Technology invades the modern world

Chapter 309 The situation is becoming increasingly bizarre.
"Instead of studying computers, we should study how to replicate professors."

"That's what the young engineer who enjoys reading Silicon Valley tech magazines said."

This suggestion was unexpected by George Green. "Let's just pray that day never comes. I simply can't imagine what the point of ordinary people would be if the professor could replicate it."

Back then, professors probably filled every profession.

Meanwhile, Dr. Foster's orbital calculation team had become accustomed to the professor's operations.

Even after the professor provided the results, they still had to continue their work.

Whether it's to prove the team's necessity or to further validate the performance of the System 360 cluster, this matter needs to be pushed forward.

Foster and his team calmly verified the data repeatedly, combining it with SPADATS radar data, and gradually narrowed down the prediction range.

The following evening, Foster convened his team to present the final results.

An arc-shaped trajectory was drawn on the blackboard, covering the area from 50° to 65° north latitude.

Foster said, "Our best prediction is that the satellite will re-enter the atmosphere on June 23-24, with the impact area extending from the western Pacific coast to the northwestern part of Canada, most likely near Great Slave Lake, with a margin of error of about 1000 kilometers."

Among the engineers present was one of Canadian descent. He recalled the location of Great Slave Lake and became quite distressed.

"If it does end up crashing into Great Slave Lake, that would be terrible news."

This is the second largest lake in Canada and the deepest lake in North America. It has both ecological and economic value and abundant fishery resources.

Foster sighed: "Yes, according to the Soviet Union, it contains 50 kilograms of highly enriched uranium, which is no small amount."

If the nuclear reactor is not completely burned up, radioactive debris could cause a catastrophe.

Foster sighed and rubbed his temples.

The Canadian engineer, of Maple Leaf descent, said, "We need to hold a press conference as soon as possible to announce our calculations so that residents in this area can evacuate within those two days."

George Green cautioned, "Shouldn't we look at the professor's answer before we do that?"

Foster suddenly realized what was going on. He opened the envelope and found a map of Canada inside. A line was drawn with Great Slave Lake as the starting point and Baker Lake as the ending point, and a circle-like pattern was drawn with this 600-kilometer line segment as its diameter. The accompanying text read:
"The fragments will fall along this line and spread throughout the entire territory of Maple Leaf Country."

After cross-validation of the results from both sides, Lin Ran's calculation results became even more specific.

Ultimately, NASA adopted Lin Ran's findings as the final report and submitted it to Lyndon Johnson.

The report includes a trajectory projection map, possible impact areas centered on Great Slave Lake and Baker Lake, and the potential risks from nuclear reactors: if debris is scattered, radiation levels could reach as high as 1.1 sieverts per hour, enough to threaten lives.

Lyndon Johnson took a deep breath upon seeing the result, because the outcome was serious enough, and he was worried that meeting with Kosygin again at the end of June under such circumstances would be seen as not being tough enough.

"Christian, the press conference will be held by the professor, who will host it in Huntsville and provide a detailed explanation."

He should explain the situation to the public, but care should be taken to avoid causing panic.

I need to think about it some more.

Think about it carefully. What are you thinking about? Do you want to meet with Kosygin?

He was considering whether this matter would affect his election campaign.

This is something Lyndon Johnson needs to think about.

The press conference room at Huntsville's Redstone base is completely different from that of the White House.

White House press conferences vary in scale; a small one is held in a tiny office with only a few reporters and the White House press secretary.

If it's a large-scale event, it will be held in the East Hall, which is more formal.

If the goal is to create a relaxed and celebratory atmosphere for the victory, then the event would be held in the outdoor rose garden.

The press conference room in Huntsville was more of a makeshift shed made of steel and plastic tarpaulin than a proper hall.

If the wind picks up a bit, the dust can be blown into the shed, giving everyone a taste of Alabama.

But this did not dampen the reporters' enthusiasm in the slightest.

A huge world map and an enlarged orbital diagram were hanging on the blackboard, marking the predicted impact area of ​​Cosmos 250.

Lin Ran stood in front of the podium, with flashbulbs going off non-stop below the stage.

Lin Ran said, "Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for attending."

The Soviet Union has informed us that its Cosmos 250 nuclear-powered satellite has malfunctioned and is expected to re-enter the Earth's atmosphere between June 23 and 24.

NASA has used data provided by the Soviet Union and our tracking system to predict its crash site.

He pointed to the map, where the red area covered northern North America.

Lin Ran continued, "Our calculations indicate that the satellite may have crashed between the Pacific Ocean and the Northwest Territories of Canada, with the most likely area being near Great Slave Lake."

Because the satellite carries the BES-5 nuclear reactor containing 50 kilograms of highly enriched uranium, we must take the potential radioactive risks seriously.

Cosmos 250 has an orbital inclination of 65° and its current perigee has dropped to 180 kilometers.

Atmospheric drag is accelerating its decay. Using the Jacchia model and SPADATS data, we predict reentry will occur between June 23rd and June 24th, over a wide area. The White House is working with the Canadian government to prepare contingency plans to deal with this unexpected event.

Reporters raised their hands one after another, and questions flooded in like a tidal wave.

The Washington Post reporter asked the first question.

"Professor, how dangerous would a nuclear reactor crash be? Should the public be worried?"

"Rationally speaking, I believe that the Soviet Union would have fully considered the reactor design requirements to withstand the high temperatures of reentry when launching nuclear-powered satellites."

However, given the rather limited design capabilities demonstrated by the Soviet Union in the past, for safety reasons, we have notified the Canadian authorities and prepared a search and cleanup plan.

The public need not panic; we will remain transparent throughout the entire process.

A Wall Street Journal reporter pressed further: "Professor, you warned the Soviet Union at the beginning of the year, yet they still chose to continue launching nuclear-powered satellites. Is the data provided by the Soviet Union reliable this time? Why were they unwilling to take precautions in advance?"

Lin Ran replied, "The data provided by the Soviet Union is consistent with the data we observed with SPADATS, which shows that they have demonstrated a certain degree of transparency."

At the same time, we requested complete data from the Soviet Union, which we will use to verify each other and ensure the data is accurate.

Unless all the data from the Soviet Union was fabricated, we would definitely be able to detect the anomalies.

Therefore, the predictions made by NASA are accurate.

As for why the Soviet Union didn't believe my technological predictions, I think it's probably because they were more confident in themselves than in me.

After all, I don't work in Moscow, do I?

The reporters present burst into laughter.

Aside from American journalists, the majority of those seated in the audience were Canadian journalists.

A reporter from Canada couldn't help but stand up, his voice filled with concern: "Professor, if the debris falls in Canada, what impact will it have on the environment and the residents?"

"It will have a serious impact, endangering the lifespan of people throughout the region and affecting their health."

I can't give you specific details about the impact right now because we don't know the radiation levels after the debris fell, but we are working with the Canadian Nuclear Control Commission to develop contingency plans.

If contamination occurs, we will work with the Canadian government to immediately isolate the area and clean up the debris.

President Johnson and I spoke, and we pledged our full support for our allies.

"Professor, I would like to ask, will the crash of the Soviet/Russian satellite also raise questions about the Star Wars program? What are your thoughts on this?" Jenny, who had come all the way from Washington, asked on behalf of the New York Times.

"First of all, our Star Wars program satellites are divided into low-Earth orbit satellites and medium-Earth orbit satellites. The former are not nuclear-powered satellites. Once they crash, they will be automatically disintegrated to ensure that they disintegrate before landing and do not affect the ground."

The latter is a nuclear-powered satellite, and we will also have sufficient safety measures in place to ensure that it does not cause environmental pollution after landing.

NASA will maintain a responsible attitude and ensure the safety and reliability of the Star Wars program.

"Professor, I would like to ask, can you guarantee that there will be no problems?" The reporter from The Times was still uneasy.

Lin Ran nodded: "I guarantee that a situation like that in Soviet Russia will not occur."

The press conference sparked heated discussions among the media.

Major newspapers such as The New York Times, Time magazine, and The Times published maps marking the crash site.

People around the map began to worry. Residents of Yellowknife, the land of Maple Leaf, gathered at the community center to discuss how to deal with the possible radiation risks and to take a long trip to avoid the risk at the time the newspaper predicted the fall would take place.

Finally, on the morning of June 24, 1967, the sky over Great Slave Lake in the northwestern region of Canada was ripped apart by a blazing fire.

The nuclear-powered satellite Cosmos 250 disintegrated upon re-entry into the atmosphere, scattering radioactive debris across the entire wilderness.

This accident not only had a profound impact on the environment and residents' health, but also ignited the powder keg of international politics at the height of the Cold War.

The public panic, media frenzy, and intense international debate have combined to bring this nuclear-powered satellite crash to the forefront of global attention.

When it crashed, the reactor failed to burn up completely, and debris was scattered in the soil, vegetation, and water near Great Slave Lake.

According to the latest news from NBC, preliminary tests by the Atomic Energy Control Commission of the United States show that radiation levels in some areas are as high as 1.1 sieverts per hour, far exceeding safety standards.

Trace amounts of radioactive material were detected in water samples from Da Nu Lake, which may have entered the food chain through fish and aquatic plants.

Scientists worry that summer rainfall could wash radioactive particles into wider waterways, threatening ecosystems.

"CBS reporters are continuously covering the crash of the Soviet/Russian nuclear-powered satellite. The joint US-Canada Operation Morning Light is underway. According to the White House press secretary, the operation has so far recovered only about 0.1% of the nuclear fuel, 50 grams, and most of the debris has not yet been found."

Experts speculate that the reactor core may have been dispersed into tiny particles smaller than 1 millimeter, making it difficult to clean completely.

The Canadian government announced the establishment of a long-term monitoring station to regularly test soil and water quality, but ecological restoration is expected to take decades.

According to the latest news from Canadian journalists, hunters in the Inuit community near Yellowknife have reported abnormal behavior in deer and fish, raising concerns about long-term impacts on the food chain.

Canada's Minister for Resources, James Fulton, stated in Ottawa: "We are facing an unprecedented environmental crisis, and we must take decisive action to protect our land."

“In Yellowknife, community leader Joseph Nunak organized hundreds of residents to protest in front of the city hall, holding signs that read ‘Protect our homeland’ and ‘The Soviet Union must be held responsible.’”

Nunaq passionately declared at the rally: "Our ancestors have lived on this land for thousands of years, and now we are threatened by foreign nuclear waste! We demand the truth and compensation!"
The protests attracted national and American media attention, with CBC broadcasting the residents' anger and unease live.

This incident has sparked heated debate across the United States. According to a poll conducted by The New York Times on the 26th, 60 percent of the public disapproved of the meeting between the president and Soviet official Kosygin.

In the Oval Office of the White House, Lyndon Johnson and McNamara sat facing each other on either side of the desk, each holding a cigar. The smoke they exhaled from time to time made the whole scene seem less like a still painting.

"McNamara, a New York Times poll actually shows that 40% of the public think I should meet with Kosygin?"

Johnson and Kosygin were originally scheduled to meet on June 28, but this was postponed due to the crash of a Soviet nuclear-powered satellite.

“Yes, this shows that the people are tired of the war.” McNamara’s tone was calm, showing no sign of frustration at the setbacks in the war.

“Mike! I need a definite answer from you: can we win this damn war?” Johnson stood up, leaning forward, almost shoving a cigar into McNamara’s nostrils.

In early February 1967, Kosygin visited London to discuss key issues between England and Soviet Russia.

But the purpose of this trip was not limited to that. Hanoi had secretly requested that Soviet Russia use Prime Minister Harold Wilson to put pressure on Washington.

Harold was one of the few European leaders who supported the Vietnam War.

Hanoi and Moscow hope that the Vietnam War can eventually be resolved peacefully.

Johnson's side also hoped to use Kosygin to mediate on the Vietnam War issue.

Both sides are seeking a mediator to find a solution.

It's like a certain war; everyone actually wants to talk, but on the surface, they all have to pretend that they don't want to talk and that they're not in a hurry.

Among these proposals, America's ambassador to Moscow handed over a secret letter from Johnson to Ho Chi Minh to the Soviet Union. In the letter, he put forward a new suggestion: America should stop bombing North Vietnam and assembling troops in exchange for South Vietnam's guarantee that it would no longer send troops to the front line.

This suggestion was forwarded to Hanoi, but Washington received no response.

(The above content is from "Trust - Dobrynin's Memoirs 1962-1986")
The escalating Vietnam War led to increasingly fierce international criticism of America, and the American Congress also questioned Lyndon Johnson's power to send troops without restriction.

This led to Kosygin's trip to Gettysburg.

The recent nuclear-powered satellite crash led to a shift in public opinion, with the Soviet Union once again being seen as the biggest threat, giving Lyndon Johnson room to maneuver.

But the prerequisite is that you can win.

Only by winning can we have a future; if we can't win, the pressure that we finally managed to catch our breath will come rushing back like a tidal wave.

McNamara replied without hesitation, "Of course, of course we can win. My command is flawless. We achieved a great victory in Operation Cedar Falls at the beginning of the year, didn't we?"

Lyndon Johnson was speechless, because the Iron Triangle region captured by Operation Cedar Falls had now been retaken by the enemy.

This operation was a tactical victory but a strategic failure.

McNamara continued, “Mr. President, I think you can ask the professor for his opinion on this matter.”

To be precise, I think you should ask your professor for their opinion on everything.

Lyndon Johnson wanted to curse, but he held back. He walked to the phone, picked it up, and dialed the Redstone base in Huntsville.

Five minutes later, the communications officer located Lin Ran, and Lin Ran's voice came from the other end of the phone: "Mr. President, how can I help you?"

After Lyndon Johnson explained the situation, Lin Ran replied, "I don't think you'll get anywhere by meeting with Kosygin."

Why not consider talking to China?

In North Vietnam, perhaps Chinese mediation would be more effective.

Lyndon Johnson looked thoughtful. "You mean I should expedite China's entry into the GATT in exchange for their help in mediating between North Vietnam?"

(End of this chapter)