Project Human Adaptation

UltimateMustacheX · November 17, 2017, 2:20am

Project Human Adaptation

Fear - The psychological phenomena caused by a perceived threat. Fear can take on many forms, and can have varying results based on the individual experiencing it.

To face the threat head on in an effort to beat it. To escape the threat in an effort to survive. These decisions make up the fight-or-flight response. This reaction occurs in most living organisms. It can cause changes to how an organism lives. Defense mechanisms form in order to prevent a threat from doing harm. A hard shell, spikes, poison; any number of evolutionary adaptations have been observed in different organisms. All to help the prey survive the predator.

However, humans are different. We don’t have shells or claws. In fact, we’re really quite fragile. But we have our minds. We are one of the most intelligent organisms on this planet, and we use that intelligence to protect us from harm. We can create a number of tools to help us. These weapons ensure we stay at the top… to keep the threats in check.

But we still fear.

It’s built into our genetic code, so we can’t stop it. Ironic, really… for all our intelligence, we still can’t quite comprehend traits such as this. So if our intelligence isn’t enough, maybe we need to evolve too. If humans gained new mechanisms, new responses to our fears; maybe we wouldn’t need to fear in the first place.

But evolution takes time. Sometimes millions of years are needed for a trait to develop. Generation after generation, all experiencing the same stimulus. Humans no longer live like that. As one of the most dominant organisms, we lack the constant threat that other creatures go through. Most of our fears stem from our incomparable intelligence. We fear what we don’t know. We fear threats that our minds create all on their own. But if we had a constant stimulus, we could evolve. However, continuing a perceived threat over generations would prove difficult. Putting peoples’ lives at stake in an attempt to induce adaptation is also a problem.

This is where my research comes in. When it comes to experiencing fear, an organism can only take so much. For the sake of the experiment, we will liken the human mind to that of an empty bucket. This is our capacity for fear. Different people have different capacities, and some buckets fill quicker than others, depending on the stimulus. But there’s always a threshold; the brim of the bucket. When our bucket reaches max capacity, we can no longer take anymore fear… and we will likely die; either from the threat becoming too great, or from our own overexertion. Of course, we usually have reactions well before this point. Whether fight or flight, we ensure we survive without ever filling our bucket up all the way.

But what if we didn’t die at that point? What if our bucket filled to max and we were still alive and fully functioning? What would be next? The obvious answer is that our bucket overflows. Our fear becomes so great, that it surpasses our normal capacity. To think of it a different way, the bucket reaching the top would be when the prey knows it’s about to be killed by the predator. The overflowing bucket would then be the if prey is somehow still alive, while the predator is devouring it. By all means, it should be dead. But now it must go through the additional torture of watching the event continue.

No creature has ever experienced fear in this manner. If they can’t fight or flee, then their bucket reaches the brim and they die. The fear never extends beyond that. But fear is an act of the mind, and humans have the capability to use their mind in extensive ways. If we could replicate the feelings of fear at the overflow point without a real threat to kill us, then we would be able to experience that state of hyper-fear. When that much fear is induced in a person’s mind, they will inevitably develop some form of defense mechanism to protect themselves.

To accomplish this, I have created a device to induce that level of fear. For simplicity’s sake, I will not go into detail, but basically the device is worn as a headband. It monitors a person’s brain and picks up on signals of fear that form in a person’s daily life. When this happens, the device will amplify those signals, thus expanding the fear. Eventually the signals become high enough to cause the state of hyper-fear. Their bucket then overflows, even though there is nothing around to harm them. By continually inducing this state, the person will hopefully develop an evolutionary adaptation. Once this happens, we can move forward in an attempt to pass on these traits to others.

For those believing my work to be unethical, this is not creating fear in the subjects. It is merely strengthening the signals already present in their brain. If their bucket isn’t being filled, then nothing will happen. But if fear forms, for whatever reason, this will only speed up the flow; filling their bucket up faster than it normally would. And as stated before, they will be in no physical harm; no matter how much they may perceive themselves to be. I will be with them throughout the entirety of this experiment, and can stop it if the situation demands.

I truly believe this experiment will help further our species in the long run.

Project Human Adaptation - First Test Overview

We have found eight candidates willing to undergo this experiment. Each of them are students at a nearby school, home for their summer break. News of this research had been posted in various places around the city, and I’m surprised to find a group of students are actually interested enough to forego summer plans for science. If anything, that result alone puts a bit of faith in the new generation of today. I wonder if they’ll be so eager when the experiment gets underway. We merely said this was a social experiment, though that’s not technically wrong. Humans are social creatures, thanks to our minds; and fear is just another aspect that stems from it. This research will expand upon our understanding of the human psychology.

For the initial test, we will establish a base for each subject. We must understand how fear affects them, in order to acclimate the process to the individual. We will be using a modified version of the fear amplifying device. This one is a bit more cumbersome than the actual device, but allows for a very important step to occur. The modified amplifier acts as a projector of sorts. With it, we will be able to see what the subject is visualizing in their heads. This will be imperative in detailing the best way to invoke the proper response in each subject.

There is a second part of this first experiment. Learning more about how fear affects each person is important, however, our main goal is to begin training the mind to react logically during the panicked state of fear. After all, what good is gaining an adaptation if we can’t use it properly against a threat.

For this test, the subjects will be in an empty room, save for a stack of boxes at the other end. The subjects will be told to see the boxes as an “off switch” for the fear; that the boxes are causing the fear, and knocking them down will stop the threat. I am unsure how this part of the test will go, but if it works, it will serve as the structure for the rest of the experiment. Although it will merely be a placebo effect during these initial tests, if we can get the subjects to learn to focus during moments of fear, they should be able to swiftly pinpoint the source of the threat in order to stop it. Eventually, this should result in an adaptation forming to aid in stopping the threat they’ve identified.

Project Human Adaptation- Subject Initial Analysis

I explained the overall experiment to the group. Their reactions to everything were about what I expected of a group of students. Although none of them had known each other before now, they were already warming up to each other. That was reassuring, as they would likely be helping each other out as the experiment went on.

For the sake of anonymity, I will refer to them only by a number for now. Subjects #1 and #2 designate the two oldest. Subjects #3 - #6 are the next age group, while #7 and #8 are the youngest.

My initial analysis of each subject is as follows:

Subject #1 – Seems to fall under the “popular boy” type, or possibly the “athlete”. He has taken the lead throughout their conversations, and seems to have already caught the attention of some of the female subjects.
Subject #2 – Hasn’t spoken much over the course of their conversations, but she seems to be gravitating towards Subject #1.
Subject #3 – Of the group, he is the second most talkative, though it is mostly as jokes and sarcastic wisecracks. He likely tries to be the witty or humorous one in interactions.
Subject #4 – Looks to fall under the “academic” role. He seems to be the quiet, cautious type, which may have an effect when his experiment gets underway.
Subject #5 – Seems to have already formed a friendship with the other female subjects. She will likely become one of the more open of the group, as they get to know each other.
Subject #6 – Of the group, she has spoken the least. She has reacted friendly towards the other female subjects, but looks to prefer keeping to herself.
Subject #7 – As the youngest of the male subjects, he seems to be more open in an attempt to fit in with them.
Subject #8 – As the youngest of the female subjects, she seems a bit nervous among her older peers. The friendliness of the other female subjects will likely clear this up after some time.

With first impressions of the group out of the way, comparisons can be made when analyzing the results to their fear amplification. As more time is spent with the subjects, their personalities may glean extra insight into how fear affects them.

The experiment is about be underway. I will be detailing each subject’s first trial individually. Once complete, I can compile the data and see what the results show. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t excited to see where this leads. Ironically, I’m feeling a bit of fear too. Fear of failure, fear of the repercussions, fear that the work I’ve so diligently prepared for may come crashing down around me.

But like the goal of this experiment… I’ll fight through the fear.

Entries for the first test of the experiment:

rainsong · November 17, 2017, 2:39am

That’s quite interesting. Is our narrator a protagonist or antagonist?

UltimateMustacheX · November 17, 2017, 3:16am

Of the two, he would be a protagonist. However, his role is mostly as the narrator for these entries. The test subjects will be the actual main cast. Eventually you will see that the cast has an almost X-men feel, making the narrator have a sort of Professor X role.

[Update] - Started adding the next few entries to the original post.

[Update] - Added another entry to the original post.