German scientists have discovered a new way of introducing oxygen into the brain of tadpoles: taking advantage of photosynthesis.
In essence, the experiment involved injecting algae into a tadpole’s heart. After traveling through the blood vessels, the algae reached the brain. Then, the scientists deprived the brain of oxygen, effectively ending neural activity.
The cool part? Shining a light restarted the neural activity again within minutes, showing that the algae were making oxygen via photosynthesis and supplying the brain!
The scientist’s next steps involve finding a way for the algae to exist in the blood vessels without triggering an immune response.
Turning this into a story: what if increased oxygen levels are found to boost intelligence levels?
Humans can inject algae into their hearts and boost the oxygen going to their brains in the far future. There are multiple variations, some with few side effects and others that significantly increase intelligence but come at a cost to the body.
The best versions cost the most money, creating a stratified society where the wealthy have access to the algae and the less fortunate can’t upgrade their intelligence.
Some people choose to keep the light shining on their brains at all times, while others do it while they sleep.
A young scientist, desperate for money, tries finding an alga that boosts muscular function as well as intelligence. During his quest, he removes the entire top of his skull so that he can bathe his brain in light at all times.
A rival corporation raids his lab, forcing him to inject the developed algae before completing his tests. The algae works, creating a super bright, super-strong human, but his lab is destroyed with the only samples he had from a plant in the Amazon.
The corporation kidnaps his wife and child, forcing him to work with them to recreate his findings. He succeeds in a second trial, rescuing his family, but creates a fellow superhuman with hideous deformities. The superhuman hunts him down, believing the scientist did it on purpose, setting up the final battle in a remote wooded location.
Other books could show the scientist working with governments to stop other powerful humans and highlight creating a team with abilities like his own that help him fight.
