Fantastic Voyage II Destination Brain - By Isaac Asimov Page 0,3
paused to think - "a hundred and fifty thousand times that of platinum."
"But what if the mass were reduced in proportion?"
"Then you end up with one atom in the miniaturized man for every three million in the original. The miniaturized man would not only have the size of a fly but the brainpower of a fly as well."
"And if the atoms are reduced, too?"
"If it is miniaturized atoms you are speaking of, then Planck's constant, which is an absolutely fundamental quantity in our Universe, forbids it. Miniaturized atoms would be too small to fit into the graininess of the Universe."
"And if I told you that Planck's constant was reduced as well, so that a miniaturized man would be encased in a field in which the graininess of the Universe was incredibly finer than it is under normal conditions?"
"Then I wouldn't believe you."
"Without examining the matter? You would refuse to believe it as a result of preconceived convictions, as your colleagues refuse to believe you?"
And at this, Morrison was, for a moment, silent.
"Not the same," he mumbled at last.
"Not the same?" Again she stared thoughtfully out over the river. "In what way not the same?"
"My colleagues think I'm wrong. My ideas are not theoretically impossible in their opinion - only wrong."
"While miniaturization is impossible?"
"Yes."
"Then come and see. If it turns out that miniaturization is impossible, just as you say, then you'll at least have a month in the Soviet Union as a guest of the Soviet Government. All expenses will be paid. If there's a friend you would like to bring with you, bring her, too. Or him."
Morrison shook his head. "No thanks. I'd rather not. Even if miniaturization were possible, it is not my field. It would not help me or be of interest to me."
"How do you know? What if miniaturization gave you the opportunity to study neurophysics as you have never studied it before - as no one has ever studied it before? And what if, in doing so, you might be able to help us? That would be our stake in it."
"How can you offer me a new way of studying neurophysics?"
"But, Dr. Morrison, I thought that was what we were talking about. You cannot really prove your theories because you cannot study single nerve cells in sufficient detail without damaging them. But what if we make a neuron as large as the Kremlin for you - or even larger - so that you can study it a molecule at a time?"
"You mean you can reverse miniaturization and make a neuron as large as you wish."
"No, we can't do that, as yet, but we can make you as small as we wish and that would amount to the same thing, wouldn't it?"
Morrison rose, staring at her.
"No," he said in half a whisper. "Are you insane? Do you think I am insane? Good-bye! Good-bye!"
He turned and strode away rapidly.
She called after him. "Dr. Morrison. Listen to me."
He made a sweeping gesture of rejection with his right arm and broke into a run across the drive, narrowly dodging the cars.
Then he was back into the hotel, puffing, almost dancing with impatience as he waited for the elevator.
Madwoman! he thought. She wanted to miniaturize him, attempt this impossibility on him. - Or attempt the possibility of it on him, which would be infinitely worse.
4.
Morrison was still shaking when he stood at the door of his hotel room, holding the plastic rectangle of his key, breathing hard, and wondering if she knew his room number. She could find out, of course, if she were sufficiently determined. He looked down the length of the corridor each way, half-afraid he might see her running toward him, face contorted, hair flying, hands outstretched.
He shook his head. This was madness. What could she do to him? She could not carry him off bodily. She could not force him to do anything he didn't want to do. What childish terror was overcoming him?
Morrison took a deep breath and thrust his key into the door slit. He felt the small click as the key seated itself, then he withdrew it and the door swung open.
The man sitting in the wicker armchair at the window smiled at him and said, "Come in."
Morrison stared at him in astonishment, then twisted his head to look at the room number.
"No no. It's your room, all right. Do come in and close the door behind you."
Morrison followed orders, staring at the man in silent astonishment.