20demayo Chapter 77 Mechanical "Supercomputing"
Chapter 77 Mechanical "Supercomputing"
Chapter 77 Mechanical "Supercomputing"
Liu Yulong gave a brief answer to Irving's question, and the meeting finally came to an end.
Liu Yulong left the main hall first, followed by representatives from the United States, France, and Great Britain.
The Han dynasty's officials were the last to leave.
Over the next few days, Liu Yulong's arrangements began to be implemented one after another.
Liu Yulong officially issued an edict to Shanghai and Bao'an, allowing British and American merchants to enter the country again.
However, this time when I come back, I will have to go through immigration procedures.
Ordinary traders from the three kingdoms' delegations were sent south to Shanghai and Bao'an to conduct trade activities.
Liu Yulong still wouldn't allow them to stay in Leting or Tianjin.
The Imperial Academy of Natural History and the Court of State Ceremonial sent people to Leting Port to inventory the equipment and machinery brought by Stephenson and others, and to analyze and evaluate their uses and value.
The headquarters of the Institute of Physics arranged for staff to lead Faraday, Lussac, and others on a tour of the Han Dynasty Institute of Physics.
However, this only applies to relatively conventional laboratories and does not involve special new types of laboratories.
In addition, personnel were organized to contact engineers and scholars separately to examine and verify their inventions, determine their uses, and discuss methods for future collaboration.
The research-oriented projects that Liu Yulong personally selected were the ones that were finalized the fastest.
However, Liu Yulong usually inspects these kinds of projects personally.
On the afternoon of April 28, Liu Yulong met with Babbage privately in a side hall of the Wanshou Palace in the Western Garden of the Imperial City.
Observe Babbage's design on site: the Difference Computer, also known as the Difference Machine, is a relatively complex traditional mechanical computer.
In this era, it can even be considered a "supercomputer," and there is currently no device in the world with stronger computing power.
First, there was Babbage's own small, demonstrator-like difference engine, capable of simultaneously calculating three five-digit numbers.
The verification machine is not large and can be placed on a table for demonstration.
Babbage used this small difference engine to complete his theoretical research, which earned him funding from the British government, and he began designing and producing the large and complex formal difference engine.
Then there are some components of the formal difference engine designed by Babbage in 1830.
If all parts are completed, there should be more than 25000 parts in total, which will be able to perform 20-digit sixth-order difference operations.
However, only one-seventh of it has been completed so far, and its weight has already reached four tons.
This heavy component can only be placed on the ground.
(One-seventh of the Differential Engine No. 1 manufactured in 1833, a component weighing approximately four tons.)
Liu Yulong first looked at the small differential engine and listened to Babbage's brief explanation of its operating principle.
Then we went to observe the components of the actual difference engine.
Liu Yulong had an impression of the difference engine, which could be considered the most steampunk-like thing.
A complex, purely mechanical computer driven by a steam engine.
(The complete version of the Difference Engine, Difference Engine II, a complete replica of the 2008 model, including its appearance and some details.)
Babbage's second-generation difference machine, designed more than a decade later, theoretically even possessed Turing completeness.
This system was programmable, and it gave birth to the world's first program and the first bug.
After examining the items, Liu Yulong looked at the rather nervous Babbage and asked, "How much did Britain spend to make these things?"
In this completely private meeting, Liu Yulong spoke directly in British English to facilitate quick communication.
Babbage knew Liu Yulong could understand British, but he didn't expect him to say directly, "Your Majesty, Britain spent—about seventeen thousand pounds—"
Liu Yulong casually did a simple calculation: "It cost 17,000 pounds to complete one-seventh of it, and it would probably cost more than 120,000 pounds to finish it all."
"Although you are considered wealthy, it probably isn't enough to afford this machine."
"One pound is roughly equivalent to three strings of cash in the Han Dynasty, so 120,000 pounds is roughly equivalent to 350,000 strings of cash."
"This is more than the customs duties during the late Ming Dynasty —"
Babbage didn't know how to respond. The Han emperor, who could talk and calculate like this, was clearly not a foolish nobleman who would spend money recklessly, but he himself had come with the intention of finding a sucker.
Britain considered the potentially enormous cost of building this system, as well as the rather slim probability of success, in 1833
Investment had basically stopped by 2010, but the project hadn't been officially shut down yet.
Babbage and even the British government have lost confidence in the ability to manufacture this thing.
That's why Babbage brought his design drawings and one-seventh of the finished product to the Great Han for help.
They all harbored a somewhat blaming mentality, hoping that the Han emperor would take over the mess.
Babbage's own fortune was about £100,000, equivalent to more than £10 million in the 21st century, making him an absolute tycoon in both eras, but it wasn't enough to produce this set of machines.
Just as even modern millionaires cannot build a real supercomputer with their own assets.
After demonstrating his stance, Liu Yulong continued, "The Institute of Geology reported that your request is for me to help you recreate this thing completely."
"Do you have any other additional requirements regarding the use and ownership of this machine?"
Babbage immediately nodded and said, "Yes, Your Majesty, I hope you can help complete this machine for practical research and verification."
"There are other requirements, though not none."
"I hope to continue participating in the research and to be able to use this machine to conduct my research."
Liu Yulong placed his hand on one-seventh of the machine and said, "This is something that the Great Han Dynasty has spent a lot of wealth and manpower to build. It is impossible for you to take it back to Britain."
"If you want to continue participating in related research, then you'll have to stay in the Han Dynasty for the time being."
Upon hearing Liu Yulong's words, Babbage immediately exclaimed excitedly, "His Majesty has agreed!"
Liu Yulong replied directly: "That's right, but I won't give you money, and I won't let you figure out how to manufacture it yourself."
"Instead, the Academy of Natural History will directly assign craftsmen to work with you on research, allocate materials, and create it together."
Menbabage is considered a wealthy man and is not short of money in his daily life.
No matter what Liu Yulong arranges for him, as long as he agrees to manufacture this thing, that's fine.
Babbage said excitedly, "Thank you, Your Majesty! Your Majesty's kindness and generosity are truly moving."
Babbage felt that Liu Yulong's decisive agreement after calculating the costs could only mean that the Han Dynasty was incredibly wealthy, on a completely different level from Britain.
In fact, Liu Yulong was interested in this kind of machine, so he had read some introductions about it in his previous life.
In the late 20th century, Australians attempted to replicate the difference engine using early 19th-century technology and found that the machining precision of that time was sufficient to meet their needs.
The biggest problem was cost. Before the advent of the converter steelmaking method, the price of high-strength steel was very high, which made the cost of manufacturing the differential engine extremely high.
Now that Dahan has converter steelmaking technology, the cost of producing differential engines has dropped dramatically.
The difference engine itself also played a huge role. It was the most powerful computing device before the advent of vacuum tube computers, and it could assist in completing various complex scientific calculations.
Paying this price for equipment that can improve research efficiency is certainly worthwhile.
Therefore, Liu Yulong even planned to manufacture several more difference machines for use by the laboratories that needed computing power the most.
They even planned to continue upgrading this basic machine, so that Babbage could build the complete Differential Engine 2.
Meanwhile, Qin Yang, the director of the Military Industry Department of the Imperial Academy, along with a military advisor in charge of ordnance from the Military Council, and accompanied by two interpreters from the Court of State Ceremonial, met with Colt and Hall simultaneously in a reception room of the Imperial Academy.
On the main table where Qin Yang, the director of the Ordnance Department, and the ordnance officer were seated, several experimental pistols and rifles were laid out in order, two of which were samples brought by Colt and Hall.
After the two sides exchanged greetings, Qin Yang, the Director of the Military Industry, had Colt and Hall sit in the guest seats on either side of the main table, and then directly stated the purpose of the meeting: "We already know your thoughts and have presented them to His Majesty."
"You may not be familiar with the laws of the Han Dynasty."
"The arms industry is a directly managed industry of the Han Dynasty and is not open to private merchants."
"Therefore, it's impossible for the Han Dynasty to invest in building a factory for the two of you."
Hall and Colt had heard about yesterday's meeting and were now aware of the Han Dynasty's direct management of basic industries, and were mentally prepared.
So I was a little disappointed after hearing the explanation, but I didn't have any particularly strong reaction.
Colt, in particular, was young and clever, with a very quick mind, and a natural businessman.
Historically, they had already learned, without being taught, how to invite clients to dinner, get them drunk, and then negotiate.
He gifted luxury goods to officials and managers, and weapons bearing his signature to celebrities.
Colt has been almost constantly busy since arriving in the capital of the Han Dynasty.
Colt wandered around every day, asking all sorts of people about things. He had already learned most of the important public information about the Great Han.
Before Hall could figure out how to respond after hearing what the Military Industry Director said, Colt spoke first: "If we can't build military factories in the Great Han, would the Great Han still be willing to buy our patents?"
"Furthermore, if we build our own factories to produce weapons outside of the Han Dynasty, will the Han Dynasty purchase our weapons?"
Qin Yang, the head of the Military Industry Department, picked up the rifle designed by Huo Ji Te: "The firearms designed by the two of you, although not particularly novel, each have their own unique features."
"Da Han can buy the right to use your patent."
"But what we are really interested in is the production line that Mr. Hall mentioned that even children can operate."
"We hope to invite you two to build such a production line for the Han Dynasty."
"With the experienced Hall in charge and the open-minded and talented Colt as his deputy."
"As for the reward, you can ask for a sum of money directly, or you can obtain an official position in the Han Dynasty."
"Your initial official ranks were: Hall was the eighth rank, and Colt was the ninth rank."
"Once your production line is completed and accepted, Hall will be promoted directly to the seventh rank, and Colt will be promoted to the eighth rank."
"If you continue to participate in research and development or production and construction in the future, you can continue to be promoted."
Liu Yulong roughly knows how to plan a standardized production line.
However, there is still a considerable distance between knowing the direction and the actual implementation.
Hall has already implemented this production line in the United States, and Colt has done it in the past as well.
Hall's experience and Colt's ideas are both useful to the Great Han now, and can be adopted and used first.
However, the Great Han would not directly copy their production line design.
They simply used their production line as a reference to help Dahan improve and upgrade its existing production line.
In order to prevent them from obtaining more industrial information about the Han Dynasty, and also for comprehensive observation and comparison.
The Gewu Academy will build a brand new factory separately, and then send the great Han craftsmen to visit this factory.
We compiled the lessons learned and applied them to other large factories.
Hall's M1819 breech-loading rifle, and its corresponding M1833 firing upgrade version, are currently the most suitable rifles for production in this manner.
Standardized machine production and interchangeable gun parts were very advanced features in this era.
The designs required to achieve these effects can all be used as a reference.
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