"What a genius pianist, wasted by a career in scientific research!" In the audience, the world's top neuroscientists were immersed in this tranquil and harmonious music.
However, there were some murmurs about Chen Chen's award. A total of 8 scientists, including Chen Chen, were nominated for the Nofi Prize in Neuroscience. Each one had outstanding research achievements, especially Will Goss's neuronal regeneration gene therapy, which was considered a breakthrough treatment for depression.
"Why didn't Will come?" Whispers began to circulate among the audience. The strong favorite to win the award was surprisingly absent. Did he anticipate not winning?
"Did Will purposely stay away because he heard Professor Albert was attending?"
Some speculated that Will's omission might be related to the judging panel. Professor Albert was the honorary chairman of the Nofi Prize in Neuroscience committee. He had once personally expelled Will from his guidance, while Chen Chen was his proud protégé, even allowing his daughter, Angela, to study under Chen in China.
"But Professor Albert also didn't attend! He hasn't been involved in the selection process for five years."
The whispers among the audience gradually subsided as the music reached its climax. Chen Chen closed his eyes, the rhythm of the piano temporarily soothing his emotions. The notes flowing from his agile fingers bloomed like flowers in parched soil, bringing hope to a bleak horizon.
Had it not been for his father, Chen Chen's dream was to be a concert pianist. He loved the purity of notes and was enchanted by the wonders of the musical world. After countless tedious scientific experiments, he used music to soothe his brain. In his not-so-spacious office, he even managed to fit a piano. This piece by Debussy, "Clair de Lune", was his favorite.
Influenced by the narrative poem "The Moonlight of Biero" by the poet Jiro, "Clair de Lune" tells the story of a young man named Biero in Bergamo, Italy, who, intoxicated by the moonlight symbolizing idealism, is killed by it due to his indulgence in material life. In the end, having recognized his mistakes, he is forgiven by the moonlight and returns to the world.
For three months, with no leads, a pandemic has left scientists worldwide feeling helpless. Society is spiraling out of control. Just like Biero, humanity is suffering severe punishment.
A deadly disease, called Super Brainwave, has swept through Europe, America, Asia, Africa, and Oceania. Almost everywhere humans reside is being ravaged by this ruthless epidemic. Cities like Washington, Paris, and Tokyo have declared emergencies. The WHO's office in the Americas announced alarming results - the incidence rate in the American continent reached the highest in a century. In the Middle East, the healthcare system has collapsed, and the death rate from Super Brainwave is at an all-time high.
However, scientists have yet to identify the bacteria or virus causing Super Brainwave .
If this was the moonlight's punishment for humanity, he hoped for forgiveness.
Chen Chen found it absurd that he would entertain such thoughts. As a top international neuroscientist, he was pinning hopes on something as elusive as moonlight.
Yet, in times of desperation, it's these intangible beliefs that bring solace and hope to one's heart.
Chen Chen glanced down. That seat was still empty. Xia Nan had not appeared. The seat next to his was also vacant - Will's spot. Will's absence was a relief to Chen Chen. Ever since that incident, Will had seen him as the leak, turning from friends to foes, often publicly challenging and attacking Chen.
That incident still baffled Chen. Only he and Will were present that day; how could a third party have known? Wait, Xia Nan visited him that day. In his excitement, he might have mentioned a few things to her. He never suspected her. But her disappearance, her deceit, and the ring in her suitcase made Xia Nan feel like a stranger to him.
In a sudden fit of rage, Chen Chen's hands violently slammed down on the piano keys, creating a jarring echo throughout the hall.
Realizing his outburst, Chen quickly stood and bowed to the audience.
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"If humanity loses hope, there is still science and music." As the last note fell, Ulysses, the founder of the Nofi Award, stood up from the VIP seats in the front row, swiftly walked onto the stage, and livened up the atmosphere with his English spoken in an Ohio accent.
Wrapped in a dark gray plaid vest over a white flannel shirt, his slightly plump figure was evident. Underneath his shiny bald head, a pair of eyes sparkled like emeralds, exuding wisdom and shrewdness. He walked over to Chen Chen, who stood at the center of the stage, warmly embraced him and whispered into his ear, "Your father would be proud of you."
This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.
Ulysses clearly remembered the first time he met Chen Chen. It was on a stiflingly hot and humid afternoon. He was in his office with two other students, Albert and Chen Tianbai, analyzing experimental data from a mouse water maze, when a burst of piano music from outside interrupted them. An Asian boy of about seven or eight sat on the lawn, playing an electronic keyboard. The piece he was playing was "Moonlight".
The boy poured his heart and soul into the keys, every note full of emotion. Just as Ulysses was marveling at the boy's musical talent, he saw Chen Tianbai walk out angrily and snatch away the electronic keyboard. A woman in a white dress sitting next to the boy argued with Chen Tianbai. Ulysses guessed she must be Chen Tianbai's wife, and the boy was Chen Chen, Chen Tianbai's son.
"Ladies and gentlemen, the most exciting moment is upon us! We are about to witness the youngest neuroscientist in history receive the Nofi Stellar Award!"
The hall's lights dimmed. Everyone held their breath, looking up at the 10-meter-high semi-spherical crystal dome. In the darkness, blue lights illuminated a complex matrix on the dome — a 3D model of brain neuron connections. This is what the scientists present have been exploring their whole lives. Yet, what's on display is just the tip of the iceberg of the brain.
If life is a miracle in the universe, then the brain is the miracle within the miracle. This squishy organ weighing about 1.4 kg contains 100 billion neurons and over a quadrillion neuron connections. It bestows magical abilities upon humans. Every human action is processed and controlled by the brain. It is the source of cognition, thought, feeling, emotion, and planning. Yet, our understanding of the brain is still more limited than our understanding of the vast universe.
Chen Chen stared at the neural network. This most complex object in the universe remains the greatest mystery in life sciences. What a puzzle! What was she thinking? He couldn't help but think of Xia Nan. The challenge of neuroscience is that behind every simple action lies infinite combinations. Even a simple finger snap involves 300 neurons. Yet, these 300 neurons have 20,000 possible combinations when performing this action, let alone human thoughts, which are even more elusive.
A star-shaped trophy began to descend, the most ceremonial moment of the Nofi Award ceremony and the shot every media outlet hoped to capture. This trophy was designed by Ulysses himself, inspired by the structure of neurons. The top is star-shaped, connected to the base by a slender rod resembling a dendrite. But that's not the only genius behind its design.
As the trophy hung in mid-air, the dome opened with a swish, revealing the brain models of all past Nofi Neuroscience Award winners. Chen Chen immediately recognized a familiar name — Chen Tianbai, his father, a legendary Chinese scientist known as the "Einstein" of the neuroscience field and the first recipient of the Nofi Neuroscience Award. But 20 years ago, his father's mental health deteriorated, transforming from a legendary scientist to a mental patient, residing in a sanitarium for years.
Ulysses patted Chen Chen's shoulder, guiding him to a transparent glass room on the left side of the stage. Every Nofi Neuroscience Award recipient must leave a model of their brain there. Sitting in a customized chair, a helmet-like device enclosed Chen Chen's head, making him somewhat breathless.
Chen Chen's brain data started to flicker on the hall's circular LED screen. On the twenty-second pedestal, a brain model began to form. Brainstem, cerebellum, cerebrum, occipital lobe, parietal lobe, temporal lobe, frontal lobe, prefrontal cortex... a complete brain model was produced in just two minutes.
The hovering trophy began to emit a soft green glow, with its star-shaped top becoming clearer. Every Nofi Neuroscience Award trophy is unique, shaped after the recipient's own neuron structure. It's chosen by big data analytics, which determines the most aesthetically pleasing neuron shape.
The audience watched in silence, anticipating the unforgettable moment. Ulysses stepped forward, reaching for the slowly descending star-shaped trophy. At this point, Chen Chen had returned to the center of the stage. Reporters eagerly raised their cameras, ready to capture this historical moment that would soon be breaking news.
"Professor Raymond?" A piercing female voice broke the still and tense atmosphere of the conference room, diverting everyone's attention from the center stage.
"It's—Super Brainwave ! Professor Raymond is infected with Super Brainwave !" Another somber and anxious male voice added, heating up the entire room as if it were engulfed in flames. Just for a moment, the phrase "Super Brainwave " made the seated scientists become extremely restless, with feelings of terror and anxiety swirling in the room.
Chen Chen followed the commotion to see, in the third row of the audience seats, Professor Raymond, a neuroscientist from the University of London, crumpling to the floor like a boiled shrimp, foaming at the mouth and convulsing.
Serious cases of Super Brainwave manifested these symptoms! The scientists seated around Professor Raymond nearly leapt from their chairs, scattering in all directions. It was unfortunate for Professor Raymond; before the award ceremony began, many people eagerly conversed with him, but at this moment, no one offered a helping hand.
"Please return to your seats, medical staff will be here shortly!" Ulysses tried to calm everyone with his Ohio accent, but it was ineffective. He frowned, giving a signal to his assistant Walker, who was on the right side of the stage.
Fully equipped medical personnel rushed into the hall, efficiently strapping Professor Raymond onto a stretcher and quickly departing. From the moment Professor Raymond was found to be ill until he was carried out, it took less than five minutes.
With Professor Raymond's departure, many scientists also left. These mere five minutes felt like a century to them. Every breath made them feel as if their lungs were filled with the 沃克virus. Perhaps they could be the next to fall! Even now, there was no evidence to suggest that 沃克spread through the air.
The award ceremony was set to continue, but no one was in the mood to watch. Already, some had hurriedly left when Professor Raymond fell. Those who remained did so out of respect for Ulysses, as most of them had collaborations with Nofi. At the moment, they felt on edge, hoping the event would end quickly.
"Mr. Ulysses, in the face of such a catastrophe, do you think it's inappropriate for Nofi to host such an event? Nofi claimed to ensure the safety of every expert attending. This clearly seems to have been a hollow promise," a journalist from the Washington Post, losing patience with the award presentation, stepped out of the media zone and yelled his question.
Before the Nofi Award ceremony, there was strong media skepticism. All gatherings were banned by the government. However, Nofi Pharmaceuticals, using connections, secured special permission to summon neuroscientists globally to San Francisco, a Super Brainwave hotspot, clearly prioritizing their reputation over the safety of the scientists.
Facing media condemnation, Nofi Pharmaceuticals claimed it could ensure the safety of all attending scientists. Ulysses had full confidence in this. However, the sudden onset of Super Brainwave in Professor Raymond put both Nofi and Ulysses in a very passive position.
Two burly security personnel moved to restrain the journalist, but Ulysses stopped them.
"This is not just an award ceremony. Nofi's main purpose is to provide a platform for neuroscientists around the world to communicate and control the Super Brainwave outbreak as quickly as possible," Ulysses calmly responded to the media. "I am deeply sorry for Professor Raymond's sudden illness, but there's no definitive conclusion that it's Super Brainwave. Nofi will do its utmost to treat Professor Raymond and will promptly inform the media about his condition. I also have good news to share with the media. Nofi has found a drug that can treat Super Brainwave, and we are actively applying to the World Health Organization for a special route, hoping that the drug can be used for clinical treatment as soon as possible."
"Nofi will not let everyone down! Today's event ends here. Thank you to the scientists who work hard for our brain endeavors, and thank you to the media present today! Lastly, congratulations to the young and talented scientist Chen Chen from China for winning this year's Nofi Award!"
Ulysses quickly left the venue with Chen Chen, avoiding the eager journalists. He noticed Chen Chen's unusual state upon entering the hall - a pale face filled with gloom and resentment. But he had more pressing matters to attend to.