episode_0027

Episode 27. Finally Pasteur (3)

****

The experiment was completed in two days.

The two swan-necked flasks were covered with black cloth to prevent spoilers. I don’t know what was inside.

“Hello.”

Today, too, the students who came to class looked at me. The classroom was unusually full today. It seemed like there were some graduate students.

I heard there’s an experiment going on today?

But it was fortunate that there were no other professors. I walked to the center of the classroom. The classroom became quiet for a moment.

“Actually, I haven’t opened it yet.”

Do I need to explain this any further? This isn’t entertainment. I turned away and removed the blanket that had been covering the two swan-necked flasks… … .

“Ah.”

The result was expected.

As we said, there was no reason to change the conclusions that Pasteur had reached, since the experiments were carried out almost exactly the same way.

The open swan-necked flask was slightly moldy and had maggots wriggling about in it. On the other hand, the swan-necked flask sealed with water showed no significant changes.

After a moment of silence.

Sighs rose from all over the classroom.

“Well, did you come to a conclusion?”

There was a murmur of voices. Some people were just asking questions (probably graduate students on reconnaissance), some were raising their hands, and some were mumbling to themselves.

Anyway, there is only one conclusion.

I was right. This time too.

There were so many questions that it would be difficult to answer them right away. I returned to the podium and made eye contact with Istina. As expected, Istina had a triumphant expression. The experiment was a success.

“Anyone have questions?”

There were a lot.

****

A roaring sound.

“Professor, do you think this completely refutes the miasma theory?”

“Is it true that the causative agent that causes corruption is the same as the agent that causes disease?”

“Could it be that the water blocking the entrance of the swan neck flask is preventing the miasma from passing through? Was that a possibility considered?”

“What kind of logic will you use in your thesis?”

It’s a headache.

“You guys aren’t undergraduates, right?”

Isn’t it obvious? It’s normal for undergraduates to not know anything. The people asking questions here can’t possibly be undergraduates. I think they’re spies who came down under orders from other labs.

“Professor Crofelter’s Master’s Program, Anne.”

The questioner, who introduced herself as Anne, overwhelmed the entire classroom with that one sentence.

Isn’t this a declaration of war that I (Anne) came to fight that kid (me)? And it seems like the students decided to respect the declaration of war.

“You’re a spy.”

“What is a spy?”

“Ask a question or something.”

Anne cleared her throat a little.

“Oh, yes. Professor, do you think that this experiment completely refutes the miasma theory? Is it not caused by gas?”

Perfect. A word that scientists should not use. It is a term that contains the possibility of a trap. There is no such thing as perfection in science, and there are no theories that cannot be falsified.

“I don’t think it’s caused by gas. I’m not saying that the miasma theory is completely wrong. There are diseases caused by bad air. The problem is what’s in that bad air. I think the problem is the fine particles in the air.”

Anne nodded.

“Wait a minute. The existence of fine particles in the air that you are talking about is so small and minute that it can only be proven indirectly?”

“Well. If you mean magnifying the air, it seems impossible for the time being.”

Unless you have an electron microscope.

Anne looked at me as if she had expected it. Of course, I had fully expected this objection. I had also prepared the perfect method of destruction.

Just wait a minute, Anne.

“Professor. What is the exact size of the particles you are talking about?”

E. coli is 1 micrometer in size.

It’s very small.

“It is dozens of times smaller than a human hair.”

“You’re saying that even with the most advanced equipment, direct observation is virtually impossible?”

I nodded.

“It is realistically difficult without going through the culturing process. If you cultivate, you can handle the bacterial colony, so it is something you can see or dye.”

This graduate student seemed to be arguing with me. Actually, it’s better than someone who just finds it interesting or something.

It also gives us a chance to think about what it takes to convince skeptics. The opposition’s thought processes are not scientifically analyzable, so we need to take a good look at them now.

“The professor’s argument still cannot escape its original weakness. The claim that microscopic particles that cannot be observed with modern equipment cause disease creates a proposition that is more complicated than the miasma theory and cannot be falsified.”

Occam’s razor.

It is a scientific principle that when there are multiple hypotheses explaining a phenomenon, the theory that can explain the phenomenon most simply takes precedence.

It’s simpler to assume that there’s something wrong with the air itself, rather than unobservable particles floating around in the air.

At first glance, it seems logical. It’s only logical. After all, particles flying in the air are a real phenomenon.

“An Yang. Isn’t it also a proven fact that gas can pass through obstacles made of water in the process of dissolving in and out of water? The experimental group was exposed to ‘miasma’, but not to fine particles. ”

Anne hesitated a bit over these words.

“That’s true.”

“Istina. Do you know of any experimental way to verify the question Anne Yang just posed?”

“Oh, no?”

It’s okay. I know.

If you think that I just copied Pasteur’s thesis, you’re mistaken. I came to class today expecting this rebuttal.

“Ann Yang. Come to the front of the classroom. If there are particles in the air, then there must be a process through which the particles spread out into the air, right?”

“What… … . Right?”

This time, it’s my victory. I pointed to the microscope placed in a corner of the classroom.

“Come and see, Miss Anne. Could you look through the microscope and explain to everyone what you see?”

Anne focused her eyes on the microscope’s eyepiece.

“Ah.”

****

Germs are actually hard to see.

To observe the structure of bacteria, you need a 1000x microscope. The microscopes we use are only a few hundred times magnification.

It is only possible to confirm the existence of bacteria, but it is impossible to elucidate the characteristics of the bacteria.

but.

It’s a different story for mycelia or molds larger than bacteria. Even with the equipment we have now, we can determine the microscopic structure of molds.

Do you know what mold is?

It is the organ of the fungus that spreads spores, the particles that cause decay. If only Anne could understand this, all controversy would be over.

Evidence of decay is mold. It has been shown that mold spreads particles that cause decay, and it has been experimentally verified that samples exposed to airborne particles decay.

All objections appear to have been destroyed.

“Oh, a tiny plant-like structure… … .”

Ah. Anne covered her mouth as if realizing it. Do you understand now?

“Can you see it?”

“Oh, it really is… … . Is this a mold sample? These microscopic structures are the organs that disperse mold particles into the air-”

right.

Still, it’s fortunate that you understood quickly.

“The microscopic structure of the mold. The microscopic particles that spread the spores, or in other words, the particles that cause decay. Is this the microscopic structure that allows this entity to spread through the air?”

Germs in the air are hard to see. However, fungal spores are several times larger than bacteria, so they can be observed even with a crude microscope.

“What is this… … . Wow.”

“Is inductive proof sufficient?”

“Professor, you are right.”

Anne nodded at these words.

“Lastly, let me summarize. The evidence of decay is mold. As you just saw, mold has a structure that disperses particles into the air. We also confirmed that the decay process does not proceed when the particles in the air are blocked.”

The classroom became deathly quiet. The only sounds were the rustling of pens and paper.

“That’s it. Any questions?”

There wasn’t any.

“Then, that’s it for class.”

****

Princess Mint looked through the letters addressed to her. She usually received dozens of letters of greeting, requests, or questions.

Lately, I’ve been getting more and more letters asking about him. Didn’t Asterix say that there was a scholar who said that medicine was politics? I don’t remember the content of that conversation, though.

The imperial rulers seemed to be very interested in a paradigm shift in medicine.

The Baron (Regent) of Lapis seems to have been bragging about it a lot. The fact that they were freed from the fear of the plague-like dysentery was quite an interesting topic of conversation among the imperial nobility.

What was a deathly fear for the common people was merely a topic of conversation for the upper class. However, the fact that there was an effort to understand the problem and solve it was commendable.

What… … . I should have brought him to the palace. If this continued, Asterix’s price would just skyrocket.