Short Story Research - Carolina Castro

Resource List:
Radiation Protection
http://www.epa.gov/radiation/understand/health_effects.html
ScientistsTakeDNASampleFromWoollyMammothLegforCloningProject
http://www.nbcnews.com/science/weird-science/scientists-take-dna-sample-mammoth-le
g-cloning-project-n324561
The Case for Parallel Universes
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/multiverse-the-case-for-parallel-universe/
Mind-reading Technology Speeds Ahead
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/mind-reading-technology-speeds-ahead/
Body swapping: the science behind the switch
http://www.theguardian.com/science/brain-flapping/2014/apr/02/body-swapping-the-scie
nce-behind-the-switch
5 Ways to Change Someones Mind
http://www.realsimple.com/work-life/life-strategies/change-someones-mind

Golden Facts Collection

1. Radiation Protection:
Any living tissue in the human body can be damaged by

ionizing radiation in a unique manner. The body attempts to repair the damage, but
sometimes the damage is of a nature that cannot be repaired or it is too severe or
widespread to be repaired. Also mistakes made in the natural repair process can
lead to cancerous cells.
a. I can use this to show how radiation would affect the human body. This would
also let me compare the differences between the real thing and what I would
add. The sci-fi things should seem as accurate as possible.

2. Scientists Take DNA Sample From Woolly Mammoth Leg for Cloning Project:
Starting by extracting DNA from a spectacularly well-preserved specimen discovered
in the Siberian permafrost in 2013. We take samples of bone marrow it is one of
the best materials for DNA analysis. If no complete cells can be found to resuscitate,
mapping the genome is a critical step in the process of cloning the long-extinct
animal by creating an artificial cell nucleus. If the samples are good then our
coordinated work, I think, will allow in a year or two to decipher the world's first
nuclear genome of the mammoth.
a. Icanusethisasatimelineofhowlongcloningtakes,aswellassomemethods
usedtomakecloningapossibility.Thishasveryspecificfactsaboutthesteps
takensoitcouldhelpshapemystorytomakeithavemoreofthatrealeffect.

3. The Case for Parallel Universes:

The universe as we know it originated in a great

explosion that we call the big bang. Inflation is a period of super-fast, accelerated
expansion in early cosmic history. It is so fast that in a fraction of a second a tiny
subatomic speck of space is blown to dimensions much greater than the entire
currently observable region. At the end of inflation, the energy that drove the
expansion ignites a hot fireball of particles and radiation.
a. I can use this to accurately show how the Earth came to be and how theres
so much more left to find, as well as what I can describe for when I decide to
reveal a missing part of the universe in my story or a completely new making
of a part of the universe.

4. Mind-reading Technology Speeds Ahead:

Groups around the world are using

techniques like these to try to decode brain scans and decipher what people are
seeing, hearing and feeling, as well as what they remember or even dream about.
Brain decoding took off about a decade ago, when neuroscientists realized that
there was a lot of untapped information in the brain scans they were producing using
functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI).
a. ThispartIcanuseforwhenthegovernment/scientistaretryingtofigureout
whatexactlyishappeningtothepeoplethatareabletomindreadandtothose
whocant.Itllshowthetestingthatthenormalpeoplewillundergototryto
makeeveryonehavetheabilitytoreadminds,butitwontworkofcourse.

5. Body swapping: the science behind the switch:

The consequences would likely be

quite traumatic. If there is any science behind body swapping, we dont know what
it is, so dont know how it would be done. A brain transplant would be less than
ideal as it would be indescribably difficult; even if you could reconnect the millions
of neurons between brain and spinal cord, nerve cells dont regenerate very well.
And this is assuming the eyes and optic nerves are transferred along with the brain,
because the eyes are anatomically part of the brain, and the connection between
eyes and visual cortex are just as if not more frighteningly complex as those
between brain and spine.
a. Icanusethistoshowtheactualpossibilitiesthatonecouldthinkofdoinga
bodyswap.IcouldaddabitofwhatIknowfromtheradiationandmakeit
seemsasreasonableaspossible,whilestillverycoolandinteresting.Itcould
gomanywaysIthinkbecausewithallofthisIcanjustaddortakeawayalittle
bitofthetruthtomakeitperfect.

6. 5 Ways to Change Someones Mind:

Identify that common ground. The smartest

technique, if you can pull it off, is to convince your opponent that the solution you
want is really their idea. appeal to her specific needs or interests. Be up-front about
the drawbacks to your argument and address them.
a. This is all fairly simple, everyday things. But using this at the beginning of the
story and trying to make it seem normal as throughout the story the whole
changing minds thing gets out of hand. Near the end its a realization that
its not persuasion but actual mind control.

Facts I need for my story:

I need to know exact procedures taken for certain things. Including mind-reading
and cloning.
Knowing the usual reactions people have to certain things would be helpful to make
it as real as possible. Not like the typical scary movie.