"Paul Levinson - A Medal For Harry (2)" - читать интересную книгу автора (Levinson Paul)

a slightly but significantly and literally different type of
human being -- one that first appeared in the late 1940s, and
began to reach productive and influential adulthood in the 1970s
and 1980s. A tiny but highly potent genetic change. More
intelligent than our predecessors, that's for sure. But also
more social, more organized, more hardworking, less
destructively hedonistic. `Homo sapiens _japanicus_,' as I said
in my report."

"Yes," the PM smiled, "that has a ring to it -- but likely
not to American or European ears." He laughed in raspy barks --
staccato but not unpleasant to Harry's ears. "Our success in
commerce and science, our inventiveness, our leadership of the
world community, all neatly explained as a consequence of our
being a new human species. Very nice. A powerful, reliable
springboard. I like it."

Harry offered a tremulous smile. "Thank you. Though as I
said in my report, other cultures in history have had highly
inventive phases too. Edison and Bell and the Americans at the
end of the 19th century, the Industrial Revolution itself for
that matter--"

"Irrelevant to our present situation," the PM interrupted
and waved a dismissive hand. "Maybe they were new species too
-- no one had DNA scans back then -- maybe the definition of
human species needs to be changed. But those 19th-century
thrusts have run their course now anyway. What counts is the
correlation of your biograms of today's Japanese people with the
actual performance of Japan that the whole world has witnessed
and applauded."

"Of course," Harry nodded. But to himself he still
thought: am I really so much more intelligent than Suzie, so
much clearer a thinker and better a worker, as to really
constitute a different human species? Hard to definitively
say. Even if he and Suzie were close in aptitude, she could still
be at the top of her class, and he, well, maybe not at the top of
his, and--

"And now the second part, if you please, Doctor."

Yes, the second part -- the 64 million yen question, as
they said on the ever-popular quiz show. Discovery of the new
cognitive structure was amazing enough. But its source -- that
was the atom bomb.

Literally.

***