Technology invades the modern world

Chapter 105 The Nobel Prize is Really Not Important at All

"What? Me?"

Lin Ran, who was working at the Redstone Base, really didn't want to be interrupted by such trivial matters again.

Traveled all the way to Geneva.

And he was named by the Soviet Union.

This is not a good thing.

Just because there was no accident last time doesn’t mean there won’t be an accident this time.

"That's right. They specifically asked you to participate. Even if I wanted to, it wouldn't work. I guess it was Korolev or someone else's idea," said Lyndon Johnson.

The other party continued, "Because their request was very abrupt, we also made a similar request to them, and we asked for the Chinese delegation to mediate.

In addition, the talks will not only discuss the hotline issue, but also the mediation of the recent Berlin crisis."

Lin Ran no longer wanted to listen to anything else, he knew Hua Guo would definitely go.

Let’s not even mention the current time. No matter what time it is, China will send people to participate in such mediation.

The reason why Lin Ran only gave the algorithm was because giving other things and transmitting them back to China through pipelines would be full of risks.

If the Chinese delegation came in person, it would be different.

However, Lin Ran remained calm on the phone, "I will obey the White House's arrangements and hope to make a contribution to world peace."

After listening to this, Lyndon Johnson said, "Okay, that's it, we will continue to communicate with them.

Please be prepared at any time, and we will inform you as soon as we have confirmed news."

As the crisis in Berlin spread further.

Both sides recognized the necessity of the hotline and would send delegations to Geneva for negotiations, with China acting as a neutral party to mediate, including not only the "hotline" but also the Berlin crisis.

“If Duggar hadn’t died, we wouldn’t be arguing here.

It itself is due to the controversy caused by Duggar's death.

Awarding it to Dag also violated Nobel tradition, and awarding it to Randolph Lind also violated Nobel Prize tradition.

So why can't we give it to Randolph Linn, to inspire him to make even greater contributions to world peace?

Could it be because of the ridiculous rumor that Alfred Nobel disliked mathematicians?" Carl said indignantly.

At the Norwegian Nobel Institute at Henrik Ibsen Street 51 in the center of Oslo, similar arguments have been going on since Lin Ran proposed the concept of a "hotline" in September.

Each Nobel Prize is decided by a Nobel Prize Committee. The other committees are all in Stockholm, Sweden. Only the Peace Prize is decided by a committee in Norway.

Moreover, all five members of the Norwegian committee are appointed by the Norwegian Parliament and are members of Parliament.

This is why the Nobel Peace Prize lacks value. The award committee itself is highly connected with politics, so how could the award be unrelated to politics?

"Giving it to Hammarskjold at least had precedent, but giving it to Randolph was too abrupt.

I have no objection to awarding it to Randolph. We can even decide today to award Randolph next year's Nobel Prize.

But at this point in time, it's really unusual for Randolph to receive it."

Of the five committee members present, four agreed that the award should be given to Randolph Linn, and only the chairman, Gunnar Young, insisted on giving it to Hammarskjöld.

"Unfortunately, Hammarskjöld passed away in a plane crash last month. Although the Nobel Committee has awarded Nobel Prizes posthumously, that was in 1931.

The tradition from 30 years ago is a bit too old-fashioned.

"This, combined with Randolph's proposal of the hotline concept and his promotion of negotiations between the White House and the Kremlin in Geneva, demonstrates his outstanding contribution to peace," Karl said persistently.

"This is an undermining of the credibility of the Nobel Prize," Gunnar said.

Another commissioner, Hansen, who is not only a politician but also a lawyer, has extensive experience in law and international affairs:
"Gunnar, I know what you're worried about.

You've traced it back to 30 years ago when the Nobel Prize in Literature was posthumously awarded to the late Eric in 1931. Why not be a little more fundamentalist?
Mr. Nobel's will never forbids us from choosing our own winners.

If, due to an extreme event, someone suddenly makes a significant contribution and is not nominated, we can adjust the rules through a special internal meeting.

We just need to reach a unanimous agreement and then get approval from the Nobel Foundation. The process is not complicated.

It would be strange if it was not awarded to Randolph.

Especially if the other party successfully mediates the Berlin crisis this time and establishes a direct communication channel from the White House to the Kremlin.

It would be inappropriate for us not to award it to him.”

In fact, Lin Ran proposed the concept of hotline too late.

Because nominations for the 61 Nobel Prize usually begin at the end of 60 and are announced in October 61.

Lin Ran was still a mathematics professor at Columbia University in the late 60s, and had nothing to do with the Nobel Peace Prize.

The Norwegian Nobel Committee wants to say that it has received the nomination from America a long time ago, which is unacceptable.

"What if there is a similar major emergency in the future? Do we have to change people on the spur of the moment every time?" Gunnar disagreed not only because of credibility, but also because he was worried about being deprived of power. He should not change people on the spur of the moment every time, and then the Nobel Foundation would vote on the decision.

Then the power of the Norwegian Nobel Committee will be greatly deprived.

Each Nobel Prize now has its own committee, for a total of five.

For the four prizes other than the Peace Prize, the Nobel Committee can only make recommendations, not final decisions. The Nobel Prizes in Physics, Chemistry, and Literature are decided by the entire Academy, while the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine is decided by a General Assembly of 50 members.

Only the Nobel Peace Prize is special, and Norway can decide it itself.

By doing this this time, doesn’t it mean that the uniqueness of the Norwegian Nobel Committee no longer exists?

“It is unlikely that something like this will happen again.

Besides, after we make the changes this time, we can just not allow patches next time." Carl said.

The main reason was that the 1961 Nobel Peace Prize was too special. The originally chosen winner died in a plane crash a month before the announcement. Lin Ran was also too special. He appeared every day on the international politics page instead of the space race page.

In the end, the Norwegian Nobel Committee compromised and decided to award the prize to Lin Ran because of the tank standoff in Berlin.

At Checkpoint Charlie in Berlin, East Germany attempted to restrict Western diplomats from entering East Berlin. America protested by escorting them via tanks, and the Soviets subsequently deployed tanks.

The two sides were only a few hundred meters apart, and the standoff lasted for 16 hours.

The further development of the conflict led the Norwegian Parliament to feel that they should award the Nobel Peace Prize to Lin Ran as a call for peace in Europe.

Geneva Negotiations: America and Russia to discuss hotline to deal with Berlin crisis

(Geneva, November 1961) As the Berlin crisis continued to cast a shadow over Europe, America and Soviet Russia were about to hold talks in Geneva to discuss establishing a direct communication hotline from the Kremlin to the White House.

The unprecedented move, proposed by senior White House bureaucrat Randolph Lin, is aimed at avoiding a nuclear conflict sparked by misunderstanding or miscalculation at a time of heightened global tensions.

In 1961, tensions over Berlin reached a dangerous peak, with Europe becoming the global focus. Nikita of the Soviet Union demanded the Western withdrawal from West Berlin, while American President Kennedy firmly pledged to defend the city's freedom.

To show his support, American Vice President Lyndon Johnson visited West Berlin on August 8 and was warmly welcomed by the people, highlighting America's firm stance towards its ally.

Against this turbulent backdrop, the Geneva talks have become a rare pragmatic move between superpowers, with both sides seeking to establish a crisis management mechanism to prevent the situation from getting out of control.

At the heart of the negotiations was the proposed hotline and the current tensions in Berlin. This direct communication channel was intended to provide a quick and reliable way for the two leaders to talk. The initiative originated with Randolph Linn in an interview with the BBC.

The Berlin standoff has exacerbated months of mutual distrust, and the negotiations reflect a shared understanding between both sides that misjudgments in the nuclear age could lead to catastrophic consequences.

According to the latest news from the White House, the American delegation will be led by Vice President Lyndon Johnson, and Randolph Lynn, the creator of the hotline concept, will also accompany them.

In a gesture of reciprocity, the Soviet Union sent Anastas Mikoyan, an experienced diplomat known for his skill. The two would jointly oversee the negotiations and finalize the technical and operational details of the hotline.

At the same time, the PRC will send representatives to participate in the entire process as an intermediary, and Chinese diplomats, as an independent third party, will help ease the tension.

The significance of this initiative went far beyond the communication technology itself. The establishment of the hotline marked a preliminary but crucial step in easing Cold War tensions.

While ideological differences between Washington and Moscow remain deep, the agreement highlights their shared interest in avoiding a nuclear catastrophe. Observers believe the hotline could be a key safeguard, reducing the likelihood of conflict sparked by mistakes or miscalculations.

Senior officials from 10 Downing Street said: "The hotline is not a panacea, but it provides a practical means to buy time and clarity for decision-making at critical moments."

If the negotiations are successful, the hotline could pave the way for further arms control dialogue, offering a cautious glimmer of hope to a tense world.

This newspaper considers these negotiations a defining moment in the Cold War. While the Berlin crisis exposed the fragility of a divided European peace, the superpower encounters in Geneva demonstrate that pragmatism can prevail over brinkmanship. Johnson and Mikoyan, representing their respective countries and bearing global expectations, strive to forge a stable instrument amidst uncertainty.

If an agreement is reached, the hotline is expected to be operational within months. The Geneva negotiations could be a turning point—not the end of the Cold War, but a way to ensure that humanity can withstand its risks.”

On October 10, on the eve of the opening of the Geneva negotiations, dozens of seats were reserved in the hall of the Nobel Institute in Oslo, Norway, for invited journalists, diplomats, Norwegian officials and scholars.

The atmosphere was serious.

At 11 o'clock sharp, five members of the Norwegian Nobel Committee entered the hall, led by Chairman Gunnar Young, followed by the other four members. They were dressed in formal suits and had serious expressions because of the current tense situation in Europe.

Gunnar Young walked up to the podium and briefly greeted the audience in Norwegian: "Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the Norwegian Nobel Institute. Today we will announce the winner of the 1961 Nobel Peace Prize."

"After arduous deliberations by the Norwegian Nobel Committee and a unanimous vote by all members of the Nobel Foundation, it was finally decided to award the 1961 Nobel Peace Prize to Randolph Linn in recognition of his outstanding contribution to world stability.

This mathematician used his creative thinking to find a way to keep the world from falling out of balance, and he made his own contribution to preventing mankind from returning to the age of torches and stones."

The announcement ceremony differs from the award ceremony in that it is first made in Norwegian and then repeated in English to facilitate recording by the international media.

After the announcement, there was silence at first, followed by slight applause.

Reporters quickly lowered their heads to take notes and discuss the significance of this posthumous award.

Hans Müller, a reporter from the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, asked: "Mr. Chairman, I would like to ask if awarding the prize to Professor Lin goes against Nobel Prize tradition?"

"We don't think so. This is a sign that the Nobel Prize is keeping pace with the times. We will focus on individuals who have made the greatest contribution to world peace today," Gunnar Young replied. "This has also been unanimously agreed by the Nobel Foundation."

Tom Wicker, a reporter for the New York Times, asked, "Mr. Chairman, does the awarding of the Nobel Peace Prize to Professor Lin indicate that the Nobel Committee is optimistic that the negotiations to be held in Geneva on November 11st will achieve a fruitful outcome?"

"Yes, we are very optimistic about the efforts made by both sides for peace."

Lin Ran was still at the Redstone Base. Before departure, he would take a special plane to Washington to meet Lyndon Johnson, and then fly directly to Geneva together.

He also received a call from Norway informing him of his award and inviting him to attend the award ceremony and celebration dinner at the end of December.

Compared with the upcoming Geneva negotiations, Norway's Nobel Prize can be said to have no appeal at all.

After all, the Geneva negotiations allow one to personally meet one of China's most important leaders.

Lin Ran's mind was full of preparations for this meeting.

If I don't give the other person something in person, then this trip to Geneva will be in vain.

Lin Ran has also thought very clearly about what to give the other party.

Using the name of Area 51, the technological creations from the future are delivered directly to the other party.

(End of this chapter)