Technology invades the modern world

Chapter 150 Dehui, Let's Keep It Short (5.2k)

I only wanted the 28-volume "MIT Radiation Lab Series," but you even wanted to give me the radar design blueprints along with it.

If I had known you were so generous, I would have just asked you for it directly. Why bother going through all that trouble with IBM?

Lin Ran remained outwardly calm, but his mind was already racing to China, wondering how much time China could save by acquiring these technologies.

He realized he had underestimated McNamara's popularity.

The other party's level of goodwill and trust probably far exceeded his expectations.

Lin Ran thought to himself, it's not too late to find out now, he needs to recommend McNamara to Nixon as soon as possible.

If McNamara, as a member of the Elephant Party, had started to get in touch with Nixon now, he could have served in the Department of Defense from 1960 to 1976.

Who knows what other good stuff might be revealed?

This is like a walking treasure chest; it drops great items and has a high drop rate.

Lin Ran isn't unwilling to provide technology to China; rather, the technology you provide to China in 2020 has a 60-year time gap, so the assistance you receive will be very limited.

For China at present, radar technology is just beginning. To catch up with America's level in the 50s, it will take until at least the late 80s and early 90s.

In the early 50s, the Soviet Union provided China with early radars such as the P-3, P-8, and P-10. These were radars, not technology. These radars were meter-wave radars, operating in the VHF band at tens to hundreds of megahertz, and were mainly used for air defense early warning.

It has similar performance to America's SCR-270 from the 40s, with a detection range of about 100-200 kilometers, but it has low accuracy and poor anti-interference ability.

In the mid-term, China began to imitate the P-12 and P-15, until the 522 radar, which was independently assembled, was completed in 56. At this time, it was equivalent to the level of America in the early 40s.

However, China made slow progress in radar technology over a long period of time afterward.

China will successfully develop cavity magnetron technology next year. This technology was shared with America by the English Teessard Mission in 1940.

In the late 60s, radar technology made a breakthrough in the microwave field, with some performance characteristics approaching the level of the United States in the mid-1940s.

Subsequently, starting in the 1970s, radar technology from France and Israel was gradually introduced.

For China today, the significance of obtaining this set of materials goes far beyond that.

"Okay, I mainly want to catch up on my studies. There are still many areas in electrical engineering that I need to learn more about."

I always feel that my understanding of computers is not deep enough.

"I still have too many lessons to catch up on," Lin Ran said.

McNamara quickly replied, "Professor, you are too modest."

If you don't understand computers, then nobody does.

I know very well what the Georgetown project was like before you participated, and what it is like after you participated.

Professor, you are America's most important scholar, even more important than von Neumann.

McNamara blew wildly.

Lin Ran nodded and said, "I hope to make the same contribution to the Federation as Director von Neumann and help the Federation win the final victory in the Cold War."

Chen Jingrun had a very good time in New York.

He has a scholarship from the City University of New York, he has passed the Fulbright program, and he also has another scholarship.

He rented a room in Randolph Apartments. Because he was a Chinese-American PhD student in the mathematics department, he received an extra discount. While others paid $30 a month, he only needed to pay $20.

The mathematics department at the City University of New York is located in the College of Mathematics and Natural Sciences at Queens College, which is very close to the Randolph Apartments in Flushing, about 4 to 5 kilometers away on foot.

It takes at most twenty minutes to cycle.

In addition, Chen Jingrun himself is a person who is indifferent to fame and fortune and does not have much pursuit of material things. His current salary is more than enough for him to live in New York.

Every now and then, he would attend various events organized by New York mathematicians and participate in number theory seminars with Harvey Cohen.

His talent gradually began to shine.

Since arriving in America, my paper on Goldbach's conjecture has passed the editorial review of "New Advances in Mathematics" and will soon be published.

He will also become another Chinese mathematician who can independently publish articles in the four major mathematics journals.

Although this Goldbach conjecture was not the 1+2 that made him famous later, it was still a significant breakthrough in the field of number theory.

Harvey Cohen told him to refine his results further and try to give a one-hour presentation at the main venue of the International Congress of Mathematicians three years later.

The material world is not lacking, but the spiritual world is extremely fulfilling.

In the vast ocean of mathematics, I have explored everything from older, more traditional number theory methods to modern number theory, topology, and geometry.

Chen Jingrun's mathematical talent was fully developed.

It wasn't until April that he accompanied Zhou Yuanshen to visit the Deep Blue Exhibition Hall.

This is because the news has been reporting extensively on IBM's latest achievement - the Tower of Babel.

It's no longer called the Georgetown Translation Machine; it has a new name: Babel.

White House officials, in interviews, lauded it as a milestone moment for America, a step towards the singularity of artificial intelligence.

In an interview, a staff member from the Ministry of National Defense responsible for translation also claimed that this would greatly improve their work efficiency and allow them to experience firsthand how convenient it is for artificial intelligence to assist people, as the professor had described.

When IBM brought the Tower of Babel to the Technology Ark for public exhibition, allowing all New Yorkers to experience the translation capabilities of the Technology Ark for just five dollars, the Tower of Babel and artificial intelligence reached new heights.

Chen Jingrun finally couldn't sit still any longer. At Zhou Yuanshen's strong invitation, the two of them went to visit the Technology Ark in Times Square.

Both being young Chinese mathematicians in New York, the two had a good relationship. Lin Ran, on the other hand, belonged to another dimension.

Of course, Chen Jingrun had other tasks to complete, namely, to write a detailed report after the visit.

"Just as the newspapers described, it's eerily gorgeous," Zhou Yuanshen remarked.

As mathematicians, Zhou Yuanshen and Chen Jingrun were better able to appreciate the beauty of geometry from lines.

Chen Jingrun said helplessly, "The only regret is that there are too many people."

Judging by the number of people queuing, it was about the same as the popular pavilions at the World Expo, with the queues circling around at least four times.

The popularity of the technology ark, which had been gradually fading, has surged again with the arrival of the Tower of Babel.

"Don't you think it has a cold, futuristic feel to it, inside and out?" Zhou Yuanshen complained.

In this timeline, IBM became the main villain in countless science fiction movies.

Although they didn't call him by name directly, they all hinted at it in various ways.

The combination of Klein Blue and deep black has become a representative color of science fiction works.

Many science fiction authors choose to use this combination to indicate that their works are science fiction.

To commemorate the 50th anniversary of the completion of the Technology Ark, Avon Books published a series of classic science fiction works spanning fifty years, using the design concept of the first batch of Technology Ark tickets.

Apart from the different book titles, everything else is uniformly dark blue with black lines.

This is the power of design, enduring for decades.

For Chen Jingrun and Zhou Yuanshen, who were standing in line outside, this moment was a bit difficult.

Because the line was just too long.

The exterior of the "Technology Ark" resembled a giant blue curtain, with deep Klein blue and intersecting black lines outlining geometric patterns. Chen Jingrun stared at it, feeling as if it were the circuit board of a giant machine.

He didn't think that way because of the newspaper report; he would have thought that way even if he hadn't read the report.

After waiting for a full three hours, it was finally their turn to go in and visit.

As the two entered the hall, they were greeted by a dim blue light, and the display panels on the walls told the story of IBM's technological development.

The air was so cool it was almost sterile.

In the fan-shaped auditorium, Chen Jingrun and Zhou Yuanshen watched a game of chess between humans and "air".

Zhou Yuanshen complained, "This person plays terribly, a complete lousy chess player."

With this level of skill, you dare to challenge Deep Blue?

To be honest, Deep Blue isn't that great.

The newspapers raved about it.

Actually, after looking at it, I think it's at most the level of an amateur.

"I should have bought a game ticket."

Chen Jingrun asked, "I read in the newspaper that IBM's goal is to erase all the human names on this wall."

He pointed to the densely packed names on the right side of his face.

At least several hundred people have now left their names on this wall.

This has been jokingly referred to by the media as the Deep Blue Kill List.

"Do you think it's possible?" Chen Jingrun asked.

After a moment's thought, Zhou Yuanshen replied, "From a statistical point of view, sooner or later machines will be able to beat all humans."

After all, chess can be calculated to its fullest extent using exhaustive methods.

Machines are becoming increasingly powerful, while human computational abilities fluctuate, whereas machines do not.

But whether it's possible or not, I think it's difficult.

Chen Jingrun felt that the other party's words were somewhat contradictory.
If machines can beat all humans, why is it so difficult for them to do so?

Before Chen Jingrun could ask, Zhou Yuanshen saw the doubt in his eyes: "What I mean is that these challengers will die. I remember a New York Times report mentioned that the oldest human to have his name on the Deep Blue kill list was already 63 years old."

If he dies at seventy, IBM will only have seven years left.

It's probably impossible to create something capable of defeating all of humanity in seven years.

Of course, there is another way: after a person dies, pull them out of heaven or hell and let them play another game with Deep Blue.

However, if IBM can achieve this, then whether the kill list has been exhausted becomes irrelevant.

Zhou Yuanshen joked.

Just as he said, the biggest limitation IBM faces in achieving its goals is time.

In this visit, the machines won over the people.

This elicited a variety of reactions from the audience, some happy, finding it interesting to see a machine win, while others were disappointed.

There are all kinds of expressions.

The discussions were similar, with some saying the player was too incompetent and should be replaced, while others, unable to understand chess, lamented how the player had lost.

The existence of Deep Blue has made chess, which was already very popular, even more popular throughout America.

Before the invention of computers, human entertainment options were limited, and chess was always one of the important forms of entertainment.

At this time, chess was as popular in the West as Chinese chess was in China.

This year, sales of chess tutorials and chess notation books have more than doubled across the United States, while sales of chess itself have increased nearly fivefold.

After watching the performance, Chen Jingrun was filled with disappointment, asking, "Do you think it's possible for a machine to beat a human at Go?"

Zhou Yuanshen said, "It's impossible now, but it's possible in the future."

Go is much more complex than chess.

After exiting the fan-shaped hall, you'll find the Tower of Babel exhibition area, which is a combination of the dismantled rear hall and the audience hall.

The machines are nothing special, similar to those in the fan-shaped hall, all black boxes. However, unlike those in the fan-shaped hall, the core area here houses the "Tower of Babel" within a huge glass structure.

The machine was tall and imposing, with flashing lights and a deep humming sound that never ceased.

On the dark blue wall next to it, in black letters, it read: This is not only a demonstration of technology, but also a dialogue between humanity and the future.

"Would you like to go in and give it a try?" Zhou Yuanshen asked.

Chen Jingrun shook his head, "I don't speak Russian," he didn't want to reveal that he could speak Russian.

Lin Ran could openly expose himself, but he wouldn't dare.

His identity is also quite sensitive.

Zhou Yuanshen said, "I don't know either."

They could only get close to the glass and watch as the audience entered, typed Russian into the machine, and then a translated slip of paper would pop out.

After watching, the audience showed expressions of amazement, and judging from their mouth movements, they seemed to be saying "amazing."

In addition to these two facilities, because the Technology Ark brought IBM so much benefit, they remodeled the layout and added an area.

Deep inside the exhibition hall, IBM once again commissioned Kubrick to redesign the space. Through a room composed of mirrors and Klein blue, black lines reflected infinitely in the mirrors, creating a maze-like visual effect.

All visitors who enter this room will feel as if they have entered a boundless mechanical world, feeling small and lost.

It was this cutting-edge design, this rich content, and the world's most powerful chess program that combined to give IBM unprecedented technological prestige.

In the past, when Americans mentioned technology companies, they would either say Bell Telephone or General Electric. Most people had no idea what IBM was.

After all, IBM had always done business with either the military or large corporations.

The public is indifferent.

This improved image has benefited IBM's market performance, with sales doubling compared to the same period last year.

Orders from large corporations, universities, and governments are pouring in like snowflakes.

From a demand perspective, IBM today is Nvidia sixty years from now.

Both are in a state of supply falling short of demand.

Of course, many IBM machines, after being sold to Europe, inexplicably ended up in Moscow.

It's as if it grew out of the ground.

Some members of parliament are already calling for a ban on IBM sales to European companies in order to prevent Moscow from acquiring IBM computers.

Being too technologically advanced can also be a mistake.

Even Deep Blue, with its exorbitant pricing and monthly rental fees of $100 million, has attracted interest from businesses looking to rent it.

Disney wants to rent it.

Disneyland wants to add a high-tech feel to its technology zones.

At this time, Disney encompassed both Tomorrowland and Monsanto, two technology-focused areas.

Tomorrowland opened in 55, a ride that simulates space travel through a large circular screen.

Visitors sit inside a simulated rocket cabin and watch as the Earth gradually recedes and the Moon gradually approaches.

Multiple projectors were used to play movies simultaneously, along with seat vibrations and sound effects, to create an immersive experience.

The House of the Future is a modern residence made entirely of plastic, showcasing a large number of automated home appliances.

After witnessing the stark contrast between the Technology Ark and other dilapidated theaters around Times Square in New York, Disney executives felt they should also bring in Deep Blue, even though IBM had priced it at an astronomical $100 million a month.

This figure is the rent; we don't sell, we only rent.

Disney also felt it was worthwhile.

After today's visit, Chen Jingrun wasn't very happy, because he sensed from Deep Blue and the Tower of Babel that perhaps the professor wasn't joking about the technological singularity, and that the technological singularity would really come one day.

It came even faster than anyone expected.

In such a situation, what should one do about one's own country?
Chen Jingrun was not the kind of person who would be so happy in this place that he forgot about his homeland.

The more international the city, the more he felt the gap between China and America, and the more worried he became about China.

Especially after Lin Ran proposed the concept of the technological singularity, and with terms like Deep Blue and the Tower of Babel, a consensus has formed among the American people that the technological singularity is possible.

Whoever achieves it first will gain an unprecedented advantage, directly determining the outcome of the Cold War.

The idea that artificial intelligence is the key to victory in the Cold War has gained widespread acceptance, especially among highly educated individuals and scholars.

Of course, it wasn't without its advantages for the Chinese. Because of Lin Ran's presence, the living conditions for Chinese in America were much better than in history.

But the benefits to the Chinese people are not the benefits to China. Chen Jingrun really couldn't imagine how China could win this battle for the technological singularity.

In other words, he was unaware that China possessed the world's best computers, better than all the others combined.

If he had known, he wouldn't have been so worried.

Chen Jingrun even conceived the idea of ​​pursuing computer research before returning to China.

Number theory is good, and geometry is wonderful, but for the sake of my country, I can abandon both.

Chen Jingrun drifted off to sleep with a sense of worry for his motherland thousands of miles away, until two o'clock when the phone in his room suddenly rang.

"Ring ring ring~ ring ring ring~"

Chen Jingrun was startled awake. He quickly got up, and before he could even figure out who was calling, he answered sleepily and heard:

"Jingrun".

He woke up with a start.

"I am a white horse."

Chen Jingrun felt his whole body trembling.

“I’ll be waiting for you in your office, CUNY. Come quietly and keep a low profile.”

Chen Jingrun was now fully awake.

I've never been so clear-headed.

The voice was so familiar that he didn't even need the other person to say it. He had heard this voice three years ago in Hong Kong, where it had imparted countless knowledge to him and brought him countless surprises or frights.

Today, in New York, another shock has struck.

Without thinking twice, Chen Jingrun hurriedly put on his clothes, ignoring the fact that the weather in New York was still cold on a March night.

As he left, he thought to himself that none of the newspapers he had read indicated that the professor was in New York.

It's not a holiday now.

Shouldn't the professor still be at Redstone Base or in Washington?
There's no time to think about that now.

Walking into the large office of the Mathematics Department at the City University of New York, a familiar figure sat at his workstation.

Chen Jingrun was momentarily agitated and didn't know what to say.

But he didn't need to say anything; Lin Ran had already spoken:

"Dehui, I'm really sorry to call you over so late, but the situation is urgent, so let's get straight to the point."

　Hey, please don't scold me for ending a chapter abruptly. I just happened to write this part, it wasn't intentional, please stop scolding me!
　　
　
(End of this chapter)