The Entropy of Dr. Isan Northcott

A tale from the 1 Cent Show

The professor hurried across the campus, stuffing his lecture notes into his satchel, stealing another glance at his intriguing prize. Zipping up the bag, he quickened his pace, and snow fell gently from the gray sky, creating a Victorian, almost Lovecraftian atmosphere. Dismissing the thought, he crept to the back of the psychology building and entered the lecture hall a few minutes late, facing some disappointed students. Placing his travel mug on the podium, he pulled out his slightly crumpled notes and straightened them before addressing the class.

"Hello, class," he greeted, sipping his coffee.

"Hello, Professor Northcott," some students replied, while others unpacked their notebooks and computers from their backpacks.

"I apologize for being late... As an atonement, we will keep the lecture short." The idea of explaining his lateness crossed his mind, but he dismissed it with a sudden urge not to disclose the reason.

Receiving a positive reaction to his announcement, he inserted his flash drive into the monitor and displayed his slides. Stepping out from behind the podium with a clicker in hand, he asked, "Alright, does anyone know who these individuals are?" displaying a picture of three psychologists on the screen. Not surprisingly, nobody recognized them. "These are three psychologists who conducted a fascinating study about prophecies: Leon Festinger, Henry Riecken, and Stanley Schachter. Authors of the book 'When Prophecy Fails.' Anyone familiar with that work?" A few students raised their hands, but most were not, which was expected in an introductory psychology class. "Well, let's discuss what the book is about..."

"Great class, professor," said a student as he finished. "That was quite interesting. I'd never really thought about that kind of stuff before."

"Thanks... Jessie?"

"Jamie," the student corrected him.

"Agh! Sorry, I'm still trying to remember names. 80 kids are a lot to handle."

"That's fine. Well, have a nice day, Professor."

"Thanks, you too, Jamie."

Isan, feeling more relaxed, climbed the stairwell to his office on the third floor of the psychology building. He flung his bag onto the desk, but then remembered the magical item inside, quickly rushing over to remove the talisman. Relieved that it was unbroken, he fell into his chair, holding it up to the light, admiring it. Tossing it up a few times and catching it, he set it down as a knock came to his door.

"Come in," he replied, "Ah, Regan, how are you?" he smiled at his student, who was there for his office hours.

"Sorry, I know you still have a few minutes before your office hours, but I have to leave in a few minutes for... ah... a...eehhh... doctor's appointment. ECK-CHOO!" she apologized.

He chuckled, "Not a problem. How can I help?"

"Well, I just have a couple of questions about the final essay."

"My dear, we still have two months until that is due."

"I know, but I like to do things as early as possible, get parts of it out of the way."

"Smart, very smart. What's the question?"

"I wanted to do mine on the psychology of language, but that's not really a topic that we've talked about, and I looked in the syllabus..."

"Tell you what, write me up an outline, and try to incorporate at least two chapters that we discussed, try to. But get me an outline in a week or three, leaving enough time to switch, and I'll see how it works out. If it's good, we'll go with it, and I'll try to help out as much as I can, with some research and stuff. Sound good?"

"Great!" she beamed. "Thanks, Professor? ECK-CHOO!"

"Don't mention it," he chuckled. "Interesting stuff, I know. You should be able to find some material from what we talk about in the class, you just might have to dig a bit. Now, go get yourself to the doctor's."

"Okay, thanks!" she got up and walked out.

After that, Northcott tried to work, but he couldn't focus; his gaze continually pulled towards the item on his desk. He felt the compulsive need to ask it a question, to seek its wisdom, for he sensed some hidden knowledge within this magical artifact. He tried to think of some trivial yet substantial question, something that would satisfy his desire to ask.

"Should I go out to eat?" he surprised himself with the urge to ask, and he received a reply.

"Yes."

"Hmmm, okay." He checked his watch; it was 10:38. He'd go in an hour; he could eat the packed lunch tomorrow. Placing his lunch in the mini-fridge, he resolved to leave the totem in his office to avoid any potential theft.

A few minutes later, he walked to Chipotle, a classic restaurant on campus, always busy. He was a frequent visitor, having the app installed on his phone. Working his way through the counter, he placed his order and received the news that he was the 200th customer of the day, entitling him to a free meal. Amused by the coincidence, he accepted a drink and chips as his reward.

As he sat down, he pondered whether the totem truly knew, but he dismissed the idea as mere coincidence. However, the urge to ask it another question began to re-emerge, a slow flame building in his mind. It was later that day when he stopped at a gas station to fill up his car. However, the terminal wasn't working correctly, so he had to go inside to pay. As he walked up to the counter, he passed an aisle full of scratch-offs, something he wouldn't have noticed under normal circumstances. He briefly paused but dismissed the idea of buying any, heading to the counter to pay for the gas. When he returned to his car and sat down, he was surprised to find the totem had fallen out of his bag. A moment of panic washed over him, but he quickly inspected the object to ensure it remained intact. The idea of the scratch-offs came back to his mind, and he asked the totem, "Should I buy a scratch-off?"

"Yes, definitely," it replied.

Feeling intrigued, he went back into the store and purchased a scratch-off ticket, receiving an unamused look from the cashier. Wanting to justify his purchase, he explained, "Sorry to bother you again, but I'm feeling lucky today." He then rushed back to his car, excitedly anticipating what would happen. Back at home, he scratched the ticket and discovered that he had all the winning numbers, winning $5,000. Filled with joy, he whooped victoriously and rushed to cash in the ticket.

However, as weeks went by, his obsession with the totem grew. He found himself lying in bed, reflecting on the past few weeks, torn between denial and regret. Talking to the totem, he justified his actions, convinced that his decisions were rational and deserved. Days passed, and people around him started to notice his erratic behavior and expressed concern.

One day, a fellow professor confronted him about his unusual actions, expressing genuine concern for his well-being. Isan defended his behavior, claiming he was just trying to be happy and take care of himself. However, the professor's words lingered, and Isan's quest for happiness intensified. Seeking more excitement, he tried various adrenaline-inducing activities, from mountain biking to skydiving and partying. His search for happiness even led him to explore substances that the totem didn't discourage.

As the days passed, his desire for the totem's guidance became insatiable, leading him down a path of risky behavior and questionable decisions. He discovered that he enjoyed the rushes of adrenaline from his extreme feats of daring, as well as the substances. His enjoyment became so intense that he started missing classes and meetings, prioritizing the daring feats to experience the rushes of dopamine he taught about in his Psychology classes.

This behavior reached its peak when he parked at a high bridge while attending a different event. He wanted to ensure it was safe before diving off, so he consulted the totem with the query, "Can I survive that fall?" The totem answered, "Yes," and Isan, feeling confident, took off his shirt, shoes, and socks before jumping over the edge, giving a big WHOOP. However, just as he was about to jump, a Deputy's car appeared, witnessing his dive. Meanwhile, the totem answered the query in a different manner, saying, "Outlook not so good."

When Isan's fellow professor questioned the incident, the officer explained that Isan seemed to have attempted suicide by diving from the bridge, which was nearly 350 feet high. Confused by the presence of a magic 8 ball in Isan's car, the professor decided to keep the totem on his desk.

The End