Technology invades the modern world

Chapter 296 Academic Influence on a Younger Child (Seeking Monthly Tickets!)
"Old Lin, when are you going to have your son give a lecture at our school? We can't let Shanghai Jiaotong University get all the benefits!"
In a sense, your son is the most direct descendant of our Sun Yat-sen University's elite.

Lin Ran's father's name is Lin Taihang, not meaning Taihang, but Taihang from Taihang Mountain.

The reason he was given this name is because Lin Taihang's grandfather named him in remembrance of his days fighting as a guerrilla in the Taihang Mountains.

The fact that Lin Taihang, a PhD graduate from a rural area, was able to stay at Sun Yat-sen University as a professor is seen by young scholars as a result of benefiting from the era's dividends.

Lin Taihang took time out in the middle of the millennium to go to New York for a year of postdoctoral work.

Now that he is fifty years old, it is difficult for him to make any breakthroughs in his academic career. In the past, he was always in a relatively low-profile position at CUHK.

Of course, transparency also means leisure, a comfortable life, and little pressure, making them the envy of young scholars who are either promoted or dismissed.

Neither the school leaders nor the college leaders would ever approach him, and he would never be assigned any tasks.

But things are different now. After Lin Taihang had his son Lin Ran, he could no longer keep a low profile at Zhongda University.

The students knew, the colleagues knew, and the school leaders knew even more.

Every few days, school leaders would call him to their office for tea, citing the need to learn more from the experience of veteran comrades in running the school.

After all, from a resource perspective, Lin Taihang's son controls far more resources than Zhongda University, not to mention his more mysterious status and influence in Yanjing.

A more straightforward example is the academicians of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Chinese Academy of Engineering. Since the founding of the People's Republic of China, a total of 34 people have received this title, and 24 of them have passed away.

Now there's one more, making it 35.

It is easy to imagine Lin Ran's influence in the academic field.

If Lin Ran were willing, given his age and achievements, he could probably mentor countless new academicians.

After the National Day holiday, Lin Taihang took a few more days off.

When he asked for leave, the dean of the School of Chemistry joked that he might be going to Wenchang to watch the moon landing.

As soon as the holiday started, Sun Yat-sen University President Gao Shan summoned Lin Taihang.

Gao Shan is also a scholar in the field of chemistry, but he completed his bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees from Yenching University. He had been teaching and serving as a leader at Yenching University before moving south to Sun Yat-sen University last year.

When he arrived, Lin Ran was already a household name, which made Gao Shan wonder how the school leaders had done their job before. They hadn't even used Lin Taihang's connection to bring someone as talented as Lin Ran to the school.

If they had brought him in, not only would the Department of Mathematics at Sun Yat-sen University have taken off, but would the School of Mathematical Sciences at Sun Yat-sen University still be working on Zhang Yitang's case?

It even brought companies like Apollo Technology to Guangzhou, and even the entire commercial aerospace industry chain.

The former principal also felt wronged, thinking, "Don't I want to?"
To put it simply, if the leaders of Sun Yat-sen University could do this, they could jump directly from academia to a local position in Guangzhou, taking a leap that opens up vast horizons for them.

Gao Shan always felt that he and Lin Taihang were destined to be together. His name was Shan (mountain), and Lin Taihang's name was also a famous mountain and river. In addition, they were both PhDs in the field of chemistry. If this is not fate, what is?

“When I went to Yenching University for training during the National Day holiday, on the last day, they even organized us to watch Academician Lin’s lunar rocket launch this year. You didn’t see how smug Lin Zhongqing looked.” Gao Shan complained bitterly, his face full of displeasure.

"He's practically got a tail that's practically wagging in the sky." Gao Shan continued, "I'm thinking of trying to get Academician Lin to come to our university as a visiting professor for the time being, so he can give lectures when he goes home to visit his family every year."

This can be considered as us working for the benefit of students at Sun Yat-sen University.

Lin Zhongqing could only show off in the Shanghai university circle before, but this time when he went to Beijing for a meeting and study, he finally had the opportunity to show off in front of the presidents of these top-tier universities across the country.

Even if you're from Tsinghua or Yenching University, did you land on the moon? Could you obtain lunar soil or even lunar ice? Could you establish a base on the moon?
A professor from our Jiaotong University will suffice!
In short, he was extremely proud of himself. Whenever someone talked to him about something, Lin Zhongqing could quickly steer the conversation to how Jiaotong University had recently landed on the moon.

After hearing Gao Shan's words, Lin Taihang felt a surge of emotion. This emotion was not because of the content of the words, but because both the previous and current university presidents had discussed the issue of Lin Ran taking up a position at Zhongda University with him.

It's about the way Lin Ran is addressed. He's been called Dr. Lin by two university presidents, and now he's been called Professor Lin. The speed of this upgrade is faster than a rocket.

I've spent my whole life at Sun Yat-sen University, and I haven't even become an academician, let alone a leader of a group of 10,000 people.

"President Gao, I will definitely convey your message. I studied at Sun Yat-sen University during my undergraduate years and have been teaching there ever since. I can say that I have a deep affection for Sun Yat-sen University and I will definitely do my best to ensure its success," Lin Taihang said earnestly.

If it were a full-time teaching position, Lin Taihang would only mention it briefly. After all, compared to Shanghai, Guangzhou's strength, support, and importance in the Chinese landscape are simply incomparable.

To elaborate further, in modern commercial spaceflight, funding is paramount. That's why the vast majority of commercial spaceflight companies are based in Beijing, which boasts the best financing environment in the country, and has always been so.

Secondly, there's talent, and lastly, there's industrial support. A well-developed logistics and transportation system makes distance less of a concern.

These Chinese commercial space agencies go without saying. Even if we ignore them, look at America's SpaceX. Didn't it have to be located in California at the beginning, rather than in Houston, the space city, or Washington, D.C., where NASA is located?

But if it's just a visiting professorship, plus giving a lecture during holidays, Lin Taihang doesn't think there's much of a problem.

"Old Lin, I'm relieved to hear you say that. The most important thing for our university is talent! With talent, we have everything," Gao Shan said.

Lin Taihang thought to himself, wasn't it our Sun Yat-sen University that first implemented the "publish or perish" policy? In a sense, this academic competition and talent cultivation is indeed a way of valuing talent.

As for the young scholars who didn't pass the "publish or perish" exam, sorry, in CUHK's view, you are not considered talented.

"Speaking of which, Lao Lin, don't you feel that our country has developed at a rapid pace in recent years, especially in the field of science and technology? Before, who could have imagined that we could land on the moon so quickly, land on the south pole of the moon, and even land on the moon in two different ways?"

"This is both thanks to you for raising such a good son, Academician Lin's outstanding contributions, and also a result of the rapid development of the country's overall scientific and technological strength, a result of an explosive growth in scientific and technological development," Gao Shan said with emotion.

He continued, "During my trip to Yanjing, we joked privately that we felt that a lunar landing during the National Day holiday would become a regular event, and that we would launch a spacecraft to the moon during the National Day holiday window."

At the very beginning of the National Day holiday, my daughter was still asking me if her dad had gone to the moon this year.

Lin Taihang laughed and said, "Yes, I also feel that it went too smoothly. Lin Ran also told me in private that the reason why we were able to go so smoothly is because our country has a strong enough manufacturing industry. This manufacturing industry is the foundation for his creation of the moon landing miracle."

Gao Shan nodded and said, "That's right. I believe that the discovery of water on the moon will help us take another big step forward in building a base on the moon."

But Lao Lin, have you ever considered that we could also study lunar water ice?

Gao Shan continued, "Think about it, Academician Lin himself would definitely not do this personally; he would definitely have it done by someone below him."

At that time, Jiaotong University, being geographically close to the source, will definitely be able to analyze lunar ice.

But the question is, what's so difficult about analyzing lunar ice?
It simply involves analyzing the chemical and isotopic composition of water ice to determine its origin and whether it is a product of the interaction between comets, asteroids, or solar wind and oxygen-containing substances on the lunar surface.

I could come up with a title for the paper on the spot: Isotopic Analysis of Lunar Water Ice: Tracing Its Cosmic Origin.

The cosmic origin of lunar water, the role of water ice in lunar geological processes, whether lunar water ice contains microorganisms, and what trace elements it contains.

Anyone can write these papers, and every university has enough equipment and researchers to conduct related research.

Everyone's writing papers, and if you're conscientious, you can publish three papers. If you're not so conscientious, you can easily publish eighty or ninety.

Considering that the most important thing about this type of paper is the evidence, having water ice from the moon is a natural way to get published in top journals, whether it's Nature or Science. Who could refuse that? They'd love for you to publish there, since it's firsthand information from the moon.

Water ice can be analyzed, and so can lunar soil. The analysis of lunar soil from the South Pole crater on the Moon has produced yet another batch of research papers.

Old Lin, think about it. So many top-tier journal articles, it's a veritable academic goldmine. And once these articles are published, all future papers about the moon will have to cite them, so the high citation problem will be solved.

Shouldn't we also give it a try?
I'm not advocating for myself, I'm saying you should fight for it.

If Academician Lin is willing to share some of his unique resources with you, such as research on lunar ice, and publish a few top-tier journal articles, with two academicians backing you up, and this academician being your direct relative, becoming a leader of ten thousand people would be a piece of cake.

To put it more dramatically, with Academician Lin's backing, you'll be in charge of lunar analysis in the future, and you'll also be given some industry-funded projects. It's not impossible for you to become an academician!
"Sun Yat-sen University only needs one author's name. If you publish in a top-tier journal, as long as your affiliation is Sun Yat-sen University, that's fine!"

"Principal Gao, you're making me academically inferior!" Lin Taihang said with a wry smile.

Gao Shan said seriously, "Hey, what do you mean by 'academic advantage over a son'? Why put it so harshly? This is about making full use of existing resources and leveraging one's own strengths. Old Lin, your advantage is that you have a good son. So many people would love to have that advantage but can't even dream of it. We're just saying this in private, but if Academician Lin were my son, I would definitely become an academician!"

Gao Shan continued, "Think about it, why not make use of the existing resources? Apollo Technology is a private enterprise. Academician Lin gave the lunar soil and lunar ice to his father to analyze and publish papers. Even if Lin Zhongqing came, he wouldn't be able to find a single fault with it."

It's good for you personally, it's good for CUHK, and your son doesn't suffer any loss.

Lin Taihang couldn't help but smile bitterly to himself. At his age, he actually had the opportunity to rely on his children for academic success. This was what his friends joked about, since everyone else's children were the ones relying on their parents for academic success, but he was the only one who had the opportunity to do so.

“I’ll give it a try too,” Lin Taihang said.

Gao Shan laughed and said, "That's right."

He's certainly not as selfless as he seems. Would you really publish a paper without crediting him? Even if he can't be listed as the first author, for an academic bureaucrat like Gao Shan, just being credited would be very beneficial in securing certain titles.

The greatest advantage of being an academic bureaucrat is that you can advance as a bureaucrat or retreat to academia.

If this is the case for Gaoshan, then it goes without saying that it is for the leaders of local universities in Shanghai.

Jin Li, the president of Fudan University, had been pestering Lin Zhongqing since he was in Yenching University, asking him to collaborate with Jiaotong University on joint research and development of lunar soil and lunar water ice.

You claim that all the universities in Shanghai and Beijing are one family, but if your family secretly upgrades, you definitely won't be able to compete with Yanda and Tsinghua University. Only if we upgrade together can we compete with the top two universities. Don't be content with just being in the top three!

In short, while people were still on the moon, people on Earth were already fighting fiercely over the distribution of benefits.

Over the next three days, the lunar module glided through the depths of space, and Earth gradually transformed from a small blue dot into a dazzling blue planet in the porthole, becoming increasingly prominent.

Inside the cabin, the weightless environment allowed Wei Xuhang and Li Cong to float beside their seats, checking instruments and organizing data.

The water ice samples in the sample box were carefully stored in a low-temperature, sealed container.

What I fear most is that the virus will be brought back.

The virus is raging across the Earth. If it were to bring back a cosmic virus, the Earth would be in an even worse situation.

Data from seismographs and radiation detectors are continuously transmitted to Earth via a communication system.

On the first day, Li Cong floated to the porthole and gazed at the Earth.

"Although I can see the Earth every day, I still find it incredible every time I look at it."

All of human history is contained within that little blue dot; no wonder humanity seems so insignificant in the grand scheme of the universe, and earthly conflicts seem meaningless.

Wei Xuhang floated over: "Of course, what we at Apollo Technology have always wanted to do is not just to land on the moon."

What we need to do is find a new future for humanity; the moon is just the first step.

He held a tablet computer in his hand, which displayed a preliminary analysis of water ice samples. "These ice samples can be broken down into oxygen and fuel, with very few impurities. The specific trace elements will have to be analyzed when we get back to Earth."

If there were no nuclear radiation, we would have solved the problem of drinking water on the moon.

The next day, they took turns resting and monitoring the lunar module's life support system.

The oxygen, food, and waste management systems were operating smoothly. The cramped cabin made the two feel a little oppressed, but the thought of returning soon made it all worthwhile.

On the third day, the Earth occupied most of the view from the porthole, with the blue ocean and white clouds clearly visible.

“Finally going home, what a wonderful journey,” Li Cong exclaimed. “Now I finally understand why Aldrin was so obsessed with the moon. If I could only go to the moon once in my life, I think I would regret it for the rest of my life.”

Wei Xuhang said, "Don't worry, Li Cong, you'll definitely be able to go again."

Building a base on the moon would require human astronauts to travel there.

Li Cong recalled that among the predecessors who carried out space missions in the past, very few were able to carry out multiple space missions; they were an absolute minority in the ranks of Chinese astronauts.

"I hope it's as you say." Li Cong secretly resolved to find an opportunity to have a good talk with the executives of Apollo Technology later.

The two began preparing for re-entry, checking the heat protection system and parachute setup.

The lunar lander's thermal protection layer is made of composite ceramic material, which can withstand the high temperatures of thousands of degrees generated during high-speed reentry from the moon.

"Wenchang Mission Control Center, the lunar module is approaching the reentry point and is requesting final instructions," Wei Xuhang said.

"Lunar module, instructions as follows: direct reentry, target Pacific Ocean, thermal protection system verified, parachutes and retro-rockets ready."

"We wish you a safe return!" the Wenchang Control Center replied.

Wei Xuhang adjusted the lunar module's attitude, with the thermal protection layer facing the Earth's atmosphere.

The two fastened their seatbelts, put on their compression suits, and prepared to face the intense impact of re-entry.

Li Cong gripped the armrest tightly and laughed, "This part is always the most exciting."

As the lunar module entered the atmosphere, the module began to vibrate violently, its outer shell heated by friction, and a blazing orange-red flame appeared outside the porthole.

The high temperature caused the cabin temperature to rise slightly, and the life support system operated at full capacity to maintain the oxygen supply.

Wei Xuhang stared at the instrument panel, monitoring speed and altitude: "Speed ​​22,000 km/h...Altitude 120 km..."

Li Cong closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and tried to calm his heartbeat.

The vibration gradually weakened, and the speed decreased to subsonic.

The parachute deployed automatically, and the lunar module jolted violently, slowing its descent.

Outside the porthole, the blue ocean gradually came into view, and it was yet another kind of blue.

"Parachute normal, retrorockets ready," Wei Xuhang reported, gripping the control lever tightly with both hands.

In the final seconds, the retrorockets ignited to mitigate the impact.

The lunar module crashed into the Pacific Ocean.

"Mission Control Center, the lunar module has landed," Wei Xuhang said, feeling that he was already familiar with the process. "We're back."

A cheer erupted in the control center: "Welcome home! The recovery team is on its way."

Huawei's autumn product launch event is usually held in September, which is also their most important product launch event of the year, where they will release their Mate series, one of Huawei's flagship mobile phone models.

Of course, this year's launch event was much quieter than in previous years because the Mate 50 series to be released this year will be equipped with Qualcomm chips, rather than Huawei's self-developed HiSilicon Kirin chips.

This left consumers and social media bloggers who were following the press conference and Huawei somewhat disappointed.

I was hoping for a surprise, since the date was postponed from September to mid-October.

The result is the same as what the digital media bloggers were saying about Qualcomm.

As the Mate 50 series presentation drew to a close, Yu Chengdong's voice rose, and the atmosphere of the entire event became equally rousing.
"I have some good news to share with you all: our new Mate series will not only feature satellite communication capabilities, but also satellite internet access."

Over the next three years, we will collaborate with Apollo Technology and Shenhai's Yuanxin Satellite Technology to jointly build the Qianfan constellation. Satellite internet access will be available by the middle of next year, and the service will be gradually improved over the next three years!

　I'm asking for monthly votes, there are still some tonight. I'm almost back to the 60s; according to plan, I'll finish writing the 2022 chapters and then go back to the 60s.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)