Nobel laureate, the system neyrohimik Dr. Felix
Hotton devoted his talented pen stories of "Our neural
Chernobyl "(Bessemer, December 2056, the price of 499.95 
dollars). Unique qualifications of the author allows him to 
give a crushing reassessment fatheaded practices of the past, 
because Dr. Hotton - outstanding representative of the new 
"Open Science Tower", that is that social movement within the 
scientific community that arose in response to new Luddizm 
second and third decades of the new century.


    It is this pioneering article Hotton as "Motor
neural network Locus Coeruleus: what the hell is it for? "and" 
My baldezh great for tracking neural connections with

tetramethylbenzidine laid the foundation of this new, relaxed 
and triumphantly subjective school of scientific research.


    The modern scientist does not look like dressed in white
robe sociopathic past. Scientists are now democratized,
listen to the opinion of society and are fully integrated into
main stream of contemporary culture. And today's youth,
admiring scientists with adoration, formerly stockpiled for
rock stars can hardly imagine a situation different.

    But in the first chapter, "Social Roots of the genetic
hekerstva, "Dr. Hotton with amazing clarity
reproduces relations that prevailed at the turn of the century. 
This was Golden Age of applied biotechnology. Anxiety related to

"Picking genes" quickly changed after the terrible
The AIDS pandemic was finally defeated by the efforts of
recombinant DNA research.

    It was during this period, the world first became aware 
that the retrovirus AIDS has had a fantastic blessing for him 
because its very disgusting disguise. This disease, with an 
eerie and deadly treachery undermining the very genetic

the structure of their victims received medical miracle when she
managed to curb. DNA-transcriptase system of the AIDS virus
proved itself capable workhorse successfully delivered to the
organisms are affected by a myriad of genetic defects
healing of recombinant DNA segments. Before
Transcriptase DNA technology has suddenly become a retreat
illness after another: sickle cell anemia, cystic fibrosis,
disease Tay-Sasha - literally hundreds of syndromes have now 
become a unpleasant memories.


    Once in the biotechnology industry has been invested
billions, and research tools become simpler and
standardized, and the apparent unintended consequence -
born "genetic hekerstvo. As noted by Dr. Hotton,
The situation is an exact parallel in the subculture of computer
hekerstva 70's and 80's. And here again, an unusually powerful
technology suddenly appeared in the limits of individual
reachability.

    When the new biotechnology companies have multiplied,
getting smaller and more perfect around this "hot
technology, "like a cloud of steam, was to grow the subculture
hackers. These astute anonymous person, often fallen into
state of manic self-absorption due to the ability
randomly manipulate the genetic destiny, set
own curiosity above loyalty to the public
interests. Already in the early eighties devices such as liquid
chromatograph, high-resolution systems for cell cultivation
and DNA sequencing were small enough to fit in
closet or attic. And if they did not buy for the sake of 
entertainment on landfill, or simply did not steal, any 
intelligent and purposeful teenager could collect them from 
pre-sales nodes.


    The second chapter examines the biography of Dr. Hotton one
such individual: Andrew ("Bugsy"), Berenbaum, now
recognizable criminal.

    Baggs Berenbaum, as the author convincingly shows, there is 
little different from the crowd like him savvy young

losers, steady-state institutions around genetic
Severokarolinskogo the Research Triangle. His father
was maloudachlivy free programmer, and his mother - a malicious
a fan of marijuana, all of life is focused on
the role of Lady Anne Gringeblskoy in Releyskom Society of 
Creative Anachronism.


    Both parents were of flimsy claims to
intellectual superiority, suggesting Andrew that all suffering
their families come from the general stupidity and limited
Imaging the average citizen. And Berenbaum, who has shown early
interest in subjects such as mathematics and engineering
(Considered then frankly unattractive), also partly
suffered from persecution by the instructors and classmates. In
fifteen years he has already moved into the subculture 
genohekerov, collecting various rumors and mastering the 
"scene" via computer information channels and nightly chat with 
beer and pizza in companies of other future professionals.


    At the age of twenty-one years Berenbaum during the summer
practice worked in a small firm from the Rayleigh called
"KoKoGenKo, produces specialized products for
Biochemistry. This firm, as later proved to the Congress
investigation, in reality served as the "roof" for
California producer of "creative products and
smuggler Jimmy ("creaking") McCarley. Agents McCarley,
settled in "KoKoGenKo, spent the night in an atmosphere
secrecy countless "studies". In
Actually, these "secret projects" were blatant
manufacturing synthetic cocaine beta feniltiamina and
various tailor-made derivatives of endorphins -
natural pain reliever, ten thousand times more powerful
than morphine.

    One of the "black hackers" McCarley, perhaps, the most
Berenbaum, had the idea of ​​"implanted factory
Drugs. "The idea behind it was to include a drug producing
genes directly into the human genome, after which the addict
will be in a state of intoxication. As
the agent offered to commit the retrovirus of AIDS,
DNA sequence of which was well known and available
a dozen scientific databases open use.
The only drawback of the scheme was, of course, is that the 
addict simply "would have burned like a moth from toilet paper, 
if use the memorable phrase of the author.


    Chapter three is essentially technical. Written in an easy 
and popular style of Dr. Hotton, it is delightful to read.

In it the author makes an attempt to reconstruct the clumsy 
attempts Berenbaum achieve the desired through shared 
manipulation DNA transcription of the AIDS virus. Berenbaum, of 
course, searching for way to enable and disable the transporter 
transcriptase that would consciously manage internal factory

drug. He created transcriptase was programmed
respond to a simple starting material, ie, "trigger"
taken by the user - perhaps, as suggested by Hotton,
d-1 ,2,5-fosfoliticheskuyu glyuteinazu, fractionated components
"Dr. Brown's celery pop." This is a harmless drink
was the favorite drink in circles genohekerov.

    Deciding that the genomes of cocaine production are too 
complex Berenbaum (or perhaps his accomplice, a man named 
Richard ("Sticks") Ravech) switched to a more simple useful

burden: just open the genome of dendritic growth factor
mammals. Dendrites - is branching processes of the brain
cells, known to any high school students, providing
mammalian brain amazingly complex web of relationships. In his
time there was a theory that seemed to factor in the DR can be
the key to much higher levels of human
mind. Presumably, and Berenbaum and Ravech did myself
self-injection of the drug. How can attest, many
current neural Chernobyl victims, it has a certain
effect. But, however, is not that what it represented
fanatics of the "KoKoGenKo.

    During the interim maddening excitement of
dendritic "vetochnogo effect Berenbaum attended unfortunate
illumination. He managed to provide its own model of 
DNA-transcriptase trigger, but one that did this much 
transcriptase dangerous source of AIDS virus. The stage for 
disaster refused prepared.


    At this point, the reader should remember the social
relationship that gave rise to a threatening emotional 
equilibrium isolation scientist in those years. Dr. Hotton 
quite ruthless in psychoanalysis, mental state of his 
predecessors. Proposed in the various sciences, while 
ostensibly "objective picture of the world "is now more 
correctly be regarded as kind of mental "brainwashing", 
directed depriving their victims to the full range of human 
emotions and reactions. at such conditions is a reckless act 
Berenbaum almost worthy of pity - he was the seizure of 
overcompensation years of emotional hunger. Without consulting 
with his superiors, which might be more prudent,

Berenbaum began offering free samples of its "mokryatiny"
anyone who wants to try.

    In Relee sudden short burst epidemic
eccentric geniuses, who put an end to a well now
known symptoms of "the collapse of the dendrite, sling
experimenters in the fenced off from the world of poetic visions
madness. Berenbaum himself committed suicide long before the
became known the full effect. And the full effects of the same, 
of course, extends far beyond this deplorable human

tragedy.

    CHAPTER FOUR gradually, as slowly
accumulated evidence is transformed into a spectacular
detective story.

    Even today, the term "Releyskaya collie has to
dog lovers a special meaning, but many of them have already 
forgotten about it true origin. These cute, sociable and anxiety

reasonable witted creature under the mediation of energetic
nursery owners and buyers will soon spread
svey country. One day after moving to the human host for a dog,
transcriptase derivative Berenbaum, like the original virus
AIDS, passed through the maternity road dogs. It passed
well as their mating and through saliva when they bite or lick.

    But none of dendritic enriched "Releyskoy collie" and
would never bite a person. Quite the contrary, these
obedient and well-bred pets, as an accurate
known, even up oprokinuvshiesya garbage cans and
throw them back in the spilled trash. Among persons cases
infection of neural Chernobyl remains sharp, but among
canine population of North America, the infection spread from
wildfire - and Dr. Hotton illustrates this
a series of logical mapping and charting.

    Chapter Five gives us the advantage of retrospective
sight. To date, we have already got used to the idea of
many different kinds of "reasonableness." There are, for 
example, different types of computer artificial intelligence 
that has no real kinship with the human "thinking". They were 
not surprise, but various forms of reasonableness animals to

still able to surprise us with their diversity.


    The difference between the Canis familiaris and its wild 
cousin relative coyote still remained unexplained. Dr.

Hotton offers us a very plausible explanation, basing
its interpretation of a map of the nervous system of the 
coyote, compiled his colleague, Dr. Reina Sanchez of Los - 
Alamos National laboratory. It is likely that the reason lies 
in the structure reticular formation. Now, in any case, it is 
clear that among wild population of coyotes throughout the 
country there remarkably perfect form of social organization,

using a developed system of coded barking, odor
monetary system and the specialization of roles in hunting and 
storage food. Many ranchers are now inclined to resort to

"Protection System", in which swarms of coyotes "bribes"
whole roasted carcasses of cattle and sacks of dog
treats. From Montana, Idaho and Saskatchewan come hard
reports of coyote vest in the midst of winter cold in
thrown up on landfill clothes.

    Not exclude the possibility that ordinary domestic cats
were infected before the dogs, but the effects of increasing
wisdom of cats unobtrusive and subtle. Cat sad
known for their reluctance to serve as objects of laboratory
studies in the infected state more obozlyayutsya
during the passage of labyrinths, solving of boxes with 
surprises and other similar trials, with the indestructible 
cat's patience preferring to wait until the researcher did not 
bother to conduct experiment.


    It has been suggested, though some domestic cats
strong interest in television programs. Dr.
Hotton shed on this assessment by a skeptical light of its
criticism, pointing out (with which I agree) that most of the 
cats waking spend sitting and staring into space.

Staring at flickering images on the screen did not
remarkable tendency to sit by the fireside cats considered
flame, and, of course, does not mean "understanding" the meaning
program. But, nevertheless, there are many instances when cats
were trained to press a paw buttons on the remote
management, and those who keep cats for rodent control
argue that now the cat has long plagued by birds caught
mice and, moreover, with great ingenuity and in some
cases with the help of makeshift tools.

    There remains, however, the relationship between the 
developed dendritic and the ability to manual labor, which we 
previously suspected, and the existence of which Dr. Hotton 
convinces us in the sixth chapter. This concept has caused a 
revolution in paleoanthropology. Now we have a dissatisfied

recognize that Pitecantropus robustus, once discarded
evolution as a monkey-vegetarian with large jaws, was
apparently much smarter Homo sapiens'a. Study
recently found in Tanzania fossil skeleton called
"Leonardo", revealed that the skull of Pithecanthropus 
concealed under the canopy a brain with abundant dendritic 
branching. It was suggested assumption that Pithecanthropus 
suffers from high "Mental activity" similar to life-threatening 
diffuse genius, which is characteristic for the latter stages 
of the affected Neural Chernobyl. It follows the sad theory that

that nature by means of evolution has erected "barrier stupidity
primates, enabling people, as opposed to Pitecantropus,
successfully continue to live and multiply, like the other blunt
animals.

    But at the same time, the synergistic effects of dendritic 
branching and the ability to manual labor are clearly visible 
among some neprimatnyh species. I refer, of course, the 
well-known "Chernobyl is a leap" Procion lotor, American 
raccoon. The incredible gains in raccoons and their Chinese 
relatives pandas occupy the entire eighth chapter.


    In it the author expresses the so-called "modern point
view "from which I am compelled to dissociate themselves. For 
me personally unacceptable the idea that large areas of the U.S.

wildlife due vandalistskoy of our so-
called "polosatohvostyh cousins" will be made
"No-entry zone." Yes, indeed, in the early
attempts to curb hooligan and with great speed
breeding population of these thugs in masks were made
some excesses, but then the damage to agriculture was
suffered cruel. Remember the horrific attack at least pre-
infecting himself with rabies raccoons kamikaze!

    Dr. Hotton is on that we should "share the planet
with fraternal civilized species, and reinforces their
arguments seeming to me very dubious rumors
"Culture of raccoons." Twisted strips of bark, known as
"Coonskin wampum" - an impressive example of the ability of 
animals to labor, but in my opinion, still must prove that it

really "money". And their so-called "icons" to me
seem more than random normal and dry. But the undeniable fact 
that size of the population of raccoons is growing 
exponentially, while their female Every spring brings many 
broods. The author in a footnote proposes to relieve the 
pressure of overpopulation, increasing human presence in space. 
Such a scheme seems to me unsatisfactory and far-fetched.


    The last chapter is devoted to the assumptions. Prospect
the existence of intelligent rats are highly repulsive. Until
that, thank God, a strong immune system in rats accustomed to
bacteria and dirt are not amenable to retroviral infection. 
Except how it seems to me that the population of wild cats will 
soon complete kill rodents. Do not get sick and opossums. It 
seems like marsupials have natural immunity, making Australia

shelter is now a lost world of wildlife. Until now, there is
the risk to whales and dolphins, but they hardly ever will come 
back on the land despite the (yet unknown) effects

chernobylizatsii for cetaceans. Monkeys are also theoretically
representing a very significant threat, a few limited
the remaining bits of rainforest and, like humans, like
would be resistant to the disease.

    Our neural chernobyl and spawned its own folklore.
Modern urban folklore tells of the "Crown hosts"
group of victims of Chernobyl, were able to survive the attack
virus. Supposedly they "go for the people" to form among
normal people, or "sheep", a secret counterculture. This step
back to the gloomy traditions Luddizma, and public fears,
once projected on a dangerous and reckless, "the priesthood
science ", now transformed into these tales of superlyudyah.
Such a psychological shift becomes clear when
know that these "masters of the Crown specializes in research
studies of the kind which are now viewed with
disapproval. Opinion that some part of the human
population has reached the physical immortality and hides it 
from all us - is absurd.


    Author, and quite rightly refers to this myth in order
contempt for what he deserves.

    Except those already tagged me some places, the book
Dr. Hotton just wonderful, and is likely to be
difficulty deciding on the central phenomenon of our time.
Dr. Hotton may well be hoping to add to your list
honors another Putlitserovskuyu prize. This great
Patriarch of science in the age of ninety-five years has 
created another outstanding work in its rapidly growing field 
of knowledge. AND his numerous readers, including the author of 
this review, can only admire his energy and demand continue.