Part 27 (2/2)

”It will be different this time,” Kasei insisted.

”We will see.”

Part Eight

Social Engineering

Where were you born?

Denver.

Where did you grow up?

Rock. Boulder.

What were you like as a child?

I don't know.

Give me your impressions.

I wanted to know why.

You were curious?

Very curious.

Did you play with science kits?

All of them.

And your friends?

I don't remember.

Try for anything.

I don't think I had many friends.

Were you ambidextrous as a child?

I don't remember.

Think about your science experiments. Did you use both hands when you did them?

I believe it was often necessary.

You wrote with your right hand?

I do now. I- I did then as well. Yes. As a child.

And did you do anything with your left hand? Brush your teeth, comb your hair, eat, point at things, throw b.a.l.l.s?

I did all those things with my right hand. Would it matter if I hadn't?

Well, you see, in cases of aphasia, the strong right-handers all conform pretty well to a certain profile. Activities are located, or it is better to say coordinated, at certain places in the brain. When we determine precisely the problems the aphasic is experiencing, we can tell pretty well where the lesions in the brain are located. And vice versa. But with left-handers and ambidextrous people there is no such pattern. One might say that every left-handed and ambidextrous brain is organized differently.

You know most of Hiroko's ectogene children are left-handed.

Yes, I know. I've spoken with her about it, but she claims she doesn't know why. She says it may be a result of being born on Mars.

Do you find this plausible?

Well, handedness is still poorly understood in any case, and the effects of the lighter gravity... we'll be sorting those out for centuries, won't we.

I suppose so.

You don't like the idea of that, do you?

I would rather get answers.

What if all your questions were answered? Would you be happy then?

I find it hard to imagine such a- state. A fairly small percentage of my questions have answers.

But that's rather wonderful, don't you agree?

No. It wouldn't be scientific to agree.

You conceive of science as nothing more than answers to questions?

As a system for generating answers.

And what is the purpose of that?

...To know.

And what will you do with your knowledge?

...Find out more.

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