"It's all useless at that level anyway," Bruce says dismissively, not totally paying attention to what he's saying as he reaches over to grab a pipette and an unmarked solution. His respect for organized institutions has never been high, given how largely unnecessary they were to his own learning.

He squeezes a droplet of the solution out onto the slide, peering intently through the lens as he does so, and waits in patient silence for several seconds to watch the reaction. "It's definitely regenerative," he concludes, not taking his eyes away. The aftermath is just as important as the reaction itself. "I can't tell you to what extent without further trials, but it looks significant."