The Riddle of the Universe and Its Solution
The Riddle of the Universe and Its Solution is a short story written by Christopher Cherniak which appears in the 1981 book The Mind's I. It describes a research project in computer science which includes content that produces catatonia in anyone who views it. The material is harmful only if comprehended by its victim — in some cases there is an incubation period before an exposed subject reaches the fatal conclusion. Often, the last thing said by such individuals before slipping irrevocably into a coma is "Aha!"
Only after the lethal files tragically affect a team which fetches them remotely — hoping to avoid a presumed biological disease — is the true danger realised. Efforts to use apes to discover which part of the files has this effect fail — the effect is limited to humans.
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Categories: Motif of harmful sensation | Science fiction short stories