The Big Headache by Jim Harmon
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About this eBook
| Author | Harmon, Jim, 1933-2010 |
|---|---|
| Illustrator | Dyas |
| Title | The Big Headache |
| Note | Reading ease score: 78.8 (7th grade). Fairly easy to read. |
| Credits |
Produced by Greg Weeks, Mary Meehan and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net |
| Summary | "The Big Headache" by Jim Harmon is a science fiction novella written in the early 1960s. The story revolves around themes of medical ethics, the consequences of scientific experimentation, and human cognition. It focuses on the potential for a new treatment aimed at curing headaches, which leads to unforeseen and dramatic results concerning intelligence and mental capacity. In "The Big Headache," biologists Dr. Ferris and Dr. Mitchell seek to test their experimental virus that purports to eliminate headaches by affecting the pituitary gland. They persuade the renowned mathematician, Dr. Elliot Macklin, who suffers from severe migraines, to participate in their trial. Initially successful in alleviating his pain, the procedure drastically reduces Macklin's intelligence, transforming him into a simple-minded man who rejects returning to his previous self. This state of bliss raised ethical dilemmas regarding autonomy, mental capacity, and whether it is better to live in ignorance without suffering or to be burdened by the pressures of a complex mind. The story culminates in Dr. Ferris envisioning a future where they can profit from this discovery, while the moral implications of their actions hang over them, illustrating the balance between scientific ambition and ethical responsibility. (This is an automatically generated summary.) |
| Language | English |
| LoC Class | PS: Language and Literatures: American and Canadian literature |
| Subject | Science fiction |
| Subject | Short stories |
| Subject | Scientists -- Fiction |
| Subject | Experiments -- Fiction |
| Category | Text |
| EBook-No. | 61228 |
| Release Date | Jan 24, 2020 |
| Copyright Status | Public domain in the USA. |
| Downloads | 78 downloads in the last 30 days. |
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