The Accidental Mutation: An Azeri Tale of Science and its Consequences
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Azer’s Discovery
Azer admired the wonders worked by the new sciences. As an apprentice at the university laboratory, he sought to uncover nature’s secrets.
“What occupies your mind, my friend?” asked Farid as they cleaned beakers.
“The atoms, the smallest particles. If I could but observe them,” replied Azer. “Imagine what properties they hold that give rise to matter itself!”
Farid laughed. “Your mind ever runs ahead! The atom remains unseen. Enjoy these simpler tasks.”
That night, studying by lantern light, Azer noticed an anomaly in his notes on radioactive experiments. “What force caused this reaction without external heat? If I shine a lens upon the sample…”
The next day, Azer and Farid examined the rocks under the microscope. “Look! The sample has changed composition! I believe I have perturbed the atoms with concentrated light waves.”
Farid gasped. “If you have spied Nature in her intimate workings, what wonders await your next effort? But take care, my friend, in treading grounds none have before.”
Excited yet cautious, Azer began designing a new experiment, determined to unravel atomic mysteries through careful observation and reason alone.
Experimenting with the Atom
Azer worked diligently to prepare for his experiment. As he assembled his apparatus, Farid remarked, “The administration will not look kindly on unauthorized experiments, my friend.”
“I follow the pure path of science, not politics,” replied Azer confidently. That night, with Farid assisting cautiously, Azer subjected a sample of uranium to intense light through his newest lens.
At first, nothing seemed amiss. But as they viewed it under the microscope, a gas began emitting from the sample. “What is happening?” cried Farid.
The gas cloud swelled within the chamber. Azer gasped, “The atoms within are splitting apart under the stimulation, giving off this radiation!” Suddenly, the gas ignited with an unearthly glow.
Farid stumbled back in fright. “We must leave now, the fumes could be toxic!” But Azer was transfixed by the spectacle before him. “Just a while longer, I must…
