Chapter 116 Snowball Earth_1

Mr. Lin Sen: "Did such an event really occur on Earth and affect it for over a billion years?

"I'm quite familiar with the geological eras, but how come I've never heard of it? The impact of such a catastrophe would definitely leave enough traces in the strata."

Zhuang Yu: "Yes, it did leave enough traces, but they were erased. You are familiar with geological eras, so you should know about the 1.2 billion years of missing history on Earth, shouldn't you?"

Mr. Lin Sen: "Are you referring to the period of Earth's missing history described by the Snowball Earth theory?"

Zhuang Yu: "Yes, it's that period of missing history.

"Not only does the geological record indeed lack that segment, but a significant portion of our biological evolutionary history is also missing. Almost all life on Earth was single-celled 3 billion years ago, and then there were no more records of biological fossils, until suddenly, 600 million years ago, a multitude of multicellular organism fossils appeared. The missing time is even longer.

"Many geologists have wanted to know what happened during that extensive period. Through extensive research, they eventually found that it was actually related to the Snowball Earth theory.

"The Snowball Earth theory suggests that from 1.8 billion years ago until 600 million years ago, the entire Earth was encased in ice, seen from outer space as a giant snowball.

"The true thawing began with the splitting and aggregation of continents into a supercontinent starting 700 million years ago, although eventually, the supercontinent split apart again.

"The latest scientific discoveries show that the cause of Snowball Earth was the PDC. Geological surveys found that 1.8 billion years ago, and perhaps even earlier, volcanic activity was so intense that the scale of eruptions was tens of thousands of times greater than today.

"A massive amount of volcanic ash miraculously accumulated together, eventually forming a PDC, which sealed off the Arctic. Its thickness was estimated to be more than 3,000 kilometers. The temperature in the Arctic Circle kept falling, which eventually led to the eruption of a superstorm that directly swept across the equator, vastly impacting the surface stratigraphy, which was left in disarray.

"Such eruptions occurred every few years, and the volcanoes were continuously erupting, constantly adding to the thickness of the PDC. In less than ten thousand years, Earth completely entered the Snowball Earth era.

"The 1.2 billion years that are not visible in the geological record are precisely because that period was covered by ice and snow. Once the Earth's conditions recovered, that layer was actually ice, which directly melted away, hence the geological record is missing that period.

"Our current PDC is still not stable enough, and we estimate it can only exist for about ten more years. It won't cause Earth to enter the Snowball Earth era, which perhaps is a silver lining amid this misfortune."

Mr. Lin Sen: "I never imagined that a PDC event really occurred in Earth's history. What has happened before can happen again today. And what occurs today is bound to happen again tomorrow."

Zhuang Yu: "Alas, this catastrophe is too severe, and humanity is indeed paying the price for its folly.

"The guy who detonated the seabed mineral veins has already been overrun by an angry mob at his home and had everything destroyed. He also died in an accident, which in itself is another form of madness."

Mr. Lin Sen: "Madness is the main theme of this era. The arrival of humanity's great nadir may well be inevitable. Even without this disaster, if the internal conflicts of mankind had fully erupted, it might have led to a different scenario, and who could say that this disaster did not, in fact, save us?

"Everything has its two sides, light and shadow coexist, and perhaps even in the depths of a great nadir, the opportunity for human transformation is hidden.

"We've always walked on the edge of a cliff, but we cannot fear the height of the cliff or the depth of the abyss; what can protect us are only reason and resilience."

Zhuang Yu: "Maybe it's time for us to reflect. As you said, every setback is an opportunity for self-transcendence; this might be our chance as well."

Mr. Lin Sen: "Indeed, what we need is to face ourselves, others, and nature, but most importantly, to confront the Trisolaris crisis.

"The society of humanity must inevitably have its fundamental rules of operation. Trisolaris has brought not only a crisis for the survival of mankind but also a new crisis for society.

"People see the survival crisis, so they are willing to do everything just to survive; economic transformation becomes inevitable, amounting to a revolution.

"But it seems that humanity forgets that no historical transformation can be conducted smoothly; the old rules must be overturned, and new ones established.

"People can share technology, but they cannot share status, and future resources will equate to status. One foreseeable consequence of technology sharing is stagnation of development; any invented technology will be shared by others, while those who possess the resources need not worry about sharing.

"Yet, the economic transformation is something the authorities must undertake, they have no other choice."

At this moment, Shui Wa also curiously said, "Wasn't the previous economic model working well? Why does it need to change, leaving so many people hungry?"

Over the years, Shui Wa has always been with Zhuang Yu, and during this time, he also received higher education. His knowledge has now become almost comparable to that of a typical doctorate. However, the essence of his uncomplicated spirit has never changed, nor has his thinking ever stopped.

Mr. Lin Sen: "Sometimes, standing higher doesn't mean you can see farther, and seeing far doesn't guarantee walking the right path. The current authorities, each of them has a transcendent perspective, but they are also bound.

"Your question is simple, yet very complex, and involves too many aspects.

"I can only tell you the simplest part of it; first is the selfish aspect of humanity. The Trisolaris crisis gives humanity an opportunity to be unrestrained in the name of righteousness. Most people of our time won't live to see the final battle."

"People of this era can still engage in cutthroat competition, plundering everything they can. With enough resources, they could dominate the future."

"The greatest aspect of humanity is that people are willing to contribute everything they can just for a chance at survival for their descendants."

"This isn't to say that those in power are wrong. Petty and great, selfish and selfless—it's all the same group of people."

"The greatest tragedy for humanity isn't in parting and death, but in seeing the abyss clearly and still having to jump."

"Our original society had established rules that we never truly adapted to in five thousand years, and now the Trisolaris Crisis has disrupted those very foundations."

"We haven't yet adapted to this change, and human survival has become the most significant issue. Anything can happen in this era."

"What we need to do is to think continuously, without ever stopping. Only from a higher vantage point can things become clear."

"If you're lost in the crowd, everything seems like an endless maze, but from this height, human society is nothing more than an ant colony with eight billion inhabitants, surrounded by a vast world."

"From a higher place, the thoughts that come to a person are different..."

Shui Wa: "This feels the same to me. Standing atop the Giant Reflective Mirror on the Moon, I can always see Earth and the Moon."

"Earth's night is beautiful, but it's no larger than a pancake, and a city of humanity is smaller than a sesame seed on it. Why wouldn't they want to look towards the vast universe beyond that tiny pancake?"

Lin Sen: "People from the past were reluctant to look beyond because the beyond was unknown. Looking into the distance also came with the cost of trial and error. People are unwilling to look beyond as long as their own state of survival isn't threatened."

"On the other hand, those in power don't want people to look beyond either, as it brings management risks."

"People today are reluctant to look beyond because of the Trisolaris Crisis, as it's not conducive to human unity."

Shui Wa: "Although I don't fully understand some parts, I get what you're saying. But I think we still need to look beyond. If no one does, the beyond will always remain unknown."

"We haven't found the basic operating principles of society in five thousand years, so why not try looking in the distance?"

Lin Sen: "Yes, maybe it's time for someone to go searching."

Zhuang Yu: "Mr. Lin Sen, this matter concerns the Escape Law. Such behavior will definitely not be approved by the PDC."

"If we were to leave the Solar System, the PDC, this fragile balancer of humanity, could no longer maintain the stability of human society. We would lose our collective fighting spirit, and that's a risk we perhaps cannot afford to take."

Lin Sen: "I know what you mean. It's definitely not feasible right now. What we need to do is to keep thinking, and not allow anything to restrict our thoughts."

"In this, Shui Wa is better than you. He dares to think and to act."

Zhuang Yu: "Perhaps Shui Wa is the best thinker among us. He's a pure person, someone who always manages to see the essence of things."

Lin Sen: "Have you prepared all the materials needed to construct the 24 Giant Reflective Mirrors?"

Zhuang Yu: "Everything is ready. All materials have been packed and transported to the Moon Space Elevator. They'll be sent to the Earth-Moon Lagrange Point via the elevator and then shipped to geosynchronous orbit by spacecraft for the construction of the 24 Giant Orbital Reflective Mirrors."

"The entire construction process is expected to take six months. The Synchronous Light Rings project includes not just the mirrors in geosynchronous orbit but also countless weather monitoring devices deployed globally, especially above the Earth's poles and oceans."

Lin Sen: "We can't predict how much loss the Synchronous Light Rings will reduce for humanity, but it will certainly mitigate some losses."

"More importantly, in the future, we'll need it to regulate the global climate. Maybe by applying it to the key nodes of the pressure belts, we can also dispel them sooner."

"Even if it doesn't have a large effect, the Synchronous Light Rings, like lanterns in the sky, will illuminate humanity's hope."

Zhuang Yu: "We can definitely manage the global climate, by putting forth our utmost effort. The responsibility on our shoulders is immense."

After seeing Zhuang Yu, Lin Sen was preparing to go to the Moon. He had more questions to which he needed answers.

Not just about Tyler's death, but more importantly, what Tyler might have left for him.

PS: The Snowball Earth hypothesis isn't completely accepted by the mainstream, and there is skepticism. Of course, many people still believe the theory is correct, but new evidence is required for further validation.