Technology invades the modern world

Chapter 206 What if the professor were white? (5k)

"Oh my god, what did I just see!"
Hello viewers at home, welcome to CBS News. I'm your old friend Cronkite.

As you can see, I am sitting in front of the world’s top talents.

Randolph Lin, a man renowned for his intelligence and recognized as having the highest IQ in the world, is said to be indistinguishable from everyone else, and everyone is just a monkey in his presence!

The other one is Yuri Gagarin, who accomplished countless miracles, from manned spaceflight to the lunar landing. He was the first manned spaceflight in human history and is a synonym for human courage!
Let's welcome you both with the warmest applause!

After Cronkite finished his opening remarks, he clapped his hands with all his might to show his welcome.

The studio was also filled with enthusiastic applause.

The audience members who could enter the Columbia Television studio in Washington, D.C. were all wealthy and influential, almost all of whom were celebrities in Washington, D.C.

Even for them, the simultaneous appearance of Lin Ran and Gagarin is extremely rare, a scene that may only happen once in a lifetime.

Most of the audience members brought posters from the Time magazine's special issue on the moon landing, hoping to get autographs from the two greatest contributors to the moon landing.

With the signatures of the two, this poster is no longer just a simple souvenir. Decades later, it will be a testament to the pinnacle of human engineering and a cultural relic!
In later generations, posters signed by the two individuals could fetch prices exceeding $10 at auctions.

Moreover, it will only become more valuable over time.

"I was extremely excited. When I learned that I had the opportunity to interview the professor and Mr. Gagarin, I was even more excited than on my bachelor party the night before my wedding."

This is the most honorable day of my career.

Let me thank you both again for coming.

Cronkite turned to face Lin Ran and Gagarin, clasped his hands together, and nodded in thanks.

Then we can officially begin today's visit.

"Welcome back to Earth, Mr. Gagarin. We all know that after completing such a complex lunar mission, you need to rest and recuperate upon your return. Your first country to visit after your recuperation is America."

I'd like to ask, how are you feeling right now?

After hearing this, Gagarin laughed and said, "I'm in a great mood. Actually, I'm not recuperating. There's nothing wrong with my body."

Instead, they need to undergo medical examinations and quarantine to prevent viruses from being brought back to Earth from space.

For the past two months or so, I've been primarily collaborating with the Moscow Space Agency on this project.

Cronkite looked shocked: "My God, are there other life forms in the universe besides humans?"

Gagarin looked at Lin Ran. He clearly only knew that he had to do this, but he couldn't explain why.

Lin Ran organized his thoughts and said, "We are worried about the possibility that a virus might exist in the universe."

If a virus exists and is brought back to Earth by astronauts, it would pose a threat to all of humanity.

The earliest mention of the possibility of life in the universe can be traced back to 1904, when the renowned Swedish chemist Arrhenius proposed that life on Earth might have originated from bacterial spores that spread through space via light pressure, meaning that spores traveled from one planet to another via space travel.

Cronkite promptly added, "So, life on Earth originated from space?"

The audience gasped in surprise.

Lin Ran nodded and said, "That's right, that's a possibility."

After spores arrived on Earth, they underwent a long process of evolution, eventually forming the Earth we see today.

Arrhenius was also a pioneer in global warming; he was the first scientist to use physicochemical principles to estimate the extent to which increased carbon dioxide in the atmosphere would lead to a rise in Earth's surface temperature.

"Based on this hypothesis, the moon may also have pathogens."

Therefore, quarantine has always been a very important research topic in manned spaceflight-related work.

What if a space virus is brought back to Earth by astronauts and causes large-scale human casualties?
We need to do everything possible to minimize the risks.

Clearly, Moscow has done a very good job in this regard.

After listening, Cronkite looked like he had learned something new: "As expected, we still need to consult professionals to hear such informative knowledge."

So, Mr. Gagarin, during your two months of rest, will you constantly reminisce about the moon landing?

Gagarin looked on with a nostalgic expression: "Of course, I will never forget that feeling."

This is a feeling that cannot be compared to any simulation.

Before the moon landing, we used various facilities to simulate the lunar environment. I conducted countless simulation training sessions in such an environment, but the gap between simulation and reality is huge, an insurmountable chasm.

The feeling of stepping on the lunar surface, one-sixth the gravity of Earth, looking at Earth from the Moon, and carrying out a mission on the Moon.

I will cherish this experience for the rest of my life.

I think that, probably before I died, lying in my hospital bed, I was also thinking about the scene of my moon landing.

Gagarin finally showed a nostalgic expression.

Lin Ran thought to himself, "With this door, I can go to the moon anytime I want."

The fuel tank is still up there.

You spend your whole life reminiscing about it, while I can just wander around whenever I have free time.

He also felt that this was similar to becoming famous at a young age. When the most glorious moment of your life is forever stuck at that point, the future is all downhill. It's hard to say whether it's a blessing or a curse.

"It sounds wonderful. I hope I can go to the moon and see it in my lifetime."

"Professor, do you think we'll be able to travel to the moon in our lifetime? Will every ordinary person be able to land on the moon?" Cronkite asked.

After a moment of contemplation, Lin Ran said, "Of course, space tourism is absolutely feasible."

Besides manned lunar missions, NASA is currently working on space stations and reusable rockets.

Reusable rockets are rockets whose components can be recovered and reused after launch, so that they only need fuel for missions such as space travel or lunar landings.

Costs can be reduced to one-tenth, one-hundredth, or even one-thousandth of what they are now.

We currently spend $1000 billion on a single moon landing; if we reduce that to one-thousandth, it will only cost $1 million.

$1 million could also send many people to the moon.

Aside from the high cost, going to the moon might be as simple as flying from New York to London.

By then, we can send ten people on a single space shuttle trip, and each person will only need ten million US dollars, which is entirely affordable for many wealthy people.

For wealthy individuals who are not so rich, our space station project is an option to consider.

You can think of a space station as a house orbiting the Earth in space. The Moon is 320,000 kilometers away from Earth, while the space station is only 100 kilometers high. The launch cost for a single person could be as high as $100,000, which is affordable for many people.

To be able to travel to space and look down at Earth from the space station.

NASA can then transform from an agency that simply burns through the national budget into a profitable organization capable of breaking even, or even generating revenue.

Cronkite's mouth dropped open. "Professor, can we really do this?"

The future that Lin Ran described was just too wonderful.

It's worth noting that a survey conducted by America Media in 1962 showed that most people had opinions about NASA, feeling that the agency was just burning money, and that it would be better to spend that money on improving the welfare of the people.

It was precisely because of this mindset that NASA later launched a nationwide science education campaign covering everyone from elementary school students to college students and the general public, in order to prove that it was useful and that keeping NASA was essential.

Lin Ran's description not only shocked Cronkite, but also aroused the longing of the Washington celebrities in the audience.

No one can resist the allure of the stars and the sea.

"Brown, do you think we'll really be able to travel to space in our lifetime? Is it really possible to go to space for $100,000, just like the professor said?" the white woman asked her male companion, making $100,000 sound as casual as $10.

The male companion replied, "If someone else said this, I would be skeptical, but it's a professor who said it, so I believe it's possible, and I believe the professor can do it."

This is the consensus among everyone.

Others said that the public would think it was science fiction, but Lin Ran said that people would think it was depicting a future that they could see, a future that they could live to see.

"Professor, could you give me a detailed introduction to reusable rockets?" Gagarin asked impatiently before Cronkite could even speak.

He knew this was a very important concept.

This is because the concept came from Lin Ran's mouth, and it also reflects the understanding of veteran aerospace workers. Reusable rockets are by no means a new thing. Documents and projects from 1965, such as Nexus, Spiral, and BAC Mustard, all show that the concept of reusable rockets was already known to the United States and the Soviet Union.

America poached a project called Dyna-Soar from Germany. This project sought reusable spacecraft that could reach Earth orbit and return.

Germany developed a portion of it during World War II, but America failed and was ultimately cancelled after burning through $6.6 million.

Of course, its development was not without value, as it was later used in other spacecraft.

At the time, both the US and the Soviet Union confirmed through experimental research that parachutes and retro-rocket could be used for the rocket recovery phase, which was feasible given the technological level at the time.

Therefore, Korolev was not particularly surprised by the idea of ​​reusable rockets when he met Lin Ran.

Even during the design of the Soviet-Russian Venera-72 mission, they envisioned it having certain reusable modules.

(Conceptual diagram of Venera-72 launch)
However, given the Cold War context and the technological conditions at the time, the priority of technological development was more inclined towards rapid launch rather than long-term investment.

However, Lin Ran has now put forward a completely new concept in a public interview, revisiting reusable rockets and NASA's profitability as an organization.

Gagarin naturally had to ask a few more questions.

Lin Ran nodded and said, "Of course, rockets are staged, and I think they are fully capable of being reusable. I also think I have found the secret to rocket recovery."

However, the specifics of how to do it are a secret.

The audience erupted in applause. Gagarin's reaction revealed the importance of the technology, while the professor's answer demonstrated America's leading edge in this area.

Gagarin looked regretful. "I hope we can also cooperate in this area."

Lin Ran laughed and said, "This should be a cooperation between the White House and the Kremlin, not between us."

Cronkite steered the conversation back to the interview itself: "I'm already looking forward to space tourism projects from NASA."

If it were just $100,000, I would definitely go, I swear.

So, Professor, when is it expected to be possible?

Lin Ran thought for a moment: "Ten years. We can achieve it within ten years."

Everyone was shocked; ten years was far too short a time.

Looking at it today, it's hard to imagine that regular space tourism could be developed within ten years.

After shaking hands with Lin Ran, Cronkite said, "Professor, if NASA launches a manned space tourism program within ten years, I hope that when I interview you then, it will be in space."

Our production team would certainly be happy to spend that money.

Lin Ran added, "You need to reimburse my round-trip expenses."

Cronkite laughed: "Of course."

He continued, "Hopefully, we can invite Mr. Gagarin to witness our ten-year agreement."

Gagarin nodded and said, "Of course, I'd be happy to participate." What he didn't say was that he would have to see what the Kremlin thought at the time, and whether the Americans would be willing to let him go up.

Cronkite then asked, "Mr. Gagarin, there are rumors that the professor personally directed you throughout your return to Earth. Is that true?"
And were you worried at the time that the professor might make a mistake in his command and you wouldn't be able to return to Earth?

Gagarin said, "That's true."

After the return capsule was launched, command authority was transferred to the professor.

Although this visit to America was my first meeting with the professor, we have a deep bond that has been through thick and thin together. I am very familiar with his voice, and he told me exactly what to do more than once on the way back.

As for whether I worry about the professor making mistakes in command, I've never worried about it!

Gagarin's final answer was resolute.

Gagarin continued, "Do you know?"

On the moon, there was no one around, and whether he could successfully complete his mission was unknown.

After planting the flags of the Soviet Union and the United States, transmitting the photos back to Earth, and excavating lunar soil, I felt lonely and a little worried.

All I know is that America's fuel tank will come, but when it will return, whether it will be within my sight, and if it is within my sight, whether I can bring the fuel tank back to the return capsule as planned and successfully complete the mission—all of this is unknown.

When America's landing module came into view, it felt like I was being saved.

America fulfilled her promise, and the support, spanning 300,000 kilometers, arrived as scheduled.

What a feat that was within my sight!

Human beings are inseparable at this moment, which proves that human cooperation can overcome all difficulties and also demonstrates NASA's capabilities.

Therefore, when command was handed over to the professor, the fuel transfer was already complete, and I had no reason not to trust him.

During the return to Earth, the professor's instructions were extremely exaggerated. Long before the Miracle of Göttingen, we believed that the professor was the smartest person in the world.

Before witnessing the professor's computational abilities, it was hard to imagine that humans could possess such astonishing computational power.

Gagarin's expression was so sincere that the audience naturally believed what he said.

"We need to use tools, we need to use computers, because you don't have much time to react, you can only calculate according to the established procedure."

The professor, on the other hand, uses his brain; he can perform real-time calculations based on the actual situation and changes in parameters.

Comrade Korolev once remarked within our ranks that the gap between professors and us was even greater than the gap between humans and gorillas.

Such praise clearly made the people of America feel genuinely pleased.

The most telling thing is the praise from the enemy.

Of course, some conservative residents in the Southern states felt a little disappointed when watching the live broadcast, because the professor was Asian rather than white.

Lin Ran's power is currently limited to NASA, that is, the aerospace field.

In fact, McNamara had tried more than once to package up the Department of Defense’s research and development projects related to the Air Force and hand them over to Lin Ran, giving him the role of a senior advisor to the Department of Defense and allowing him to be deeply involved in Air Force research and development projects, such as various bombers, fighter jets, early warning aircraft, and radar.

But it was blocked.

Even though Lin Ran's past performance has proven his credibility.

However, his Asian identity and his public expressions of identification with China prevented him from accessing the defense industry.

If Lin Ran were white, even a South African white, he could take over America's vast research system and make decisions with a single word.

Given his youth, he could easily hold this position for forty years.

Forty years—that's a lot of talk. A president's term is at most eight, but he could have gone through eight presidents.

From the Baiyue people to the Gulf and then to Afghanistan, they are living fossils.

Therefore, if Lin Ran were white, his reputation would be multiplied by 10, and in addition to his reputation, his actual power would be even greater than that of the president.

This is actually a manifestation of the America race.

Of course, if Lin Ran were Jewish, he could become the de facto head of the deep state, wielding even more power than the president.

It's possible that America's history will become: the professor supports Fred, the professor overthrows Fred, the professor supports Fred's son, and the professor overthrows Fred's son.

Back in the studio, Cronkite remarked after listening, "As expected of a professor, he always manages to create one miracle after another."

Professor, we're equally curious: how are you able to do things that others can't? What secrets do you have to share with everyone during your growth?

Lin Ran said, "I want to say that interest is the best teacher."

Our education should not be exam-oriented. Exam-oriented education is too stupid. It only produces students who can do test questions and will stifle their talents in the cradle.

I believe our current education system is a failure!

Lin Ran is about to make some outrageous remarks.

We are America, how can America be subjected to exam-oriented education!
We should promote joyful education!

The combination of "happy education" and the "lost generation" during the Baiyue Wars was incredibly powerful.

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(End of this chapter)