Here’s the deal: As I previously wrote in a story for the particle physics publication Symmetry, the size of an atom is governed by the average location of its electrons—how much space there is between the nucleus and the atom’s amorphous outer shell. Nuclei are around 100,000 times smaller than the atoms they’re housed in.
If the nucleus were the size of a peanut, the atom would be about the size of a baseball stadium. If we lost all the dead space inside our atoms, we would each be able to fit into a particle of dust, and the entire human race would fit into the volume of a sugar cube.
Oxytocin
The effects of oxytocin on the human body are many and varied. I’ve been following this molecule for years, and there have been a number of intriguing studies done with it, but also several whose conclusions have subsequently been called into question.
In general, this hormone and neurotransmitter has been associated with sex, trust, empathy, and relationship-building. For example, a study published in Psychopharmacology found that intranasal oxytocin increased levels of warmth, trust, altruism, and openness.
A while back I considered writing a novel in which someone had developed a super-oxytocin, similar to T-4 in the novel, that made people trust him or her implicitly. He or she could use this chemical as a sort of mass brainwashing agent to accomplish all sorts of nefarious ends. Although I decided against such a novel, I thought a combination of oxytocin and a standard truth serum, perfected and amped up a hundred fold, would serve my needs for Time Frame quite nicely.
That’s It—For Now
So that’s it. Once again, I’ve come to the end of a novel, and the end of my notes. I hope that you found at least some of these notes interesting or helpful.
Thanks again for reading Time Frame. Until we meet again . . .
Douglas E. Richards
3) Author bio and list of books
Douglas E. Richards is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of WIRED and numerous other novels (see list below). A former biotech executive, Richards earned a BS in microbiology from the Ohio State University, a master's degree in genetic engineering from the University of Wisconsin (where he engineered mutant viruses now named after him), and an MBA from the University of Chicago.
In recognition of his work, Richards was selected to be a “special guest” at San Diego Comic-Con International, along with such icons as Stan Lee and Ray Bradbury. His essays have been featured in National Geographic, the BBC, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Earth & Sky, Today's Parent, and many others.
The author has two children and currently lives with his wife and two dogs in San Diego, California.
You can friend Richards on Facebook at Douglas E. Richards Author, visit his website at douglaserichards.com, and write to him at [email protected]
Near Future Science Fiction Thrillers by Douglas E. Richards
WIRED (Wired 1)
AMPED (Wired 2)
MIND'S EYE (Nick Hall 1)
BRAINWEB (Nick Hall 2)
MIND WAR (Nick Hall 3)
QUANTUM LENS
SPLIT SECOND (Split Second 1)
TIME FRAME (Split Second 2)
GAME CHANGER
INFINITY BORN
Kids Science Fiction Thrillers (9 and up, enjoyed by kids and adults alike)
TRAPPED (Prometheus Project 1)
CAPTURED (Prometheus Project 2)
STRANDED (Prometheus Project 3)
OUT OF THIS WORLD
THE DEVIL’S SWORD
Time Frame (Split Second Book 2) Page 42
