The Yuck Factor

By Harry Harris

Animals are now being created with human brain cells!. Nevertheless, many scientists worry that if you humanize animals too much you cross certain boundaries that could be dangerous, and they’re sincerely concerned for mankind if this practice is allowed to continue. In The Yuck Factor we learn what can happen when over-zealous scientists attempt to humanize animals.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Harry Harris
• Release date: Mar 20, 2015
• ISBN: 9781311710734

Book preview

The

Yuck Factor

Another fascinating story about those two lovely cats,

Sami One Eye and Mr. Big Foot

By Harry Harris

Copyright 2015 Harry Harris

Published by HERCULES-APOLLO MYSTERIES

at Smashwords

Smashwords Edition License Notes

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Table of Contents

#prologue

#Chapter1

#Chapter2

#Chapter3

#Chapter4

#Chapter5

#Chapter6

#Chapter7

#Chapter8

#Chapter9

#AboutAuthor

#Otherbooks

Prologue

Animals are now being created with human brain cells!

That momentous, albeit distressing fact, was brought to the public’s attention by THE ASSOCIATED PRESS and was reported in the ARIZONA TRIBUNE dated January 6, 2010:

In an undisclosed, secret laboratory in Mesa, Arizona,

Dr. Michael Bartsch has been injecting MICE with small amounts of human brain cells in an effort to make realistic models of disorders -- such as Parkinson’s -- in order to find cures for the disease. He created the models by injecting 100,000 human stem cells into the brains of 14-day-old rodents. The mice were born with about 0.5 percent of human cells in each of their brains, a trace amount that doesn’t remotely come close to humanizing the rodents. However, it proved that injecting human stem cells into mouse brains does have a positive effect on their intellect. This is not far-fetched, Dr. Bartsch argues, after all, the mice are 97.5 percent genetically identical to humans.

Nevertheless, many scientists worry that if you humanize animals too much you cross certain boundaries that could be dangerous, and they’re sincerely concerned for mankind if this practice, which they refer to as THE YUCK FACTOR, is allowed to continue.

Dr. Bartsch claims that a cat he had injected with human stem cells called 911 for help, which was instrumental in saving its master’s life:

Police got a 911 call from Gary Armstrong’s apartment, but no one was on the line. When they called back and didn’t get an answer, they decided to investigate: In the apartment they found Tommy the cat lying by the phone on the living room floor. Mr. Armstrong who had fallen, was unable to get up because of mini-strokes that disrupt his balance; also he wasn’t wearing his medical necklace and couldn’t reach it to alert paramedics that he needed help. Mr. Armstrong said that he got the cat three years ago from Dr. Bartsch who informed him that the cat, due to the human stem cells that had been injected into its brain, could easily be trained to call 911 in an emergency. The cat’s owner was unsure if the training ever stuck, however, now he knows that it was successful.

The phone in the living room is always on the floor and there are 12 small buttons on it, including a speed dial for 911. Thanks to the stem-cell injections, Tommy the cat learned what button to push when his owner became disabled.

When hearing of the cat’s achievement, Dr. Bartsch is quoted as saying, I’m not surprised. I truly believe that by increasing the number of human stem cells into animals that they could not only be trained to accomplish heroic deeds but in time taught English and be able to speak with their masters.

It is therefore possible that Dr. Bartsch’s theory may one day become a reality; however, in THE YUCK FACTOR the story that follows, we learn what can happen when over-zealous scientists attempt to humanize animals.

Chapter One

Ralph Morgan and his wife, Irene, always enjoyed having

Dr. Harold Vaughan,--the world-renowned scientist—as their guest for dinner. He not only had a myriad of interesting stories to relate, mostly about his travels to foreign countries, but he intermingled them with so much humor that they became a captive audience. This evening, however, was especially interesting for them because the doctor had discussed his plans to humanize animals, and what had pleased him immensely was that Ralph and Irene were receptive to his idea of having their two beloved cats,

Sami One-Eye and Mr. Big Foot, help him with his experiments.

When the engaging evening had come to an end and the doctor had been escorted to the door, he said, First, I want to thank you, Irene, for the delicious dinner; your great knowledge of the culinary arts never fails you, the meal was, as usual, excellent. Secondly, I want to thank you for giving me the opportunity to work with your two lovely felines for they’re perfect for the experiments that I have in mind. And I assure you, once again, that my tests will not subject them to danger or to any pain.

If I didn’t believe that to be the case, Irene said, You wouldn’t have succeeded in talking me into letting you have my little darlings to be part of your experiments...for you know how dear those two adorable cats are to us. Making a face, she added, Even though my husband doesn’t approve of what you’re planning to do, I’m all for it...because endeavoring to humanize animals so that they can communicate with humans, and eventually do so in English, has boggled my mind; it’s got me looking anxiously toward the future...to the day when I’ll be able to actually converse with Sami and Big Foot instead of using baby-talk to communicate with them. Chuckling, she said, I can just imagine the delightful conversations I’ll be having with them. She sighed deeply and then said, That’s why I’ll be praying that your experiments will be successful, doctor, for it certainly will revolutionize the way we humans interact with the animals around the world. Smiling whimsically she added boastfully, I know your experiments will be successful because you’ll have Sami and Big Foot to work with; they’re so smart you couldn’t have hoped for two better guinea pigs. Making a face she said quickly, But please, Harold, when they’ve learned to speak English and you’re talking with them, don’t let them know that I referred to them as guinea pigs. If you do they won’t have anything to do with me for days; you know how sensitive cats can be!

Chuckling, the doctor said, with tongue in cheek, Irene, my dear, I wouldn’t dream of letting them know that you’ve compared them to swine. With that the doctor kissed Irene lightly on each cheek continental style, shook Ralph’s hand, said he expected Sami and Big Foot to be at his laboratory first thing in the morning, thanked his friends again for the succulent meal, and left.

Ralph and Irene remained at the door and waved to the doctor as he got into his car and drove off. And only when his car was out of sight did they go back into the house to hash over the exciting events of the evening. When they were in the living room Irene made drinks for the two of them, -- Hers, with Amaretto and coke, and Ralph’s with vodka and tonic, and then they sat back comfortably on the couch and began reflecting on the doctor’s theory on humanizing animals.

After what seemed like an eternity, Irene broke the quietness by saying pensively, Ralph, I can’t understand why you don’t approve of what Harold wants to do with animals? The fact that he’s trying to humanize them and hopefully get them to eventually speak will revolutionize the relationship that we humans have with them. And since he says that his experiments won’t be dangerous or painful for the animals I hope he succeeds. Her eyes twinkled brightly as she added, Can’t you just hear Sami and Big Foot talking with us? I not only wonder what their voices will sound like but what their first words to us will be. Smiling sheepishly, she said, "But no matter