"The X-Advisors..."

"The X-Advisors..." Part XV...

Disclaimer: All is Chuck's...

Part XV...

"It is surprising how things repeat themselves in this marvelous, infinite multiverse..." Stein pondered, smiling at Amy as they stood on the Pasadena General ER patio. "You're right to say Xavier and I were like Leonard and Sheldon, once. I'm not exaggerating when I say I see a lot of myself in Sheldon...And I was, like him, headed down a path of isolation and loneliness until Xavier Francis and his own beloved Margaret came into my life and changed its course, forever...They, and a certain other Margaret..." wry smile...

1959...Princeton, New Jersey...

"Mr. Stein..." narrow look, lift of glasses, non-nonsensely sharp New England accent... "Having just arrogantly declared that the Universe is only to be understood via the laws of Physics, perhaps you might enlighten us as to its application in the human neuron."

"Care to play a little ball, Scarecrow..." a smirking hiss from a nearby student to the lanky, black rimmed, Harold Lloyd style bespectacled Stein in sweater vest, slide rule protruding from shirt pocket, now standing to face the cool stare of Dr. Margaret Fowler...Princeton's respected, feared, and though never openly admitted among the males, much desired, Wicked Witch of the East, departmental chair of Neurophysiology and Neurology, whose considerable side interest in Psychology had led her to teaching this elective seminar... "Physiologic Psychology and the Human Brain...", the validity of which the brilliant young physics prodigy and doctoral candidate, Francis Stein had just, perhaps somewhat unwisely, denounced in no uncertain terms...In answering a Socratic summons from the professor, he repeating his usual refrain of being rather annoyed at having to have been required to "waste his valuable time" taking such an elective in the first place...

"Well, Mr. Stein?...By the way Mr. Montaine, I think we all, and in particular, I...And my famous cousin...Appreciate your taste in films but suppose you demonstrate your remarkable memory by debating Mr. Stein here after he's made his point."

"Well, Dr. Fowler..." Stein, reperching glasses on nose...His buttoned up, checked shirt betraying a missing collar button as a corner of collar flapped with each word. "A neuron must work on physical principles and subject to the laws of electromagnetism and physics. The human brain is simply the sum total of those principles in mass application."

"So we are simply machines, subject to physical laws with perfectly predictable outcomes?" she replied serenely.

He blinked at the deep brown eyes boring into him...

"Well...Given the data and the calculating power...I could probably make reasonable predictions of outcomes based on the electromagnetic activity of the brain, yes."

"All right..." nod... "And you would say that specific study of the brain and the outcomes generated is unnecessary because you could presumably derive all outcomes from theoretical physics? In short, meaning, there is no need for you to be taking this course?"

"If the goal is to see the underlying principles, it's much better for me to work on the basic science...The Queen of Science, in fact, Physics."

"I see...Well, Mr. Stein..." smile...Flashing eyes...Firm jut of proud rather notable chin. "I should like to see you derive a theory of neural function from basic physics. I think that will be your project for this seminar."

"Ma'am?"

She'll get me...And my little dog too...Glance over for support to his friend...One of the very few...Xavier Francis, seated next to him...

"Mr. Montaine, I haven't forgotten you..." freezing look as the said Montaine...A tall, well-built blonde, blue-eyed type paused in his relaxing, thinking he'd escaped destruction. "Please rise and give us a counter to Mr. Stein's proposal. Just an outline, please...As you'll be working on a rebuttal to Mr. Stein's theorizing."