Bringing the Railway to Daming

Chapter 179: Computers Originated from China? Voyage Exploration Training Camp [Subscription Request]

"The Wandering Earth 2" is nearly three hours long!

Furthermore, the film is composed of three plot lines, and the characters are also divided into three groups: quantum computer scientists Ma Zhao and Tu Hengyu; astronauts Liu Peiqiang, Han Duoduo, Zhang Peng, etc.; and Chinese senior officials Zhou Zhezhi and Hao Xiaoxi.

The plot is very compact, exciting and full of climaxes.

So, when the Zhu family watched the entire movie with their eyes wide open, their eyes were sore, but they still stared at the credits at the end of the film, unwilling to look away.

Then it was Zhu Ying who spoke first.

"Is this 'The Wandering Earth'? It's so good, so shocking—blowing up the moon and letting the Earth escape the solar system, incredible! Incredible!"

It turned out that since Zhu Ying came to the capital and was retrained in the main hall, every time his "classmates" discussed the movies they had seen from Liu Kuan, they would mention "The Wandering Earth" and agreed that it was the best movie.

Zhu Ying had never seen it, so he naturally disagreed with other people's "exaggerated" descriptions and praises.

Now that I have watched "The Wandering Earth 2", I feel that Zhu Tan and others' previous description of this series of films was still conservative - the various things shown in this movie would probably shock him for ten lifetimes.

Zhu Ying's words brought everyone back to their senses, and many people couldn't help but talk about the content of the movie.

"The Wandering Earth 2 is really good!"

“It’s beautiful, but there are some parts that I don’t understand.”

"I don't think it's as good as the first one - some parts are incomprehensible, but it's not as shocking as the first one."

"···"

While Old Zhu was still thinking about something, Zhu Biao couldn't help but ask Liu Kuan for advice.

"Brother-in-law, didn't Natu Hengyu drown in the movie? Why did he appear in his daughter's room at the end, and even look younger?"

Liu Kuan smiled and asked, "Your Highness, can you tell whether Tu Yaya is dead or alive in the video?"

Zhu Biao's comprehension was quite good, and he understood this part of the plot. He said, "Tu Hengyu was in a car accident. His wife died on the spot, and his daughter Tu Yaya was on the verge of death. He was conducting research on digital life at the time, so before Tu Yaya died, he transformed her into a digital life?"

Zhu Biao's tone was not very confident.

After all, the plot of this movie was too challenging for people at that time to imagine, and many of the nouns and concepts in the movie also needed to be figured out, unlike people in later generations who could understand them just by listening.

Liu Kuan nodded and said, "Your Highness the Crown Prince is correct in understanding—since Tu Yaya is a digital life, then Tu Hengyu, who last appeared in her room, is naturally also a digital life."

"How did Tu Hengyu become a digital life?" Zhu Biao was still puzzled.

"There's a detail early in the movie where Ma Zhao gives Tu Hengyu his personal information storage device when the Digital Life Project Institute shuts down. This foreshadows that Tu Hengyu will use this information to create a backup of himself as a digital life form."

"So that's it..." Zhu Biao seemed to understand, but he still frowned as he tried to figure out the reason.

At this time, Zhu Yuanzhang said, "What is this digital life? Since it hasn't been realized in the future, why are we trying to figure it out now? It's just a waste of brainpower and useless."

"But this computer is truly amazing—Liu Kuan, when were computers invented in later generations? How long would it take for the Ming Dynasty to develop a computer?"

Liu Kuan said, "Your Majesty, the history of computers in the narrow sense of the word only dates back a hundred years before I came to the Ming Dynasty. The laptop, tablet, and mobile phone I brought with me are all considered computer products in the narrow sense."

"But if we talk about the origins of the concept of computers, we can trace them back to knotted cords. The principles embodied in counting rods and abacus at this time can be considered the enlightenment for later computer development."

"However, the machine that was most similar to the operating principle of later computers at that time was the jacquard loom."

Zhu Yuanzhang was a little confused and said, "You said that later computer ideas originated from counting rods and abacus. I can understand that. After all, they are all used for calculations."

"But a jacquard loom is used to weave cloth. How can it be connected to a computer?"

Liu Kuan happened to read this kind of popular science article in later life and was deeply impressed, so he explained it to Lao Zhu.

"The function of a computer is not only to calculate, but also to translate and store information. If Your Majesty understood the working principle of the jacquard loom, you would know that the jacquard loom can display the pattern on the cloth by raising the warp and weft."

"The pattern book undoubtedly plays the role of storing information, while the jacquard machine has the ability to translate it."

"In fact, the earliest computer models invented by Westerners were inspired not only by the abacus but also by the jacquard machine."

"After acquiring the Chinese jacquard machine, they first further developed the perforated jacquard machine, which increased the jacquard machine's efficiency by dozens of times. At the same time, it also made the jacquard machine's role in translating and storing information more obvious."

"Later, some Western scientists developed early mechanical computers based on the working principles of the abacus and jacquard loom."

After listening to Liu Kuan's explanation, Zhu Yuanzhang began to think.

At this time, Zhu Xiongying asked, "Teacher, how come the West learns everything from us and then uses it to develop even more advanced technologies and inventions?"

"Papermaking, gunpowder, and the compass all originated in China; but according to the teacher, in later history, it was the West that developed more advanced firearms, pioneered the great voyages of discovery, and developed superior navigation technology." "The abacus and jacquard loom also originated in China, yet they were adapted and improved upon by Westerners, resulting in something as powerful as the computer... It's truly incomprehensible."

Liu Kuan laughed and said, "I've explained this to His Majesty, but not to you. It's normal that you don't understand."

This was actually a question asking Lao Zhu whether he should explain the matter.

Old Zhu heard it and said, "Tell the children again."

"Yes." Liu Kuan nodded in agreement, then continued, "Confucianism has always been a prominent school of thought in all dynasties of China, especially after the introduction of the imperial examination system in the Sui and Tang dynasties. Generations of talented people have devoted almost all their wisdom, energy, and time to Confucianism."

"Science didn't even exist, and the various crafts related to technology were considered lowly and not valued. With few talented people involved, development was naturally slow, and once they hit a bottleneck, it was difficult to break through."

"As for Confucianism, it pursues self-cultivation and assisting the emperor in governing the country and bringing peace to the world. It has nothing to do with science and technology."

"As early as the heyday of the Roman Empire, which was during the Han and Tang dynasties, Western civilization already contained a certain scientific approach in its cultural thought."

"So later, after the decline of theocracy, the Renaissance, coupled with the profits brought by the Age of Discovery, led to the path of science."

"They chose this path and, through the Maritime and Land Silk Roads, acquired various Chinese inventions and technologies, and naturally were able to quickly improve them and make them even more powerful."

Zhu Xiongying nodded thoughtfully, then raised his head and asked, "Is it wrong that Confucianism has been the preeminent doctrine throughout the dynasties?"

Liu Kuan paused for a moment, glanced at Old Zhu, and then said, "I can't say it's completely wrong, but I do think we shouldn't ignore the importance of science and technology. If Confucianism strengthens one's inner soul, then science and technology can also strengthen one's outer self."

"Therefore, it is best to attach importance to both and develop both. Only then can a country and civilization move forward steadily and in the long run."

Zhu Xiongying nodded in understanding, "I understand... No wonder Grandpa Emperor added mathematics and science to our curriculum, but still made us study Confucian classics."

Zhu Yuanzhang happily patted Zhu Xiongying's head and said with a smile, "Xiongying is indeed our good grandson. He is really smart!"

Then he said to Liu Kuan, "Since the inspiration for the development of mechanical computers by Westerners in later generations came from the abacus and the jacquard loom, then we in the Ming Dynasty can also research mechanical computers now, right?"

Liu Kuan was slightly surprised that Zhu Yuanzhang actually wanted to develop a computer.

Then he said, "Actually, mechanical computers are of little use to the Ming Dynasty today. However, if the Ming Dynasty researches computers, it will indeed allow real computers to be born sooner."

"There's no need to rush this matter. When the Ming Dynasty has more talented people in mathematics and mechanics, we can gather a group of talented people and develop a mechanical computer based on the principles of the abacus and jacquard loom."

Zhu Yuanzhang nodded in satisfaction, "As long as it can be developed, it doesn't matter if it's done later."

Then Lao Zhu and Zhu Biao took Liu Kuan aside to talk about some other issues related to the content of "The Wandering Earth 2".

It was not until they heard the person announcing the time outside the hall shouting, "The Shen hour has passed, the sun has set, and it is the first quarter of the You hour" that everyone realized that the sun had set.

Old Zhu then let Liu Kuan and Zhu Huilan return home.

···
···
The sixteenth year of Hongwu.

As soon as the fifteenth day of the first lunar month passed, many government offices of the Ming Dynasty became busy with the important task of "dispatching troops to Liaodong and conquering Nahachu."

Through canals, coastal areas, and railways, ships and carts of food and other supplies were continuously transported to the north.

In Dengzhou, various units of the Beiyang Fleet, under the leadership of one naval commander after another, practiced hard on sea combat skills such as boat handling and artillery operation.

On the second day of the second month, the day when the dragon raises its head, Li Wenzhong led hundreds of personal soldiers, all riding on war horses, and arrived at a relatively small camp next to the Beiyang Navy camp like a gust of wind.

Although it is called a camp, it is actually a water fort built on the seashore with a considerable part of it in the water.

Li Wenzhong looked up and saw two large flags standing on the gate tower.

The taller one is the Ming national flag with a red background, a dragon, a sun and a moon, which has now been promoted to all Ming army units.

On another shorter flagpole was a red flag with the words "Long-distance Exploration Training Camp" written in large black letters.

Although this training camp was established by Li Wenzhong last year under the order of Zhu Yuanzhang, he and his personal soldiers were still stopped outside by the guards at the gate.

Only after he asked his personal guards to show their badges was he allowed to enter the camp.

As soon as he arrived at the large parade ground in the camp, two commanding-level generals came up to him with their men and saluted him with fists.

"Generals Fang Mingqian and Chen Zhongming pay their respects to the Left Commander-in-Chief!"

Li Wenzhong returned the greeting with a fist, then dismounted and asked, "In two months, your unit will be carrying out its first long-distance exploration mission. How is the training of the First Exploration Fleet going?"

　Second update.

　　Good night~
　　
　
(End of this chapter)