(urth) Short Story 5: Mountains Like Mice and the purple dye

[Craig Brewer]

That is pretty cool. It also connects the "experiment" to the prohibition against cheating. Having a good heart isn't just a kind of soul vs. technology thing. It's about using the technology/science in the correct manner. They want him to be honorable but they also want a real experiment. They reinforce one another.

But that brings me to the gyrda. Just not having a heart seems very...vague. It makes sense on a sentimental level, but what is it the gyrda were really missing? The Masters seem to have taught Dirk that they are "poor" and dirty, but that seems more to reflect their origins than their current state: after all, they still know enough about biochemistry to create the hamadrayad. They aren't simple savages. It also can't be just something against DNA modification or "mutant science" since the Masters are trying to create their own "new human." I feel like I'm missing something about the actual difference between the two groups. Is it that they're avoiding being part of a larger humanity?

I also like the touch that historical/legendary knowledge (i.e., using Livy to get out of constraints) is a different kind of science/technology. In other words, the liberal arts are useful, too. :) I assume that's part of what it means to "have a heart" in this world.



________________________________
 From: Marc Aramini <marcaramini at yahoo.com>
To: The Urth Mailing List <urth at lists.urth.net> 
Sent: Wednesday, March 28, 2012 9:30 AM
Subject: Re: (urth) Short Story 5: Mountains Like Mice and the purple dye
 

I was driving to work and I had a DOH! moment.
 
Of course with the dominant metaphor of Mountains Like Mice (actually it's a simile, huh?) I should have realized WHY the main character is being dyed deep purple at the beginning.
 
My undergraduate degree is in Biochemistry; I remember starting every invasion assay of metastasizing cells or even any cellular research with a good purple dye like crystal violet stain so that you could see the cells under the microscope.
 
Since only the biological sciences or left, this staining begins the experiment.  The simile of Mountains Like Mice really does indicate that Dirk is the experimental factor being introduced into the biological environment.  
 
So the dye is just part of the scientific method for these cellular biologists on a macrocosmic scale.  
 
Neat, huh? 
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