[Doriana] Memento Mori

[Doriana]

Jake (H/C/M) reads a short story. Afterwards, he's convinced that he'll die soon. Why?

[android18]

Is it a fictional story? One that actually exists? A fairy tale? Monsters under bed or something similar relevant?

[trebor]

Any diseases or illnesses relevant? Does Jake have something in common with a character in the story? Does some information mentioned in the story apply to him? Or does he at least think it does?

Is it relevant how he thinks he will die? If so: disease/illness? Murder? Accident? Exposure? Rapid aging? Is it a cause of death that could actually happen to a person in the real world?

[Doriana]

android18
Is it a fictional story? One that actually exists? Irrel A fairy tale? No Monsters under bed or something similar relevant? No

trebor
Any diseases or illnesses relevant? Yes Does Jake have something in common with a character in the story? Yes Does some information mentioned in the story apply to him? Yope Or does he at least think it does? Yes

Is it relevant how he thinks he will die? Yes If so: disease/illness? This Murder? Accident? Exposure? Rapid aging? Is it a cause of death that could actually happen to a person in the real world? Yes

[GalFisk]

Does he think he has cancer? If so, relevant what sort? Is he actually perfectly healthy? Does he have a condition, but not one he'll soon die from?

[Doriana]

Does he think he has cancer? No If so, relevant what sort? n/a Is he actually perfectly healthy? No Does he have a condition, but not one he'll soon die from? Correct (or rather, one that he will not die from, period)

[GalFisk]

Is a specific organ relevant? Is a specific symptom relevant? Was he born with his condition? Will the condition go away? Is it genetic?
About the deadly condition he though he had: does it kill everyone who has it? Is one born with it? Is it contagious? Genetic?

[android18]

Is it an infection? Historical diseases (e.g. plague, smallpox) relevant?

[Doriana]

Is a specific organ relevant? No Is a specific symptom relevant? Yes Was he born with his condition? No Will the condition go away? Yes Is it genetic? No
About the deadly condition he though he had: does it kill everyone who has it? Bit of an FA here, explore Is one born with it? No Is it contagious? Irrel Genetic? No

Is it an infection? Jake's condition? Yes. The other relevant condition? Irrel Historical diseases (e.g. plague, smallpox) relevant? No

[android18]

Is it relevant the exact infection that Jake has? If so, is it a cold? Does he have a runny nose? Cough? Sneezing? Vomiting? Diarrhoea? Fever? Did he relevantly take any medication for the infection? Does only Jake have it? Is it at all possible to die from it? Superstition relevant?

[GalFisk]

Does the thing he thinks he has not exist? Or does it exist, but isn't deadly? Or is it something humans can't have?
Does he have an ear infection? eye? Skin? Throat? Toenail? does he have a splinter? Wound? Rash? Scab?

[trebor]

There are two separate conditions? Does Jake think he has the condition from the book, but he actually has a different one?

Does the condition from the book kill everyone who gets it in the book? In real life? Is it a condition that used to kill people but is now easily treatable? That kills people only in certain circumstances? Does it not kill people, but other animals?

[Doriana]

android18
Is it relevant the exact infection that Jake has? No If so, is it a cold? But it's this Does he have a runny nose? Cough? Sneezing? Vomiting? Diarrhoea? Irrel to all Fever? This is the only relevant symptom Did he relevantly take any medication for the infection? No Does only Jake have it? In the context of the puzzle, yes Is it at all possible to die from it? I guess, but assume Jake won't die from it Superstition relevant? No

GalFisk
Does the thing he thinks he has not exist? No, it does exist Or does it exist, but isn't deadly? Or is it something humans can't have? No to these
Does he have an ear infection? eye? Skin? Throat? This is closest, see above Toenail? does he have a splinter? Wound? Rash? Scab?

trebor
There are two separate conditions? Yes Does Jake think he has the condition from the book, but he actually has a different one? Yope

Does the condition from the book kill everyone who gets it in the book? There's one person with the condition in the book and they die, so technically yes In real life? Irrel Is it a condition that used to kill people but is now easily treatable? That kills people only in certain circumstances? Does it not kill people, but other animals? No/irrel to all

Good round of questions! Small hint/clarification: You don't have to figure out the exact condition described in the book. Only one aspect of it is relevant.

[biograd]

So the condition described in the book resembles a cold in some respect? in terms of the symptoms? but is deadly? and actually exists in real life as well (even though Jake doesn't have it)?

Is the disease described in the book also an infection? a pandemic of some kind?

[Doriana]

So the condition described in the book resembles a cold in some respect? Yes in terms of the symptoms? Yes, one symptom but is deadly? and actually exists in real life as well (even though Jake doesn't have it)? Yes to both

Is the disease described in the book also an infection? a pandemic of some kind? Irrel to both

[biograd]

Is the symptom the two conditions share a cough? a runny nose? a sore throat? sneezing? loss of a sense of taste/smell?

[wunderland]

... a fever?

She died of a fever
And no one could save her
And that was the end of sweet Molly Malone...

Does the story describe someone "dying of a fever"? or just having a fever, and then dying?

[Doriana]

biograd
Is the symptom the two conditions share a cough? a runny nose? a sore throat? sneezing? loss of a sense of taste/smell? None of these, see below

wunderland
... a fever? Yes

She died of a fever
And no one could save her
And that was the end of sweet Molly Malone...

Does the story describe someone "dying of a fever"? or just having a fever, and then dying? Either would work

[GalFisk]

Does he think all fevers are deadly? Does the book itself cause his belief?

[Doriana]

Does he think all fevers are deadly? No Does the book itself cause his belief? Yes

[biograd]

Is there something, other than the mere presence of a fever, that makes Jake think he has the same disease/condition as the person in the book?

[Doriana]

Is there something, other than the mere presence of a fever, that makes Jake think he has the same disease/condition as the person in the book? The disease/condition is, in Jake's mind, "a very high fever that I'll die from", but yes, there's something else that hasn't been discovered yet

[biograd]

Does Jake have something in common with the character from the book (other than being sick with a fever)? Like is the character in the book named Jake too? or they live in a similar place/circumstances?

[Doriana]

Does Jake have something in common with the character from the book (other than being sick with a fever)? Like is the character in the book named Jake too? or they live in a similar place/circumstances? No to all

[biograd]

Is there something similar surrounding the circumstances under which Jake and the character got their fevers? some other bodily sensation/occurrence that happened along with the fever?

I thought we have ruled out that Jake mistakenly thought ALL fevers (at least those as high as his) were deadly, correct?

[Doriana]

Is there something similar surrounding the circumstances under which Jake and the character got their fevers? No/irrel some other bodily sensation/occurrence that happened along with the fever? No

I thought we have ruled out that Jake mistakenly thought ALL fevers (at least those as high as his) were deadly, correct? It's correct that Jake doesn't think all fevers are deadly, but explore the "at least those as high as his" part

[trebor]

Is Jake's fever particularly high? Is it relevant exactly what temperature he has? Does it matter if it's measured in F or C? Does it matter how his temperature was taken? Has his temperature actually been taken?

Is Jake at home? In hospital? In a doctor's office? Relevant?

Does it matter how much time has passed since Jake has read the story?

[Doriana]

Is Jake's fever particularly high? No Is it relevant exactly what temperature he has? No Does it matter if it's measured in F or C? Yes! Does it matter how his temperature was taken? No Has his temperature actually been taken? Yes

Is Jake at home? This In hospital? In a doctor's office? Relevant? Not really

Does it matter how much time has passed since Jake has read the story? No

[biograd]

So Jake measured his temperature in degrees Fahrenheit, but the book mentioned the character's temperature in Celsius? and comparing them led Jake to believe his own temperature was extremely high, and therefore that he might die?

[Doriana]

So Jake measured his temperature in degrees Fahrenheit, but the book mentioned the character's temperature in Celsius? and comparing them led Jake to believe his own temperature was extremely high, and therefore that he might die? Correct!

********SPOILER********

Jake is in bed with a cold and a fever. He reads a story in which a character dies of "a 41 degree fever". Jake, who has not yet learnt that there are different temperature scales, thinks that his own temperature - 101°F - is much higher, leading him to believe that the fever might kill him.

Well done, biograd and trebor!