Monday, January 26, 2009

Have you heard?

Have you heard of the man with a farsighted vision? Rumour has it that he could see Mars as clear as day from earth, without having to use a telescope given that he was standing on the right coordinates. He was given such power when the doctors accidentally poked his retina with a scalpel during his cataract-removing surgery. Hours and hours a day he would spend just staring at the sky. People really didn't believe him at first (he was, after all, an old man. People thought he was just showing early signs of dementia - despite his stature as a man of power - he was an ex politician) but something happened then that made everyone pay him close attention. He claimed to have seen a habitable planet 15 thousand lightyears away through only a telescope (the device clearly magnified his already farsighted vision - with both powers combined they exceed the furthest satelite pictures from NASA). Maybe it was the idea of having a 'back up plan' for the future generation in case the Earth becomes desiccated that people indulge in so much or just purely for the sake of curiosity that his social status escalated. He did not ask much, only for the global community to help him reach the highest possible building at a given coordinate just so he (and his telescope) can see the planet relatively clearer. Debates were held amongst economists, astronomists, theoretical physicists, country leaders and multi faith leaders about whether to allow him so. Some say it is a waste of time, some say we needed the certainty. While they were busy bickering, people had started bidding on his eyes on E-Bay (he was, after all, an old man. Death is catching up). Hospitals and universities and research institutes quarrelled over who gets the right upon his eyes for pure medical and scientific studies. One hospital managed to become the highest bidder at at least 6 billion USD. The old man became obviously rich apart from receiving a Nobel prize for his eyes alone. All this happened in the course of 5 years.

Have you heard that the old man was finally given permission to look in his telescope on the rooftop of the highest building (24 floors) in that given coordinates? It was covered worldwide in live programs, apart from the day being dubbed an international holiday. He was just adjusting his telescope lenses when he looked at the wrong direction and fell 24 floors down. Rumour has it he accidentally looked at the sun, given the state of his eyes when received by the hospital who bid the highest price on E-Bay.

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