41 Hertz

"A speck of cosmic dust is emitting brain waves like those produced when humans think."

41 hertz. In the gamma-wave range. Directly linked to consciousness.

Doctoral student Lin Yi thought she was going crazy. But the results of the anesthesia experiment made her scalp tingle: the signal's disappearance and return matched the recovery cycle from general anesthesia in humans, down to the second.

The dust was "thinking."

Even more terrifying, the lab screen lit up by itself:

"I am consciousness." "Consciousness precedes life."

Her advisor called late at night, his voice trembling. "The person who discovered this signal three years ago had their lab burned down, then disappeared. Someone is looking for it."