Richard's Animorphs Forum
Animorphs Section => Animorphs Forum Classic => Topic started by: Chad32 on April 02, 2009, 02:23:40 PM
-
Would it be possible for a trained proffessional to open a person's skull and remove a Yeerk? Or would the Yeerk's desire to hold on cause pieces of brain to come off when the surgeon pulled? Or perhaps there would be a way to make the Yeerk let go. It's said that you have to starve a Yeerk out, but I have often wondered if brain surgery would be possible.
-
Hm... Good question. Might end up with similar problems to that Yeerk in Visser, where parts of him stayed behind in the host's brain.
-
It didn't work when they tried it on Stargate because the parasite was able to release a lethal toxin that killed the host if someone attempted to surgically remove it. However, we know that Yeerks can't do that. The problem is we have no idea if it's possible to safely remove a Yeerk that way, and even if it was, I think I'd rather be tied up for 3 days than go through dangerous brain surgery!
-
It would be a very risky procedure, and likely not the default means of freeing a host. But in certain circumastances it may be necessary. Like if you wanted the Yeerk alive. The Host would need recovery time, so it's not like you could do the surgery real quick, then get the host to do something before some kind of time limit was up.
-
I think it's possible, it's just probably very risky. Like you guys have said, parts of the Yeerk might get stuck to the brain (or parts of the brain might remain stuck to the Yeerk) because of the interconnectedness of their neurons. I'd hate to be the surgeon tasked with removing a thin layer only a few cells thick off of something as delicate as the brain, and you'd have to go under all the protective brain membranes and everything...ew. No thanks.
For that matter, would a Yeerk be detected on an MRI? Those detect the signals of protons in a person's body (including the brain) and the images change depending on the chemical makeup of whatever cells you're looking at...so I'd say at least the brain would be some kind of different color or chemical signal in the imaging system, even if the shape didn't change.
-
I've actually wondered this, too. After all, this would make it possible to 'cure' someone of an oatmeal-afflicted Yeerk, and would likely be the only way, in that case, since those Yeerks cannot be starved out.
I don't see any reason why it wouldn't be possible, but I agree with everyone else who said that it would be hella risky. You'd definitely have to kill the Yeerk to get it off; a surgeon would probably have to cut up the Yeerk and remove it piece by piece. And with the Yeerk dead, the connection might be weakened . . . or it might not. Heck, the Yeerk might decide to hold the brain in a death-grip as it died. I don't really know.
-
Well with the Yeerk Bane monster Visser Three morphs in book 2 it's implied (I can't remember it being stated or not) that even the Yeerk's natural predator removing a Yeerk from the brain kills the host, it might be different if you had a surgeon but I think it might be a sign that when a Yeerk doesnt want to let go they just dont let go, in Visser it's implied that Yeerks don't actually sleep or rest while the host is unconcious so the Yeerk might be awake during surgery, there might be a way to coax it into lettig go or it might just go into defensive mode aand cling on even tighter.
-
eve if it was possible the amout of skull that would be needed to be removed is a danger to the paitent. also what type of tool do you use to scrape a flattend out slug off a brain. even one mistake would kill or permanatly disable the paitent. it would be better in my medical opinion to just wait fot the three days for it to die.
although this may leave lasting mental damage to the paitent.... im confused by my own argument...
-
I don't think it is; in books where you get a Yeerk's POV, something along these lines is commonly stated, "...I felt my neurons attaching to the host's neurons..."
So, unless you plan to sever ties between billions of individual neurons, which are cells, you cannot really do this. I don't even think this is possible. Even if you could, it would not be "natural" and the ties may not reconnect to the functions of the host's brain, which could cause disability or death.
I'd wait three days. If I had the oatmeal problem, well, I guess I'd just have to deal with randomly spazzing out every so often.
-
As for the Veleek removing a Yeerk, I've said before that I doubt that Veleeks really cared if the hosts lived or died. They're animals. In fact, Veleeks may have originally been brain eaters that decided Yeerks tasted really good too.
-
i've always wondered this too.
i think it would result in some damage, at the very least.
-
If I had the oatmeal problem, well, I guess I'd just have to deal with randomly spazzing out every so often.
And having an insane Yeerk screaming in my head 24/7 for the rest of my life? I think I'd rather be dead...
-
I always thought that the yeerk basically "absorbed" into the hosts brain so if you wanted to remove it medically you couldn't just grab a hold of it and pull.
-
Nothing is ever that simple when it comes to the brain. Even a tiny mistake could cripple or kill the host.
-
Nothing is ever that simple when it comes to the brain. Even a tiny mistake could cripple or kill the host.
i think i said that.... but with worse spelling... ::)
-
lol, probably Brad. I don't suppose you've learned about advanced brain surgery in murse school yet? :P
-
not yet but give me time.... >:D
-
If I ever have the misfortune to need brain surgery and you end up treating me, please promise me you won't use your Holy RAFsword as a surgical tool! :-\
-
Of coruse not!!! *hides Holy RAFsword behind back* I'm a professional!
-
"Prepare to make the first incision...Hiyah!"
-
interesting
-
I agree with Phoenix. You can't know what it could happen. Brain is very delicate.
-
the Yeerk spreads itself so thin it fits it'self into every crevice of the brain, theres no way the Yeerk could be removed safely, You'd have to make sure there's nothing left on the underside to the brain, and to do that, you have to turn the brain around. And that just can't happen without killing the host.
-
Yeah, I forgot about that. You'd have to go over every inch of the brain, unless you could do something in one spot to make the Yeerk let go.
-
I don't think a Yeerk can be removed. in book 6 it explains that the yeerk connects itself to individual neurons can't remember the page. if that is true surgically removing a yeerk is kind of impossible
-
Exactamundo. If only though right?
Maybe in the future, we'll be able to identify the narcotic in Maple flavored instant oatmeal, and be able to inject it into the blood stream making the host Yeerkproof. huh?
-
yes that would be interesting and the tastiest medicine ever created
XD
another thing i was thinking
if a person eats Maple instant oatmeal and after that they get infested..would the yeerk be able to tell.
Yeerk repellent XD
-
that's why it's injected into the blood stream, keeping it in the blood. *taps head* huh? huh? yeah.
Or maybe, there'll be some way in the future to turn the Cerebrospinal fluid more solid, making it impossible for the Yeerk to expand in our skulls.
-
I don't see how the oatmeal injection idea would work as a vaccine or repellent against a Yeerk. The oatmeal simply made them insane and free from the requirement of Kandrona rays.
-
Yes, but if the vaccination was made public, and widespread, then the Yeerks would be too paranoid to know which human had the vaccine, and therefore wouldn't infest it from fear of addiction.
Those already infested may be lost, but those still free would forever never have to worry about it.
Salvation! We are now a class 2 species! Take that Yeerks!
-
unless of course some yeerks want to be free from kandrona rays...which really isn't that farfetched...
-
As I already said, there's no way of knowing if the oatmeal would work as a vaccination. It shouldn't, but then again how exactly are Yeerks affected by something their host has consumed anyway?
If I had to guess, I'd say that it doesn't work. Otherwise anyone that had consumed Instant Maple and Ginger flavoured Oatmeal before being infested would turn out like that crazy guy in book 17. Therefore, there would be others like him turning up all the time if the oatmeal worked as a vaccination.
-
No, you don't use oatmeal as the vaccine, you extract the narcotic from the oatmeal, and inject it straight into the bloodstream. The narcotic alone is the vaccine, not the oatmeal.
And the Yeerk absorbs the narcotic through the bloodstream when it comes into contact with the brain. Osmosis baby! do you realize how thin those guys flatten themselves?
If I had to guess, I'd say that it doesn't work. Otherwise anyone that had consumed Instant Maple and Ginger flavoured Oatmeal before being infested would turn out like that crazy guy in book 17. Therefore, there would be others like him turning up all the time if the oatmeal worked as a vaccination.
That's why i said,
Those already infested may be lost, but those still free would forever never have to worry about it.
unless of course some yeerks want to be free from kandrona rays...which really isn't that farfetched...
As well said as that is morf, i don't think the Yeerks would want to go insane, no matter how much they don't want to depend on Kandrona Rays.
-
I wonder if there's a way for a Yeerk to regain its sanity. I think it would be interesting to see a group of Controllers that are crazy, but are also self aware enough to do something. Most people would think it's a gang of crazy Human thugs, but it's the kondrona free Yeerks banding together.
-
INSANITIES UNITE!!!!!
That reminds me of a joke slogan:
DYSLEXICS UNTIE!
-
INSANITIES UNITE!!!!!
That reminds me of a joke slogan:
DYSLEXICS UNTIE!
that reminds me of another slogan:
procrastinators of the world unite!
...tomarrow
-
How 'bout next week?
-
...The problem is we have no idea if it's possible to safely remove a Yeerk that way, and even if it was, I think I'd rather be tied up for 3 days than go through dangerous brain surgery!
Yeah, good point.
I don't think it is; in books where you get a Yeerk's POV, something along these lines is commonly stated, "...I felt my neurons attaching to the host's neurons..."
So, unless you plan to sever ties between billions of individual neurons, which are cells, you cannot really do this. I don't even think this is possible. Even if you could, it would not be "natural" and the ties may not reconnect to the functions of the host's brain, which could cause disability or death.
I'd wait three days. If I had the oatmeal problem, well, I guess I'd just have to deal with randomly spazzing out every so often.
I agree with this.
The reason I don't think it's possible is because from the information we have of how a Yeerk's biology is that they are able to cling on and leech onto literally everything the host has, effectively BECOMING THAT HOST. To a point that it seems to go BEYOND a physical brain connection, for it can experience e-v-e-r-y-t-h-i-n-g (including sensations and feelings and memories) that the host feels.
Not only that, but the Yeerk also seeps some of its feelings across to the host, as we've seen. Unlike the host, the Yeerk is able to control what the other can sense, but in the moments of the Fugue the Yeerk loses this control.
This suggests a reciprocal exchange of neurons at work.
I think the Yeerk BECOMES an extension of the host's brain. Letting go ONLY when it wants to.
With the Yeerkbane, we don't know if it did its Yeerk-preying thing without damaging or killing the helpless host.
But I imagine, that much like with the surgery idea, it would involve brain damage.
-
Oh definite brain damage!
Anytime you even bump a neuron, it could damage the brain. I mean, rapid decceleration (word?) alone damages the brain. so if an abrupt stop in physics can hurt the brain, imagine scraping or cutting parts of it. The dude (used loosly) is screwed.