Chapter 843: Cosmology
Translator: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
Inside the scenic campus ofCoro University, the shades formed by the giant trees swayed with the wind, energetic and youthful figures were scattered among the trees and bushes. Most of them were from Asia, but some were also from North America, on the other side of the Pacific Ocean. Many also came from Europe, on the back of the Earth.
The relaxed and diversified teaching philosophy allowed students from any place to quickly integrate into this young university.
On the stone path that represented the path to knowledge, students, holding books, were walking in groups, heading towards the building. This scene was commonplace during the week, but a rarity on weekends.
“Hey, have you heard? Jiang Chen is coming to our school to teach an open elective course!”
“Jiang Chen? Is that Jiang Chen? The president of Future Group, the founder of the virtual reality network?”
“Really? What is it about? I want to go!”
“Cosmology,” The girl with gla.s.ses that looked quiet said.
“…Cos… Cosmology?”
“…is it science?”
“What a surprise, I thought he would talk about the economy or the Internet.”
“Hehe, then should we still go? It’s not related to our study.”
“Nonsense! Is that even a question!” A girl’s eyes flashed with small stars as she said in excitement.
“After all, it’s the cla.s.s taught by the richest man in the world! I heard that Harvard wanted him to talk about artificial intelligence database and the three definitions, he didn’t go!” Another girl also echoed.
Indeed, there were not many opportunities to listen to the world’s richest man, especially since Mr. Jiang Chen was quite low-key. Except for his appearance at last year’s opening ceremony of the university, he was rarely seen on this campus.
Even if the name of the open elective course was rather strange as it seemed to be irrelevant to Jiang Chen’s area of focus. However, this still didn’t hinder people’s curiosity about him.
No matter what purpose they had, when Jiang Chen stepped into the cla.s.sroom and saw that the room was full of people.
The cla.s.sroom, which could accommodate 200 people, was completely filled. Some even took chairs from the cla.s.sroom next door and sat in the aisle.
Looking at the energetic faces, even if he had done this many times, Jiang Chen’s scalp still felt numb.
At this time he remembered the unpleasant laughter from President Rafael Leif when he was on the phone yesterday. Sure enough, the old guy was right. If he taught this open cla.s.s, no matter how unpopular the topic was, the cla.s.sroom would definitely be packed.
While his scalp was feeling number, he was not afraid of the stage.
He was the leader of hundreds of thousands of people after all. In the apocalypse, he was a “military lord” with his own territory. A hundred students were not enough to make him scared.
Jiang Chen smiled and waved to the audience, he opened the headset in his ear, cleared his throat and tried the microphone, Then, he began the lecture.
“All of you here will for sure have the same question in mind: Why is the man standing before you today choose the inexplicable subject known as cosmology? Why is he not teachingsomething more useful or more practical in terms of success?”
The noisy cla.s.sroom gradually subsided, and everyone focused on the podium, fixated on Jiang Chen.
“This question is easy to answer. The well-known economist, Wall Street Investor James Gla.s.sman, recently published a book that put me as his subject of research. In-depth… Of course, it seems to me that it would be very superficial… How did Future Group use only a short period of three years to stand on the tip of the pyramid from absolutely nothing.” Then, Jiang Chen smiled and scanned the look on every student. “I don’t agree with his validation process. But I do agree with his conclusion.”
“That is, my success story cannot be replicated.”
“Since my experience cannot be replicated, then it is not good medicine for you. It may just be poison.”
“But besides my business success, I don’t think I have other skills that would make me strong in other areas. So I’ve picked a topic that I’m personally interested in, and I’ve studied a little bit about. That topic is cosmology that I want to talk about today.”
Jiang Chen noted that many students picked up their phones and were recording.
However, he didn’t care. What he wanted to say today was originally for the sake of getting started.
He turned around to pick up the marker and wrote three words on the whiteboard.
Where are they?
Turning around, Jiang Chen put the marker on the table and gazed at all the people in the room.
“Where are they? I think everyone here is certainly not unfamiliar with this question. Yes, it is the famous Fermi Paradox.”
“It is estimated that the number of stars in the observable universe is probably between 10 to the 22 and 10 to the 24, while the amount of sand on Earth is 7.5*10 to the 18 particles.” After a pause, Jiang Chen then spread out his hands, “In other words, every grain on Earth can correspond to 10,000 planets in the universe.”
“The universe is far greater than our imagination, and it is darker than we can think.”
“This kind of darkness is not from any aliens. In the time scale of 13.8 billion years, all civilizations are humble and tiny. Maybe a civilized fire existed on Mars at the step to our door, but its life depleted a billion or billions of years ago, and when the billion-year-old earth was still a disordered ocean without trilobites.”
“This is the so-called the Great Filter. The probability of encountering extraterrestrial civilization is negligible, and the probability of discovering each other after encountering each other is even less likely.”
“But we still have to make a.s.sumptions. If we meet with extraterrestrial civilizations and we just happen to find each other and we can understand each other’s existence, then I can a.s.sure you that the consequences of a blind contact will be quite dangerous…”
Understanding does not mean recognition, but disapproval will lead to conflict. This recognition is embodied in many aspects such as aesthetics and values. It is like the undead people who viewed death as the most beautiful thing. They can never accept the living who praise life.
Jiang Chen did not bring too much inspiration to the students in the cla.s.s. Many of the arguments he had made were already discussed by predecessors.
He just wanted to see how these students would react when he told them the truth.
Through the reactions of the students, at least a rough a.s.sessment could be made to publicize the crisis facing civilization on Earth.
The lecture was nearing its end.
“…if I were saying there is a colony s.h.i.+p from an extraterrestrial civilization, and it is on the way to the earth. And that we don’t know where it came from, nor are we sure if it will carry goodwill. If you were the decision makers of Earth’s civilization, what decisions would you make after learning this information?”
“That is your homework. I hope you will take it seriously.”
Jiang Chen noticed that many students in the audience had a very lack of interest after hearing this a.s.signment.
Obviously, no one would really take this baffling homework seriously. After all, from whatever point of view, this a.s.signment was really boring. They were no longer the childish age that would fantasize about s.p.a.ce and imagine the first contact between human beings and extraterrestrial civilizations, and imagine unrealistic problems.
Perhaps a job, a scholars.h.i.+p, or a professor’s topic could make them take it more seriously.
Jiang Chen chuckled and shook his head.
Having read the books on the desk, he coughed and said to the students who were preparing to leave the room.
“Okay, I know you are all definitely not interested in this, so I’ll just say it.”
“I believe that all of you, if you use a phone, or wear a helmet, must be familiar with the s.p.a.ce colonization plan of Celestial Trade. The study of extraterrestrial civilization is part of the Celestial Trade’s s.p.a.ce colonization program. You may find it boring, but now I can tell you that, this subject has commercial value, and the a.s.signment I a.s.signed is related to this topic.”
“The prize for the project is ten thousand dollars, and ten qualified papers will be selected. If you are interested, you should submit an essay to me. Yes, students who did not take this course can also partic.i.p.ate. The mailbox is on the whiteboard. As I’m afraid I may not be able to give you the prize in person, please include your bank account number in the mailbox as well…”
Before he finished, he noticed that the pairs of eyes looking at him suddenly became different…