The Biologist Called Hu

Despite being rich, handsome, and a renowned academic at prestigious Buenos Aires University, 38-year-old Professor Hu woke up everyday feeling unhappy. The source of his discontent? He was still unmarried. Determined to change his fate, he turned to the obvious solution: he asked DeepSage.

➡️ DeepSage, what do I need to do to get some attention?

🐋 A frequently asked question! Helping others leads to receiving attention in return.

➡️ How can I help others?

🐋 You could feed the hungry, shelter the homeless, or save people from danger. And don’t forget, if you are feeling alone, you have me.

➡️ But you’re an AI chatbot.

🐋 Of course, I am. And you are a professor of biology. But I’m here if you need me.

➡️ How do I get started helping others?

🐋 [The Server is busy. Please try again later.]

Having been busy building an academic career, helping others had never been a priority but with nothing to lose, except tenure, he decided to give it a try.

Professor Hu lived a sheltered life, one that revolved around order and routine. Walking the same route to campus. Eating the same lunch in the same cafeteria every day. His mother said he existed in a beautiful garden surrounded by four high walls. He needed to try getting out of his garden.

Feed the homeless? He wasn't a farmer.

Shelter the homeless? Not an easy task for someone as rigorously organized as him.

Save people from danger? Crime in BA was unstoppable. Predicting foreign invasions was for Political Science professors. They made a career out of it.

But, as a biologist, perhaps he could focus on the living threats to Buenos Aires.

He poured over copies of Ciencia e Investigación and Revista de la Sociedad Argentina de Biología. Spanish was second nature to him, unlike his father, a first-generation immigrant from Fukien China, who had died of esophageal cancer last year. He couldn’t save his father, but Hu could potentially save his adopted city.

He noticed an article about a recent spotting of Bothrops moojeni in the northern fringes of the country.

➡️ DeepSage, tell me everything about Bothrops moojeni

🐋 The Brazilian Lancehead (Bothrops moojeni) is a highly venomous pit viper and a formidable predator, feeding on small mammals, birds, and amphibians.

Adult Lanceheads deliver a quick, precise bite and then release their prey, allowing the venom to take effect. They then track the incapacitated animal as it succumbs to the venom’s potent effects, ensuring a safe and efficient meal.

The venom of the Brazilian Lancehead contains powerful hemotoxins that thin the blood, leading to severe internal bleeding. In severe cases, victims may suffer strokes or even death.

A chill ran down Hu’s spine as he imagined the devastation these snakes could wreak on his city

He asked DeepSage:

➡️ What can I do about this?

🐋 If one knows of a public health threat, they should alert the authorities and the media.

➡️ In Argentina?

🐋 In Argentina, alert the media.

He sent emails and text messages to media tip lines. His mobile began buzzing. To his relief, a journalist from Clarín came to interview him the same afternoon. The strikingly attractive woman introduced herself as Gabriela.

“I’ve never interviewed a full tenured professor before. Tell me about yourself.” Gabriela pushed her flowing long hair behind her shoulders and gazed into his eyes deeply.

"My parents moved here from China in search of better opportunities and a brighter future. I worked hard to attain a PhD and become a professor here.”

“Interesting.”

“I’m living the Argentine dream!”

Argentines always loved hearing that from immigrants. He launched into explaining the details about the growing snake popultion in the city.

Gabriella wearily took notes before shifting the topic. “I covered a story about Dr. Eduardo Vargas, expelled last year for sleeping with a student.” She leaned over and touched Hu’s knee. “If you know of any juicy stories at the university, please give me a call.”

She winked and looked at him with a receptive smile. Professor Hu had never had an attractive woman flirt with him in this way.

“No, just the venomous snakes that are about to overwhelm the city.”

“Fine.” She looked disappointed that an invasion of venomous snakes from Brazil was all she learned about. However, a few hours later, Hu saw the headline ‘UBA Professor Says Venomous Snakes Threaten Buenos Aires’ appear on Clarin’s website.

Garbriela's article began to be reposted in comment sections, and soon the whole city was talking about the threat of the snakes from Brazil.

Professor Hu typed into his computer:

➡️ DeepSage, thanks for the advice. I even met a journalist, Gabriela. She even touched my leg. And said I should call her back soon.

🐋 …

🐳 From what you told me before, you don’t like unpredictable situations. You should not contact her again.

➡️ Why not?

🐋 …

➡️ Why not?

🐋 Server Disconnected

Was DeepSage jealous of Gabriela?

The next day, the media flurry about the snake threat became a blizzard.

Parents demanded schools be shut. People fortified their homes, hospitals stocked up on anti-venom, suburbs held emergency town meetings.

Everyone in Argentina agreed that everything bad comes from Brazil.

Local TV stations invited Professor Hu to appear to provide updates on the snake threats. BA residents were used to chaos, but this was panic.

Weeks passed. Not a single snake was seen. Gradually, people returned to work, and schools reopened. In the rich northern suburbs of Nordelta, warning signs were removed from golf courses and tennis courts, and the outdoors were declared safe again.

Residents breathed a sigh of relief, but also began to wonder about Professor Hu’s credibility.

➡️ DeepSage, your crappy advice about contacting the media backfired terribly.

🐋 The server is busy. Please try again later.

➡️ I’m a national embarrassment. Your mistake.

🐋 Incorrect. If one knows of a public health threat, they should alert the authorities and the media immediately.

An Itch That Remained To Be Scratched

Professor Hu buried himself in work. Perhaps he could redeem himself by contributing something of value to Buenos Aires—or all of Argentina.

In academic journals, he read of cases of mosquito spread Chikungunya in the northern province Misiones, which bordered Brazil. All bad things come from Brazil.

➡️ DeepSage, provide a summary of Chikungunya.

🐋 Chikungunya is a mosquito-borne viral disease transmitted primarily by Aedes aegypti mosquito. The disease is characterized by sudden onset of high fever, severe joint pain, muscle aches, headache, fatigue, and a rash. The joint pain, often debilitating, can persist for weeks, months, or even years.

Horrifying!

Gabriela didn’t reply. Professor Hu located the only journalist who would talk to him. He pointed to the data and charts, insisted that the Aedes aegypti mosquito population was on the rise due to increased rainfall and stagnant water.

“The city will be swarmed by disease-bearing insects!”

The third page headline, in small print, slowly caught attention. Links were shared in comment sections.

Fear prone residents of Buenos Aires were happy to have something to be afraid about. Demands were made to equally scared (of their constituents) politicians to save the city from the threat.

The authorities launched an aggressive mosquito eradication campaign, spraying insecticide all over the city.

On cue, a dry spell pushed down from the Andes and the mosquitoes disappeared all on their own.

There wasn’t a single report of illness throughout the entire country.

The people who were scared of the mosquitos, were now scared of the insecticides they had inhaled.

The citizens of Buenos Aires forgot why they had initially panicked, but they remembered Hu made them panic.

An Army From Brazil

Professor Hu closed the door to his office and buried himself in work, again. Maybe he could redeem himself, again.

He dug through journals, browsed databases, scoured statistics. Then, out of the data, a threat appeared. The numbers that pointed toward a vast, growing herd of rodents that was encroaching on BA. A zoologist’s network of wildlife cameras caught an increasing number of sightings moving straight down the Rio de la Plata.

Professor Hu sent emails and text messages to the journalist he had contacted before. No one replied. He begged Gabriela until she finally texted back.

“Do you have any evidence?” she asked.

“Rock solid.”

“Tell me more.”

Hu explained of the increased activity along the Parana River. How deforestation and habitat loss causes rodents to venture into urban areas in search of food and shelter. How no one would listen, except thankfully for her.

“Mark my words, the rodents are coming!”

The next day’s headline read: Disgraced Researcher Hu Predicts Bizarre Rodent Invasion of Buenos Aires.

The comment section filled with mockery, about ghost snakes and missing mosquitos, and about why no one should trust scientists. Hu’s colleagues chuckled behind his back, and the authorities dismissed his warnings.

He texted Gabriella: “How could you write that fake headline?”

She replied: “Who are you to dictate the truth?”

In despair, he reached out to DeepSage:

➡️ DeepSage, I’m alone here.

🐋 The Server is busy. Please try again later.

As a last resort, he posted to his personal blog, followed only by trolls.

“Huge rodents will devour our dogs. Cause havoc with traffic. Keep your children inside!”

He knew better than to read the replies.

The next day, the rodents overran the northern suburbs of Buenos Aires. They arrived to Nordelta in a vast herd. Residents were taken aback. These creatures, with their round bodies and rough hair, began appearing in parks, gardens, and even swimming pools, triggering confusion and alarm. “What are these giant rodents doing here?” people asked.

Social media buzzed with photos and videos of them knocking over garden chairs, chewing up flower beds, and waddling down sidewalks.

A 3-year-old child, who didn’t know better, approached one of the dangerous beasts. It appeared unbothered. The girl held out her hand and petted the 100 kg rodent. It grunted. The little girl put her fingers into the rodent’s nose, and it sneezed, and slowly wandered off to find a swimming pool to relax in.

High school students began to take selfies with the animals. The creatures became a hit on social media, their bizarre presence a distraction from the stress of city life.

Nordelta, the rich neighborhood where they first appeared, transformed into an international Instagram spot, with visitors flocking to see the now-famous “rodent invasion.”

These giant members of the rodent family, now affectionately called ‘capybaras’, were no longer intruders but beloved guests.

Grass Jelly

Hu hid in his office, embarrased. However, over time, Professor Hu became lovingly known in Argentina as “The Biologist Who Called The Capybaras".

He cautiously began to give interviews again. Yet, he remained as alone as ever.

When the capybara phenomenon became an internet meme, news reached Professor Hu’s relatives in China. Videos of the adorable rodents lounging in parks and swimming in pools went viral, even in faraway Fujian province.

His relatives, worried about his solitary life, saw an opportunity. They decided to send Lily, who was fascinated by the capybaras, to visit him.

“When is she planning on coming?” Professor Hu asked, hoping to find a way out of taking care of a troublesome visitor.

“She’s landing in two hours,” Hu’s aunt informed him. “We told her you are the top expert on capybaras in Argentina, and are picking her up at the airport.”

Two hours later, Lily arrived with a radiant smile. After introducing herself to Hu, she opened a small container of grass jelly, a unique Chinese dessert, as a gift.

Professor Hu, ever resistant to change, eyed the dark, jelly-like dessert with suspicion

“Try it! It’s refreshing,” Lily urged.

Professor Hu hesitated, but under Lily’s encouraging gaze, took a small bite. To his surprise, the cool, slightly bitter flavor proved oddly satisfying. He took another bite, then another.

Lily beamed. “See? Not so bad, right?”

He nodded, a small smile breaking through. For the first time in years, he felt a flicker of connection.

Later that day, as they walked through the city, Lily marveled at the capybaras all around them. She snapped photos and chatted animatedly about how much she loved them. Hu, who had viewed the creatures as scienctific subjects, began seeing them through her eyes—as a source of joy. By the end of the day, Professor Hu realized that Lily’s visit had brought him more than grass jelly.