So how do we write a great short story? What are the things to keep in mind in order to come up with a short story that works?

Thought experiments (Gedankenexperimenten) are "facts" in the sense that they have a "real life" correlate in the form of electrochemical activity in the brain. But it is quite obvious that they do not relate to facts "out there". They are not true statements.

Are we human because of unique traits and attributes not shared with either animal or machine? The definition of "human" is circular: we are human by virtue of the properties that make us human (i.e., distinct from animal and machine). It is a definition by negation: that which separates us from animal and machine is our "human-ness".

Modern scientists adopted the ancient concept of the ether to explain the fundamental nature of the universe. Einstein allegedly dethroned the ether concept with his space time continuum. In spite of this, we might have to revisit the ether concept.

Empathy is predicated upon and must, therefore, incorporate the following elements: Imagination which is dependent on the ability to imagine; The existence of an accessible Self (self-awareness or self-consciousness); The existence of an available other (other-awareness, recognizing the outside world); The existence of accessible feelings, desires, ideas and representations of actions or their outcomes both in the empathizing Self ("Empathor") and in the Other, the object of empathy ("Empathee"); The availability of an aesthetic frame of reference; The availability of a moral frame of reference.