Chapter 1067 Tribute and Teaching Materials (Part 2)
Luo Chong looked at the shy boy Gu Cheng and couldn't help but smile.
In fact, Luo Chong was very optimistic about this person. You have to know that in Luo Chong's eyes, Gu Cheng was a genuine native talent, not the talents cultivated by the Second Institute. Gu Cheng was a wild genius among the natives of this world. How could he not be valued by Luo Chong?
After hearing Ao Fei speak well of him and seeing the leader staring at him, the shy Gu Cheng next to him finally spoke.
He bowed slightly to Luo Chong and began to introduce.
"Chief, this is the second generation of mechanical clock I made. Compared with the previous mechanical clock, this mechanical clock has improved the power aspect, from the original hand-cranked spring to a composite power mode of gravity pendulum plus spring, so that it no longer needs manpower to maintain its operation. The pendulum plus the spring complement each other and can keep running.
"Another area for improvement is the timekeeping function. To be honest, I was inspired by the chief to add this function."
Gu Cheng suddenly offered a flattery for no reason, which surprised Ao Fei next to him. As a colleague of Gu Cheng, he knew very well that this kid had a cold personality. He usually didn't like to talk much in the research institute, and even rarely greeted his colleagues. At most, he would just nod when they met.
He was originally worried that this kid wouldn't say anything when he met the leader. Unexpectedly, this kid actually flattered Luo Chong. How could he not look at him with new eyes?
However, this time it was Ao Fei who misunderstood him. Although what Gu Cheng said was suspected of flattery, in his opinion, it was the truth from the heart. To be honest, Gu Cheng was really inspired by Luo Chong to suddenly think of adding a timekeeping function to the mechanical clock. This was not a lie. You know,
last year and the year before last, it was On the first day of the Chinese New Year, when the research institute presented a mechanical clock to Luo Chong, they called it a "mechanical timer". However, when it was delivered to Luo Chong, Luo Chong changed the name of the timer on the spot and insisted on calling it a "clock", which is also called a mechanical clock.
Gu Cheng did not dwell on the reason why Luo Chong named the timer this way, but he was very concerned about the name of the clock.
In the Han tribe, the sound of the bell is used to tell time, just like going to school and leaving school, and going to and from class, all require the sound of the bell to tell time. If we only look at the purpose, the clock and the timer are actually used for timekeeping. It is understandable that Luo Chong calls this thing a clock.
However, since this thing has been renamed a clock, it should naturally have the same function of telling time as the bell, otherwise how can it live up to the name of the clock?
It is this idea that inspired Gu Cheng's determination to develop a self-ringing clock.
"The leader calls it a clock, so it should have the ability to tell time like a clock, so I added two small clocks in it and designed a time-telling function. If the leader wants to know the current time, he can press the three-question button like this, and it will tell you the time through sound."
Gu Cheng said as he pressed the button and demonstrated it to Luo Chong. The second-generation mechanical clock immediately made a crisp jingle. After the demonstration, Gu Cheng said again.
"The leader can also set it to tell the time on the hour. In this way, every hour, it will automatically ring once to tell people around that it is the hour again."
After introducing the functions and usage of the second-generation mechanical clock, Gu Cheng shut up again and stood aside, becoming mute again.
Even when he was talking just now, he didn't say a word of nonsense. Every sentence he said was about the principle, function, material, and craftsmanship of the mechanical clock. It was like the three words of technology nerd engraved on his face, which also gave Luo Chong a deep understanding of this person.
"This person is a true technical talent, a good candidate for scientific research!"
This is Luo Chong's evaluation of Gu Cheng. There is a saying in the past life that if you can't devote yourself to a certain field, how can you achieve anything great? !
Gu Cheng is such a person. In his eyes, there is only technology, no leader. As long as he is given money and environment, he can work on machinery without worries. He doesn't care who Luo Chong is or what the tribe is called. He is a pure scientific research madman.
However, Gu Cheng still admires Luo Chong very much. After all, Luo Chong has produced many achievements, including the earliest looms, windmills and waterwheels, and now steam engines, as well as various devices developed around steam engines. Although most of them were just mentioned by Luo Chong, and the principles and plans were discussed, they were handed over to others to do.
In the eyes of others, the emergence of these devices may have nothing to do with Luo Chong, but Gu Cheng himself is a mechanic. He knows the key role played by Luo Chong in the development of the Han tribe. If there is no Luo Chong to guide them, even if those people are smart, they may not be able to make so many good things in a few hundred years.
"Not bad, not bad, this clock that can tell time by itself, I think it is a bit indecent to call it a second-generation mechanical clock. It is better to call it a self-ringing clock, or a three-question self-ringing clock, which is in line with the function and is more appropriate.
"You are thoughtful, I like this gift very much."
After Luo Chong finished speaking, he looked at Gu Cheng, wanting to see how this kid would react, but the result disappointed him. Gu Cheng stood there expressionlessly as if he didn't hear him talking, which made Luo Chong, who had been staring at him, twitch his mouth.
Ao Fei saw this from the side and couldn't help but pull Gu Cheng's sleeve, but Gu Cheng turned to look at Ao Fei with a confused look on his face, as if saying, "Why are you pulling me?" Ao Fei was speechless.
Luo Chong did not continue to dwell on this. He returned to the desk and sat down, and asked the two, "Ao Fei, your camera improvement work should have reached a bottleneck now, right?"
Without waiting for Ao Fei to reply, Luo Chong continued, "Now your camera has an off-axis framing function and a stable and convenient shutter. Apart from working on the lens and color film, there is basically no possibility of further improvement. However, color photos involve chemistry, and photosensitive color-changing agents must be used. At least the three primary colors must be collected, otherwise color photos will not work."
Ao Fei sighed when he heard this. He knew that Luo Chong was right. It can be said that the camera has developed to the extreme under the current technological level of the Han tribe. Unless there is a major breakthrough in basic chemistry, a better film substrate and color-changing photosensitive agents can be produced, otherwise the camera will not be able to go further.
"What the leader said is that there is nothing to improve on today's cameras. Unless new film and color photography technology appear, there will not be much progress even if it is modified." Ao Fei said very singlely.
Luo Chong nodded, but he didn't mean to blame him. Instead, he asked, "So what are your plans for the optical team in the future?"
Ao Fei was stunned when he heard this. What are the plans for the future? If there is no plan, will the leader lay off their optical team? This is something Ao Fei is unwilling to accept.
So he asked tentatively, "I don't know what the leader means. If the leader has another project to assign, we will definitely do our best to complete it."
"Well, this is what I think. Your optical team now has nothing else to study except cameras, microscopes, and telescopes. These projects are currently in a bottleneck period. Instead of being idle, it is better to find something for you to do. You can sort out all the knowledge and theories about optics that you have studied. I plan to put it in the advanced textbooks of the Han tribe, and then put it in school to teach our descendants. What do you think?" Luo Chong said directly to the point.
"Of course, no problem. If the leader needs it, I will go back and take them to sort it out immediately." Ao Fei suddenly breathed a sigh of relief when he heard this. He thought it was a big deal. As long as his optical research team was not laid off, it would be no big deal to ask him to sort out some information.
"Well, then when you go back, you can start sorting it out. The sooner the better. When the time comes, have someone send it to me directly." Luo Chong nodded and said.
"Yes!" Ao Fei immediately bowed his hands in response, and then he saw Luo Chong's eyes turned to Gu Cheng again.
"Gu Cheng, what about you? Your mechanical clock is already perfect, so what are your plans for the next step?" Luo Chong asked again.
Gu Cheng frowned when he heard this, thought for a moment, shook his head and said, "I haven't thought about it yet."
The answer was as clean and neat as always.
Luo Chong didn't care and said again, "Since you don't have any ideas, why don't I assign you a few tasks."
Gu Cheng looked at Luo Chong when he heard this, staring at him without blinking, as if waiting for Luo Chong's task.
"Ahem, I plan to build a huge clock tower in our future capital. It is a four-sided tower-shaped building. At the top of the tower, a huge dial will be inlaid on each of the four outer walls, and there will be pointers on it. It will also be able to tell the time on the hour like this self-ringing clock. In fact, it is a super-large self-ringing clock. You can use any materials you want. Can you build it?" Luo Chong directly said the idea he had in mind.
Gu Cheng's eyes lit up, and he began to imagine the clock tower described by Luo Chong in his mind, and gradually developed a strong interest in his heart.
Super-large self-ringing clock? That's really interesting! And it's also a challenge, but Gu Cheng is not afraid of challenges. On the contrary, for him, there is no fun without challenges.
"I can try!" His answer was still very concise.
Luo Chong nodded, thinking that he had agreed to the task, and then asked Gu Cheng again, "So about clocks, do you have any opinions on its future development direction?"
Hearing Luo Chong's question, Gu Cheng fell into deep thought again. The future development direction of clocks? He really didn't have any ideas.
This is not to say that Gu Cheng is stupid, but that he cannot see the demand. The progress of science and technology has always been caused by the need first. Only when there is an urgent need will society tilt more talents and resources towards this need, and then technological upgrading will become a natural thing.
Gu Cheng is now in a situation where he is in the mountains but does not know the face of the mountain. He is indeed the developer of the mechanical clock, but the initial idea was to do it with the mind of playing, because this thing is complicated enough. If it is not complicated, what is fun?
Later, he improved the self-ringing clock, which was inspired by Luo Chong. He really didn't have any ideas for future improvements.
Seeing that he thought for a long time without saying anything, Luo Chong had a bottom line in his heart, so he asked again, "Don't you know?"
Gu Cheng did not speak, but nodded crisply, and did not feel ashamed for not having any ideas.
So Luo Chong began to guide his thoughts.
"The function of a mechanical clock is to tell time and tell the time. Just like the name you gave it at the beginning, it is a timekeeping tool. This self-ringing clock is the same thing. There is no essential change."
Gu Cheng's expression fell a little when he heard this. He thought Luo Chong looked down on his second-generation mechanical clock, so he suddenly felt a little inferior.
So what he had been doing was just a useless gadget in the eyes of the leader? But think about it, what the leader made, weapons for killing, machinery for farming, vehicles and ships for transportation, compared with the leader's inventions, his mechanical clock seemed to have nothing to be proud of.
Just as he was thinking about it, he heard Luo Chong continue.
"What I mean is that this mechanical clock is a timekeeping tool for family units, it is already qualified. We can set up a clock factory to mass-produce this kind of mechanical clock, and then sell it to thousands of households so that every household can know the time clearly.
"But have you ever thought about how to get the accurate time once you leave home? "Luo Chong suddenly raised a question.
"Our earliest timekeeping tool was the sundial made by the Rat Witch, but the sundial was huge and heavy, and the manufacturing process and material acquisition were also very complicated. There was no way to make every family have one. But your current mechanical clock has achieved these, not only providing the possibility of moving the timer to thousands of households, but also reducing the size a lot. At least it can be carried by car and can also be moved to tell time, but it is still not convenient enough.
"So I said so much, do you understand?" Luo Chong looked at this technical geek with interest.
"The leader means that the clock should be made smaller so that people can carry it with them?" Gu Cheng frowned and thought about the possibility of this idea.
"Yes, the future development direction of clocks is miniaturization, or even micro-miniaturization. Each mechanical clock you make now weighs dozens of kilograms, which consumes materials and limits the scope of use. It can only be placed on the ground and at home.
"But if it is reduced to a dozen kilograms, or even a few kilograms, can it be hung on the wall as a wall clock? If it can be shrunk a little bit, to a pound, or even less than a pound, while retaining its timekeeping and timing functions, then can it be made the size of a steamed bun and placed on a desk as a pocket clock?
"You can even make it smaller, condense it to the size of a silver coin, tie a chain to it, and carry it in your arms. We can call it a pocket watch. If you install two leather belts on both ends of the coin, you can also fix it on your wrist and use it as a watch. Isn't it more interesting to carry it with you this way?"
Gu Cheng couldn't help but widen his eyes when he heard the development direction described by Luo Chong, and both eyes began to shine
(End of this chapter)
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