Annihilation of the solar system

On the other end of the phone, Shen Manling's voice became serious:

"Okay, tell me!"

Xia Lan wiped away a trace of tears of joy from the corner of her eyes with her fingers:

"Just now, we discovered a celestial body suspected to be 'Oumuamua at a position calculated based on Chaowen. However, the position deviated from the theoretical orbit data by 1.5 astronomical units, the speed increased to 60km/s, and the rotation stopped. ..."

"Are you saying that under the guidance of Chaowen's orbit calculation data, you discovered that Oumuamua's orbit has deviated by more than 200 million kilometers! And it has stopped rotating?" Shen Manling's tone was full of surprise, interrupting Xia Lan.

"Yes, teacher. But the comet is too far away from us. The imaging quality of the telescope cannot completely confirm that it is 'Oumuamua. We need a space telescope to confirm. But what I don't understand is..."

Xia Lan suddenly stopped at the end.

Shen Manling was silent for a few seconds, and her tone became heavy:

"I don't understand why Liu Chaowen can be like a prophet in a fairy tale, predicting a future that is impossible for ordinary people to know? Then he directly tells you the results but can't tell you the reason why he knows it, right?"

"Yes, teacher." Xia Lan was a little surprised that the teacher directly expressed her doubts.

Shen Manling sighed softly and said:

"Hey... In the past five years, your teacher Zhou and I have seen too many 'feats' about Chaowen, and we are also very troubled. This matter is a long story, and I will talk to you slowly when I have the opportunity. In short, there is no wrong precedent for Liu Chaowen's wild speculations."

Xia Lan was shocked. She originally thought that this shy junior fellow student was just a super academic. It seemed that she was about to refresh her understanding:

"what do you mean........."

Shen Manling interrupted Xia Lan:

"You are my best student, and the teacher is extremely proud of you. I believe in your own judgment in this matter. If you also think it is necessary to confirm your observation, then I will do my best tomorrow." We will try our best to solve the problems of space telescopes."

A warm current arose in Xia Lan's heart. Shen Manling paused for a moment, and her tone suddenly became urgent:

"Now the comet is very far away from the earth and close to the asteroid belt. The farther back, the smaller the observation window. So this matter must be completed as soon as possible. We all have to think of some unconventional methods to strive to use the space as soon as possible. telescope."

Shen Manling's last words were already spoken in a very tactful tone. Xia Lan understood that the instructor meant that she should go find her father Xia Jigang. She also understood that the use of the space telescope had to be handled in a special way, probably. There was no other way. But when she thought of her father who was in a high position, she couldn't help but feel a trace of anger in her heart. She adjusted her emotions:

"Okay, Teacher Shen. I will also try my best to gain space to see further."

Shen Manling's voice returned to its usual gentleness and grace:

"Then let's do it. It's getting late today, so you should go to bed early. The National Academy of Sciences will officially notify you tomorrow morning of returning to Beijing for a meeting. Let's talk about other things when we come back."

"Okay teacher, please go to bed early and we'll see you tomorrow." After hanging up the phone, Xia Lan did not return to the observation room immediately. She stood on the edge of the observatory's open space, holding the railing with both hands and looking up at the starry night sky.

Too many incredible things happened today, including the discovery of extraterrestrial life on Venus, the strange orbit of Oumuamua, and Liu Chaowen's almost god-like prophecy. All these were intertwined in his mind as a scientist in one day, which had already exceeded her rational thinking.

limit.

She looked down at the dense vegetation that stretched darkly along the mountain into the distance. She could vaguely see lights flickering in the distance. She couldn't tell which lights were the lights of a small village or something else. She had no way of knowing which lights.

What kind of people are doing what kind of things next to them. At this distance, they are insignificant to me.

So small that it cannot have any impact on itself at this moment. Perhaps on the scale of the universe, the insignificance of human beings is as incomprehensible as the vastness of the universe. Human thinking and so-called science may not even be considered small. What they are doing now

This may be as foolish to future generations as Ptolemy's geocentric work done more than a thousand years ago.

Xia Lan's thinking gradually went into a whirlpool and she couldn't extricate herself. She fell into problems that were beyond the scope of science and philosophy. At this time, the words he regarded as his motto brought her back to reality:

"At any time, never forget to look up at the stars."

Looking up again at the splendid galaxy that was both familiar and unfamiliar to her, she suddenly understood. Without the so-called foolish efforts of the predecessors for more than a thousand years, perhaps there would never have been the splendid civilization of mankind today.

Perhaps what supported the predecessors was the persistence of looking up at the stars. Xia Lan took a deep breath of the mountain air mixed with the fragrance of grass and earth, sorted out her emotions and returned to the observation room.

"What's wrong, is there something wrong with Teacher Shen calling so late?" Lin Tianyu asked with concern.

Xia Lan suppressed the turmoil in her heart and returned to her desk with a calm face. She packed up the information:

"It's nothing. There was a project that was recently developed. Only I know the clues to a lot of the information. Teacher Shen asked me to go back and help her with it for a few days. I just happened to go back and think of ways to get the use of the space telescope as soon as possible."

Liu Chaowen was a little touched by Xia Lan's trust and was about to say something. Lin Tianyu spoke first, still in the same concerned tone:

"The space telescope is not easy, just do your best. You have a lot to do when you go back this time, so don't make yourself too exhausted."

Xia Lan did not respond to Lin Tianyu's attentive concern, did not even look at him, and continued to sort out the information on the table.

Wei Xu, on the other hand, slowly took out a huge ashtray from the drawer and placed it on the table. After a while, the students left, and he could unscrupulously turn the place into a smoky wonderland. He took it from the cigarette case

He took out a cigarette and held it in his mouth without lighting it. Then he said calmly:

"Isn't there some good news coming from Venus?"

Wei Xu's unhurried words cheered up Xia Lan's heart. Her already fluctuating mood was almost broken by the ripples caused by these words. Xia Lan carefully took deep breaths to control her emotions.

Without saying anything, Lin Tianyu suddenly realized:

"Yes, yes, I remember the Venus life detection project you led two years ago. It seems to be in the implementation stage now."

Wei Xu took the cigarette from his mouth, shook it on the cigarette case, and put it back in his mouth:

"The Changwu Shenjian was launched with Venus 2 in half a month. Although there is no follow-up news, I estimate that it should have entered orbit in the past few days."

Xia Lan felt an inexplicable emotion in her heart. This man, who was slightly chubby and didn't like to trim his appearance, and who usually looked careless, was actually as delicate as silk in his heart.

As a fellow student in astrophysics, Xia Lan knew very well that orbit calculation was not as simple as Wei Xu said with a smile. If it were not for the tedious calculation of orbit parameters, Wei Xu would not have known that the detector had entered orbit in recent days.

of.

Wei Xu and Lin Tianyu did participate in the early stage of this project, but they only did some very rough work to pave the way for the pre-research stage before moving on to other projects.

Unexpectedly, Wei Xu had been secretly paying attention to this gold prospecting plan for which she had made great efforts. Thinking of this, a warmth arose in her heart.

Xia Lan calmly organized the information on the table, walked up to Wei Xu and took away the cigarette he had in his mouth with a wave of his hand, and then slowly put the cigarette back into the cigarette case. This move made Wei Xu himself

Lin Tian and Lin Tian next to him were both surprised.

She put the cigarette case back on the table and said in a half-joking, half-command tone:

"Smoking less, remember to empty your ashtray and turn on the ventilation fan after your shift."

Wei Xu made an exaggerated expression:

"Okay! My distinguished team leader, I wish you a safe journey tomorrow! Come back later! Once you leave tomorrow, no one will be able to take care of me as the deputy team leader! Ha! Ha! Ha!"

A burst of cheerful laughter came from the observation room.

Shen Manling just put down the phone, and her husband Zhou Cheng happily ran down the stairs with a painting in his hand and handed it to his wife. The painting was a pencil sketch of life forms in the upper atmosphere of Venus. The painting style was very rough.

The content is a piece of wild imagination.

Zhou Cheng was very excited:

"How about it, Manling. Is it possible that Venusian creatures look like this?"

Shen Manling looked at the painting with a bit of ridicule in her tone:

"I said, Lao Zhou, when did you start caring about our fringe projects like the detection of extraterrestrial life? When we launched this project two years ago, you scoffed at us. You said that basic science is the core of promoting civilization.

Motivation, things like the detection of extraterrestrial life that we engage in are just gimmicks that eat into the fiscal budget."

Zhou Cheng looked embarrassed:

"That's because I'm ignorant. Madam, you have a high position, don't be as knowledgeable as me!"

Shen Manling looked at the painting and continued:

"Besides, what we found this time is more indirect evidence. I heard from the space center's old man Qian that the video data is also very vague and difficult to confirm. In short, I will know after the meeting tomorrow."

Speaking of this, Shen Manling's originally soft eyes also flashed with excitement. Zhou Cheng looked at his rough painting in his wife's hand and sighed:

"I really didn't expect that the extraterrestrial life that humans are searching for is very likely to be on the planet closest to us, and it still exists in the form that we are familiar with.

On this planet with a surface temperature of more than 400 degrees and an atmosphere full of carbon dioxide, there is actually life. If a mathematical model is established according to these conditions and probability to conduct investigations in the solar system, then our solar system will be full of flowers of life. This

It really subverts many of our old scientific views.”

Shen Manling put down the painting in her hand and said meaningfully to Zhou Cheng:

"When you mention this, I just have something to tell you. This time Liu Chaowen goes to the National Observatory and may create another miracle."

The excited look on Zhou Cheng's face was gradually replaced by seriousness:

"Has Chaowen made any illogical discoveries?"

Shen Manling nodded, and then told Zhou Cheng from beginning to end about the discovery of Oumuamua's orbit change. After listening, Zhou Cheng leaned on the back of the sofa, clasped his head on the back of his head and closed his eyes deeply. He took a breath and then slowly exhaled it and said:

"Does it feel like he went to the observatory on purpose just because he discovered the orbital anomaly in Oumuamua?"

Shen Manling nodded slowly:

"It feels like what you said, but it doesn't make sense at all?"

Zhou Cheng shook his head:

"No, it's just that our logical explanation doesn't make sense now. After going through so much, I believe there must be a reason behind all this that we can understand, but we don't know it yet."

Shen Manying's expression gradually became solemn, and she turned to look at her husband Zhou Cheng, whose eyes were still closed:

"I remembered what Cao Rui said when we were eating that day. If there is a reason, there must be a purpose. What is the reason behind Chaowen doing so many unimaginable things? What is its ultimate purpose? Although everything it has done now They are really accelerating the progress of human civilization, but... I'm worried..."

Zhou Cheng opened his tightly closed eyes, looked ahead without focus and said:

"What you are worried about is that nature can now be said to be the lowest and most basic law of survival in the universe - the law of the jungle!"

Shen Manling nodded and said nothing. Zhou Cheng frowned and said again:

"The law of the jungle tells us that there is no such thing as good and evil, only the simplest survival of the fittest. Survival is the purpose of all living things."

Both husband and wife fell into deep thinking and did not speak...