Chapter 38 "The Awakening of the 'Air Pump'_1

Mr. Lin Sen: "Yes, the discovery of the mass-energy equation was due to a deep understanding of special relativity, which was proposed because of the results of the Michelson-Morley experiment and the problem of black body radiation, ultimately giving birth to special relativity."

Wang Miao: "Following the development trajectory, humanity first built the edifice of classical physics, which also included the identification of all elements, but there were 'two dark clouds' over this edifice: the results of the Michelson-Morley experiment and the problem of black body radiation.

In fact, physics at that time was far from perfect, such as the problem of heat radiation from thorium mining that couldn't be explained at all; people of that time subconsciously believed it was explainable without delving deeper.

It wasn't until the discovery of the mass-energy equation and the fission effect that humanity realized that building such a weapon was possible.

Put simply, normal thorium ore also undergoes spontaneous fission reactions to release energy. If its abundance is increased, could a chain reaction be achieved to produce a massive amount of energy? At least theoretically, it's possible.

War catalyzation considered, the most powerful country at the time used one third of the nation's electricity and spent many years before finally succeeding in its construction.

Had it not been for the discovery of these 'two dark clouds,' humanity would not have such weapons."

Mr. Lin Sen: "The Trisolarans tried to prevent us from discovering these crucial 'two dark clouds' and used sophons to blockade us.

The Trisolarans blocked our path to research fundamental particles, preventing us from discovering new phenomena which would lead to new theories and, eventually, new theory-based weapons similar to nuclear arms.

It's too difficult for us to make a breakthrough in this direction; the barrier is too high. Of course, I'm not saying that we want to break through in this aspect right now; I'm just saying their weapons may be powerful, but their level of technology definitely isn't much higher than ours."

"Then where should our focus be?" Wang Miao asked.

"If we can't break through at the microscopic level, it doesn't mean we can't beat them at the macro level. Their censure bullets are naturally terrifying, but we could replace them with an equivalent amount of other explosives.

As long as we have enough resources, even if they are more advanced, them wielding He Dan satellites and us wielding tanks and cannons may still result in our victory because their resources are too few.

Being able to build sophons and spaceships that can travel at 10% the speed of light, yet being unable to construct a few warships to resist interstellar dust at that speed, or failing to guarantee elimination of us who have just stepped out of our mother planet, shows that they don't hold absolute advantage in any respect.

The few powerful 'weapons' they have are a threat to us, but if the numbers are not large, there is no absolute threat. We have enough resources to deplete theirs.

This is our opportunity!"

Wang Miao: "Yes, this is our opportunity, and only you can see that far. Hearing your analysis, I suddenly feel confident about the future."

Today, Mr. Lin Sen felt good, having boosted someone's morale again. He just wondered when this "pump" career of his would end.

Perhaps when he no longer needs to be a "pump," that's when he'll have to become a "deflator."

Mr. Lin Sen laughed: "Not only am I hopeful about the future, but I'm also hopeful about your work! We're all waiting for a breakthrough in your nanotechnology, aren't we? You are responsible for making steady progress on the ground, while we look to the distant future, haha..."

"Haha… that's my honor, encountering you all is the greatest fortune of my life!"

"What stage has your nanotechnology reached now, and how far is it from realizing industrial mass production?"

"Progress isn't going very well at the moment. Currently, it's a joint research effort by related technology companies around the globe. The manufacturing process was completed several years ago.

But the speed is too slow. We are now looking for a highly efficient catalytic method to quickly produce cables that can be used on the space elevator. In fact, it might be more accurate to call them cable bands since they won't be uniformly thick from end to end, and the tensile forces they need to withstand vary by position. We have to do everything possible to minimize the effect of gravity.

The approach we use now is like building with molecules-level blocks, which is not easy. If just one piece doesn't fit, the whole section of cable is unusable. Luckily, we have the ability to splice at the molecular level, otherwise building tens of thousands of kilometers without a single mistake would be impossible.

We still don't have any other means to construct at the nanometric scale, so we can only hope to find a highly efficient catalytic method."

"How far are we from the material for space elevator use?"

"At present, during the continuous production process around the world, we have produced a total of nearly 2000 kilometers of qualified space cable."

The space elevator's span from the geostationary space station to the ground is approximately 36,000 kilometers, and from the geostationary space station to the counterweight is 60,000 kilometers. The cable needed for the counterweight can be somewhat less, but based on the current plan, 80 strands are needed from the ground to the geostationary space station, with a minimum of 4 strands at the initial stage."

The few catalysts we have found so far are not adequate. At this rate, constructing enough cable could even take 250 years, so we need to research new catalysts—we must ensure the space elevator is built within 40 years."

"For now, space material transportation mainly relies on electromagnetic railgun technology and spaceplanes. These methods consume too many resources, yet they are still the most economical options available."

"So, the current constraining factor is finding new catalytic materials," Lin Sen said.

"Yes, the design and construction principles of the space elevator are actually not complicated. The scientific team has already calculated everything that can be considered. The only constraint is the production speed of nanomaterials," Wang Miao replied.

"Well, don't feel too burdened. Let things take their natural course and spend more time with your wife and children. Relax a bit—who knows, you might suddenly find inspiration that increases production speed by tenfold! For the future of humanity, we choose to strive, but we can't abandon the present.

In the years of civilization, every moment is worth our protection.

I have more confidence in you finding this manufacturing process than I have in myself!"

As a 'cheerleader,' Lin Sen had long come to this realization; if he wasn't cheering someone on, he was on his way to do so. If he didn't get everyone fired up and howling, he wouldn't live up to the title of Spirit Master.

"I'll keep that in mind, but how can I rest easily with my wife and daughter if this problem isn't resolved?" Wang Miao said with concern.

"This is a matter for all of humanity. Don't put too much pressure on yourself.

When it comes to molecular assembly, the construction of biological proteins should be what we're most familiar with, right? Maybe you can seek help from biologists to see if molecular structures can be assembled through biotechnological methods," Lin Sen suggested.

"Hmm, that's a good idea. I've had a similar thought in the past, just never tried it."

"We could start by assembling a chain similar to messenger RNA, then build a 'motor' tool akin to a ribosome.

It would operate by consuming other forms of energy and continuously assemble free molecules into a chain according to a certain structure until we obtain the material we need.

I'm not clear on the technical difficulties involved, just offering an idea," Lin Sen said.

"Mr. Lin Sen, you're amazing. After talking with you for a bit, I feel so much more optimistic. This is definitely a great idea.

Da Shi once said, bugs have never truly been defeated, and the Trisolarans won't defeat us either," Wang Miao confidently stated.

"Trisolaris is the real bug, a tactical one... We'll make them pay sooner or later!" Lin Sen declared.

Marcus, who was beside them, said excitedly, "You always surprise me with your plans, one after another, each perfect and hitting right at the Trisolarans' weak spots!

You're incredible! With you around, we can rest assured. We're no longer lost; sincere praise to the Wallfacer."

Lin Sen: "Marcus, you're one of us now. I'm still waiting for your brain-computer interface and Mind Tactility device."

Marcus: "The same as before: you're responsible for direction, I'm responsible for implementation! How's that?"

Lin Sen: "There's nothing better than that, my friend."

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