Chapter 2, The Dilemma of Hyper-Memory
The area near the graduate students' dormitory appears desolate due to the holiday, and one can occasionally encounter solitary international students.
While checking the storage conditions of various reagents, Dodge replied, "I need to check."
Little Dodge, and by the way, check on GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid)
Once I settle down, the chaotic memories in my mind surge forth all at once, as if a horde of demons is dancing wildly.
Dawn has arrived, and the sun in the east is slowly rising
At the beginning, due to the relatively young age, the side effects of hyperthymesia were not very apparent. However, after graduating from high school and entering university, the related side effects began to become evident
Originally, this was a good thing, but the human genome is a whole; it can be said that pulling one hair can move the entire body
In the original genetic sequence of the human body, there exist genes related to memory erasure and memory regulation, which are suppressed by the super-memory gene, making it difficult to counterbalance this "super gene"
He casually placed his phone on the bedside table, enduring the headache as he sat on the bed. He picked up a pillow and placed it behind his back, leaning against the wall, gently massaging his temples to alleviate the pain.
I stuffed the clothes I had taken off into the laundry bag, casually grabbed a handful of laundry pods, and carried the bag to the communal laundry room in the basement of the dormitory
Hyperthymesia in the future, also known as "Cerebral Cell Evolution Defect Syndrome," refers to a small portion of humanity who, due to genetic mutations, have evolved hyperthymesia gene links within the genes related to brain cells
This indicates that Huang Xiuyuan is not a genius, but rather an ordinary person. Furthermore, due to the effects of hyperthymesia, as time progresses, he will likely descend into greater mediocrity and suffer from mental issues.
Upon entering the bathroom, I took off my sweat-soaked clothes, took a hot shower, and after brushing my teeth and washing my face, I felt somewhat revitalized. I changed into a clean set of clothes and put on my down jacket again
After finishing the hamburger, I strolled for about 1 kilometer. It was nearly 10:30 in the morning when the employees at the chemical reagent sales point, just yawning, lazily pulled open the roll-up door
During his elementary and middle school years, Huang Xiuyuan was referred to as a prodigy by those around him, due to his hyperthymesia
On the official websites of several chemical reagent sales companies, he found the required drugs, many of which are sold by various chemical reagent companies, with three of them having sales points in the city of Cambridge
After speaking, he quickly jogged to his work computer and typed in the name of hydrochloride clonidine
The absence of a simplified chemistry laboratory in the school is due to inconvenience, and he only needs to prepare the components of the medication, without the need for complex chemical reactions, which can also be conducted in the dormitory
However, Huang Xiuyuan was well aware that, given the current level of genetic engineering, attempting to achieve genetic evolution was nothing short of wishful thinking; a misstep could lead to disastrous consequences for oneself
Stepping out of the gates of Harvard University, I hailed a taxi and headed straight to my destination
After tossing and turning for most of the night, Huang Xiuyuan found himself unable to feel the slightest bit of drowsiness. He now needed to address a particular issue concerning hyperthymesia.
However, this condition will accompany individuals with hyperthymesia for their entire lives, lasting until death
Neurons have gained the ability to remember everything at a glance due to the emergence of super-memory gene links, but the "supporting facilities" for these super-memory gene links have not kept pace.
OK
The washing machines in the public laundry can be used directly by inserting 25 cents, while the dryer next to it is free to use
He was searching for something online, and among the myriad of memories, there was the first-generation therapeutic drug, which was also an existing known medication
He calmly took out his student ID and said, "This is my student ID. I intend to purchase it for the experiment"
For patients, hyperthymesia is usually more of a disadvantage than an advantage
Outside the window, it is dim and dark; the snowflakes that fell last night, at an unknown time, have left a layer of silver covering on the bare branches of the oak tree
At this moment, a glimmer of brightness appeared outside the window. He glanced at his watch, the time frozen at 6:53
Although it is impossible to address the root cause, there are numerous methods available to alleviate the symptoms
Glucose, Vitamin B3, Sodium Chloride, and Purified Water are all acceptable
Taking advantage of the remaining time, I went to McDonald's to buy a hamburger and a cup of hot milk, eating while waiting for the chemical reagent sales point to open
After a while, Dodge raised his head, rubbed his hands together, and said: "GABA has no sales restrictions, while hydrochloride clonidine is a prescription medication. May I ask what it is used for?"
Huang Xiuyuan has a somewhat reclusive personality, and most of his close friends have returned home or to their countries.
Hello! Good morning, buddy
In fact, reservations can also be made on the official website, and the items will be delivered to Harvard University by mail
Half an hour later, more than a dozen types of chemical reagents and glassware were packaged. After making the payment directly, he immediately returned to the dormitory
In this era, it is indeed a difficult ailment that is beyond remedy, but in the future, it will not be a problem
After completing three years of undergraduate studies at Harbin Institute of Technology, he self-funded his application to study abroad in the United States, pursuing a master's degree at Harvard University. Upon arriving at Harvard, through various papers and library resources, Huang Xiuyuan came to understand that he was suffering from hyperthymesia
Suppressing the chaotic memories, I walked over to the nearby computer desk, opened the laptop, and my fingers danced across the keyboard
Huang Xiuyuan's graduate advisor, Mark Benjamin, evaluated him as an ordinary person with a good memory
He glanced at the other person, then spoke directly and handed over a note: "I need these things"
After drying the clothes, Huang Xiuyuan took the clothes back to the dormitory, bringing along his mobile phone and wallet
Even the future at the end of his memory has not yielded any practical genetic evolution technology
If the relevant genes can be improved, it would fundamentally prevent the side effects of hyperthymesia while perfectly preserving the ability of enhanced memory
Arriving at the nearest chemical reagent company's sales point, the time was already 9:22. Amidst the biting cold wind, the shop remained firmly closed.
Just the thought of the impressively fast delivery in the United States made him abandon the idea of ordering online; going in person would be even quicker
Research in this area within the country is relatively behind that of Western countries
Oh, this damned weather, the ground is like Andrew's toilet, it's truly terrible. " The bearded man said incoherently while taking the note.
"Clonidine hydrochloride, this seems to be?" A somewhat puzzled bearded man turned to another young white man and asked, "Little Dodge, is there a restriction on clonidine hydrochloride?"
Huang Xiuyuan identified the locations of three company sales points, found the nearest one, and checked the time, which was only 7:34
This is particularly evident in Huang Xiuyuan, where countless trivial memories are simply and brutally piled up in the brain, causing the patient to often fall into uncontrollable reminiscence
A middle-aged white man with a scruffy beard, upon seeing a figure approaching, greeted with a cheerful smile and said:
The last sentence is an inquiry directed at Huang Xiuyuan
The bearded man glanced at the student ID: "Oh? Harvard's? OK."
For instance, during an examination, when one needs to recall memories related to the exam, instead, memories of playing with mud at the age of five or eating watermelon at the age of eight come to mind; this is nothing short of a disaster
He is not surprised by this; Uncle Sam has his own national circumstances. Some stores usually open around 10:00 AM, but there are also 24-hour convenience stores and fast food restaurants
The issue of hyperthymesia can be primarily divided into three parts: uncontrollable memory, vast amounts of memory, and the inability to forget memories