Scientists have made a very Infocult discovery. The blood of young animals apparently improves the brain functioning of their elders. Yes, draining the young ones' precious fluid is good for the oldsters' grey matter, at least in mice.
The Stanford team found that injections of young blood seemed to improve memory in older mice, and even encouraged new neural development in the brain.
Sounds like a story plot ready to be used.
Or a social/political parable, if turned to humans. One could call it parasitism, while others see it as a way to preserve quality and/or length or life. Defenders could deem it as overall social improvement (but see below).
Maybe it's what happens when a gerentocracy goes bad, the elite preserving itself in power by literally draining their subjects. In fact, some countries with aging populations might consider this as an entertaining political metaphor.
But there's a disturbing corollary, a tentative, zero sum game version:
[P]erhaps the even creepier reverse is true; when injected with blood from older mice, young mice seemed to lose their faculties faster and see their brains age more quickly.
Infocult thinks the Blood Countess would understand.
(link via Peter Naegele; photo by alviseni; painting by mehmeturgut)
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