"Rog Phillips - Rat in the Skull" - читать интересную книгу автора (Phillips Rog)

Dr. MacNare nodded, and cleared his throat nervously to say yes, but didn't get the
chance.
"We тАУ all of us тАУ are amazed and shocked," the president said. "Of course, we
understand that psychology is not your field, and you probably were thinking only
from the mathematical viewpoint. We are agreed on that. What you propose,
though..." He shook his head slowly. "It's not only out of the question, but I'm
afraid I'm going to have to request that you forget the whole thing тАУ put this paper
where no one can see it, preferably destroy it. I'm sorry, Dr. MacNare, but the
university simply cannot afford to be associated with such a thing even remotely. I'll
put it bluntly because I feel strongly about it, as do the other members of the Board.
If this paper is published or in anyway comes to light, we will be forced to request
your resignation from the faculty."
"But why?" Dr. MacNare asked in complete bewilderment.
"Why?" another board member exploded, slapping the table. "It's the most inhuman
thing I ever heard of, strapping a newborn animal onto some kind of frame and tying
its legs to control levers, with the intention of never letting it free. The most fiendish
and inhuman torture imaginable! If you didn't have such an outstanding record I
would be for demanding your resignation at once."
"But that's not true!" Dr. MacNare said. "It's not torture! Not in any way! Didn't you
read the paper? Didn't you understand thatтАУ"
"I read it," the man said. "We all read it. Every word."
"Then you should have understoodтАУ" Dr. MacNare said.
"We read it," the man repeated, "and we discussed some aspects of it with Dr.
Veerhof without bringing your paper into it, nor your name."
"Oh," Dr. MacNare said. "Veerhof..."
"He says experiments, very careful experiments, have already been conducted along
the lines of getting an animal to understand a symbol system and it can't be done.
The nerve paths aren't there. Your line of research, besides being inhumanly cruel,
would accomplish nothing."
"Oh," Dr. MacNare said, his eyes flashing. "So you know all about the results of an
experiment in an untried field without performing the experiments!"
"According to Dr. Veerhof that field is not untried but rather well explored," the
board member said. "Giving an animal the means to make vocal sounds would not
enable it to form a symbol system."
"I disagree," Dr. MacNare said, seething. "My studies indicate clearlyтАУ"
"I think," the president said with a firmness that demanded the floor, "your position
has been made very clear, Dr. MacNare., The matter is now closed. Permanently. I
hope you will have the good sense, if I may use such a strong term, to forget the
whole thing. For the good of your career and your very nice wife and son. That is
all." He held the manuscript toward Dr. MacNare.




III.

"I can't understand their attitude!" Dr. MacNare said to Alice when he told her about
it.
"Possibly I can understand it a little better than you, Joe," Alice said thoughtfully. "I
had a little of what I think they feel, when I first read your paper. A-a prejudice