At the heart of much speculative fiction (and fiction in general) is a question. What if? On Tuesdays I like to throw one out there and see what you make of it. Do with it as you please. If a for-instance is not specified, feel free to interpret that instance as you wish. And if you find this becomes a novel-length answer, I'd appreciate a thank you in the acknowledgements. 😉
What if you discovered that someone took something of yours without your knowledge and then used it to make a huge scientific discovery?
(Yes, I know this book has been written. This book is the classwork of the class I'm covering this week.)
I'd want a percentage of the profit if a profit is to be made from the discovery.
ReplyDeleteBut they're not going to give you a percentage...
DeleteLawyer brain kicks in and I’m running to the courthouse
ReplyDeleteOf course ;)
DeleteI'd want a percentage, especially if they made a teleporter.
ReplyDeleteWell, first of all I doubt they are going to share the rewards with me since they stole it. I would be pissed!
ReplyDeleteTrue.
DeleteI would get to my safe to show my original works with the patent I would have gotten and go straight to the lawyers. It would cost money but I would win because i would make a back up. Either way...lawyers would be involved
ReplyDeleteLawyers probably are the way to go.
DeleteFeels like Rosalind Franklin wrote this one.
ReplyDeleteAnd there would be hell to pay if that happened to me. Literal hell. Fire everywhere.
I feel like this, as with many of these, are dependent. In general, I think I'd demand credit and compensation. I guess if it was something really major, I might beat them into submission on raw reaction.
ReplyDeleteIt would be infuriating.
DeleteI'd be pissed, and hope I have proof they stole the idea from me
ReplyDeleteI didn't specify that it was an idea...
DeleteI think I know the book you refer to (I've also seen the movie). If I had been the family I would have gotten the best lawyer money could buy. Unfortunately, that family wasn't in a position to do that. Alana ramblinwitham.blogspot.com
ReplyDeleteNo, they weren't. Very sad story.
DeleteInteresting theory. I wonder what I would do...well if I had money I would get a lawyer. If not then I may just let it go.
ReplyDelete...and they made tons of money too. Ugh. I'd cry. And write a book about it.
ReplyDeleteYup, they did.
DeleteI think I'd be frustrated at first, then slowly learn to forgive. As I've discovered, in life, it's the feelings we hold onto that eventually define us.
ReplyDeleteOooh... Compelling thought. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteNow I want to read this book. Lucky students. If someone used my cells for good, I would be kind of proud, but I would want to know about it.
ReplyDeleteOh someone would be in for a world of hurt. lol I'd fight. I'm decent at creating backups so hopefully things would turn out alright.
ReplyDeleteUmm… Sad. Scared. Worried. I mean what do I have that could help with a scientific discovery? (I'm not very scientific, so it'd be a huge surprise for me!)
ReplyDeleteIn the case of the book that generated the question, cancer cells. And she wasn't even alive for most of it.
DeleteNeed I share with you that I would be so PISSED off about that! I would go on the news channels and tell everyone about the low life that took my stuff and made it big!
ReplyDeleteGetting things out in the media is a good idea.
DeleteI'm inclined to agree with Pam above. However, money isn't a great motivator for me so I'd be more annoyed at the betrayal.
ReplyDeleteInteresting...
DeleteI work in the legal profession, so I'd most likely find the best litigation attorney I could and make their life miserable through the court system.
ReplyDeleteGood plan.
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