Chapter 23 second quarter

Trevize must have felt it when Pelorat was telling his vision of Earth.It's just that the problem of the superwave repeater lingers in my mind, so I didn't respond immediately.Sure enough, after that problem was solved, Trevize responded immediately. Perhaps one of Hari Seldon's most quoted lines is his description of Second Foundation.He once said that the second base was located "on the other side of the galaxy", and even mentioned the place's name, saying that it was "the end of the stars". "On the other side of the galaxy..." This sentence is included in Gail Donick's account.According to Donik's biography of Seldon, Seldon himself said this to him after his trial by the Imperial Court.From that day on, the meaning of the phrase has been debated.

What is the connection between one end of the galaxy and the "other end"? A straight line, a spiral, a circle, or some other line? Now, it dawned on Wiz that it wasn't and couldn't be any straight line or curve on the galactic map, and that the real answer was more subtle and abstract. One of the ends refers to the Terminus star, and that's one thing there's absolutely no doubt about.Terminus is at the edge of the galaxy, yes - at the edge of our Federation of Bases - so "Terminus" is literally.However, at the time Seldon said that, it was also the newest world in the galaxy, technically speaking, it didn't exist yet, just a world about to be established.

According to this view, where is the other end of the galaxy? On the other edge of the base? Ha, where is the oldest world in the galaxy? According to what Pelorat just said - although he himself has no idea of ​​the significance ——The only answer is the earth, and the second base is of course on the earth. Although Seldon once said that the other side of the galaxy is called "The End of the Stars", who dares to say that this is not a metaphor? If you go back to the history of mankind like Pelorat and imagine going back in time, you can see The human beings in each inhabited galaxy gradually flowed back to other galaxies, which is the birthplace of the first immigrants.Then the flow of people continued to flow back, until finally, all humans retreated to a certain planet, which is the birthplace of humans.And the star that illuminates the earth is the so-called "stars' end".

Thinking of this, Trevize smiled, and said in an almost pleading tone: "Tell me more about Earth, Janov." Pelorat shook her head, and replied, "I've told you all I know, really. We'll have to go to Trantor to find out more." Trevize said at once, "No, it won't, Janov. We won't find anything there, because we're not going to Trantor. I'm in charge of this spaceship, and I assure you we won't be there. go there." Pelorat's mouth opened wide at once, and it took her a while to catch her breath, and said in a mournful tone: "Oh, my dear companion!"

Trevize quickly comforted him: "Please, Janov, don't be like this. I mean, we have to go directly to the earth." "But only Trantor has—" "No, there's nothing there. When you go to Trantor, you can only dive into those dusty files and piles of brittle film. In the end, you will be disgraced and crumble when you pinch it." "For decades, I've dreamed of—" "You dream of finding Earth." "But only when—" Trevize stood up suddenly, leaned forward, and grabbed Pelorat's short-sleeved robe. "Stop it, Professor, don't mention that place again. The first time you told me we were going to find Earth, before we got on this spaceship, you said we'd find it, because— Let me quote you yourself: 'I already have a very likely answer in my mind'. Now, I don't want to hear you mention 'Trantor' again, I just want you to tell me this very likely answer."

"But it has to be proven. So far it's just an idea, a glimmer of hope, a vague possible answer." "Okay! Just tell me this!" "You don't understand, you don't understand at all. No one has studied this subject but me, and it has absolutely no history, no credible theory, and no real evidence. When people talk about the earth, they always With a half-believing attitude, there are at least a million contradictory legends..." "Come on, then, how do you do your own research?" "I had to collect every legend, every bit of possible historical data, every anecdote, every confusing myth, even those fabricated stories. No matter any data, as long as it mentions the name of the earth, or Covering the concept of the original planet, I have taken it all. For more than 30 years, I have collected all kinds of information from every planet in the galaxy. Now, I only need to go to the galaxy library, go to Look up some more reliable information, but the library is... but you don't allow me to say the name of the place."

"Yes, don't mention that place. I just want you to tell me which piece of information you have collected particularly attracts your attention, and why do you think it is a reliable piece of information." Pelorat kept shaking her head. "Do me a favor, Grant. If you don't mind, I'll tell you the truth, you sound like a soldier, or a politician. That's not the way to study history." Trevize took a deep breath, and forced himself to hold back the breath. "Then tell me what method to use, Janov. We have two full days, please teach me." "I can't just rely on one or a group of myths and legends. I have to collect them all, and then analyze them. I also created some symbols to represent various contents. For example, the climate that cannot exist, and the reality The astronomical data of planetary systems and cultural heroes that do not match the situation are not from local places. There are hundreds of them in total. It is absolutely not an exaggeration to say that. I don’t think it is necessary to tell you all the details. Two days will not be enough .I told you, it took me over thirty years."

"Later I designed a computer program that can automatically search for those myths and legends, find out the common points among them, and delete the parts that are absolutely impossible. In this way, I gradually built a model of the earth, which includes the earth's application. conditions. After all, if humans do arise from a single planet, the characteristics of that planet must be reflected in all origin myths, and every cultural hero story. Well, you want me to explain the mathematical Details?" Trevize said: "Not yet, thank you. But how do you know that you have not been misled by the mathematical model? We know for sure that the terminal star was established five hundred years ago, and the first immigrants were nominally from Trantor, but their real starship includes dozens, if not hundreds, of worlds. However, if someone does not know this history, they may assume that Hari Seldon came from Earth, because he is not in the terminal Star-born, and thus think that Trantor is actually Earth. Of course, if one looks for Trantor according to the landscape of Trantor in Seldon's time—a world covered with metal on the surface—you will not find it, and Trantor Tuo may therefore be regarded as an impossible myth."

Pelorat looked delighted. "I take back the criticisms made by soldiers and politicians just now, my dear partner, I just discovered now that you have a great intuition. Of course, I have to set up some control methods. Based on official history and collected myths and legends, I designed I made a hundred sets of fake histories, one set was even taken from the early development history of Terminus. I then tried to put these creations into the earth model, and the computer rejected them all, and every set was eliminated. Honestly, this Maybe it means that I lack the talent for fantasy to make up a reasonable story, but I have done my best."

"I believe you did your best, Janov. According to your model, what should the Earth look like?" "I have deduced a general outline of the earth. It has many features, and the possibility of each feature is not the same. For example, in the Milky Way, about 90% of the inhabited planets have a rotation period between 22 Between twenty-six galactic standard hours. This—" Trevize interrupted suddenly: "I hope you haven't worked hard on this, Janov, there's nothing mysterious about it. A planet suitable for human habitation cannot rotate too fast or too slow. Atmospheric circulation produces strong storms; the latter will cause polarized changes in temperature. The phenomenon you just mentioned is actually the result of human beings' deliberate selection. Because humans like to live on planets with favorable conditions, planets that are suitable for humans are would have the same characteristics. And yet someone says, 'What an amazing coincidence!' It's not surprising at all, and it's not even a coincidence."

"Actually," Pelorat said calmly, "what you are saying is a well-known phenomenon in the social sciences, and I believe it is the same in physics. But I am not a physicist, so I don't know much about it. I'm sure, but I at least know that this is called the "human principle" - the observer will inevitably affect the observed event during the observation process, and even the existence of the observer is enough to have an impact. Our current The question is, where is the planet that fits the model? Which planet has a rotation period that is exactly one galactic standard day, which is twenty-four galactic standard hours?" Trevize pursed his lips, showing a thoughtful expression. "Do you think the Earth should be like that? Galactic Standard Time must be based on the Earth. It may be based on the characteristic time of any world, isn't it?" "Improbable, this is not in line with human habits. For the past 12,000 years, Trantor has been the capital of the galaxy; and for a full 20,000 years, it was the most populous world in the galaxy, but Trantor Its rotation period—1.08 galactic standard days is not forced to be extended to all parts of the galaxy. The rotation period of the terminal star is 0.91 standard days, and we have not forced the planets under our control to use this Time is regarded as one day. Each planet has its own local planetary day, which is used as the standard of timing, and when dealing with important interstellar affairs, it will use the computer to convert the planetary day and standard day. Therefore, the galactic standard day Must come from the earth!" "Why is it necessary?" "One of the most important reasons is that the earth was once the only inhabited world, so the days and years determined according to its cycle will naturally become the standard. When humans colonize other worlds, due to social inertia, it is likely that I will continue to use these two units as the standard. Therefore, the rotation period of the earth model I established is exactly 24 galactic standard hours, and the period of its revolution around the sun is exactly one galactic standard year." "Isn't this a coincidence?" Pelorat laughed. "Now it's your turn to talk about coincidences. Do you want to bet that this thing is really a coincidence?" "This... um..." Trevize hesitated and couldn't speak. "In fact, besides the day and the year, there is an ancient unit of time called the 'month'." "I've heard that too." "It's obviously the revolution period of the earth's satellites around the earth, but..." "How about it?" "Well, one rather striking feature of my model is the sheer size of the satellite, which is more than a quarter the diameter of the Earth." "I've never heard of such a thing, Janov. If you look at the Milky Way, no inhabited planet has such a large satellite." "This is a good sign," Pelorat said, dancing, "If the earth is the only planet that can produce various species and evolve intelligent life, then it should also have unique natural conditions. " "But what does it have to do with a large satellite that produces all kinds of species and intelligent life, and all the rest?" "Okay, now you're asking me. I don't know the answer either, but it's worth digging into, don't you think?" Trevize stood up, folded his arms across his chest. "But what's the problem with that? You just need to look up the human planet statistics table and find a planet with a rotation period equal to a galactic standard day and a revolution period equal to a galactic standard year. If it happens to have a huge satellite, you'll be fine." It's been found. You said you 'already had a very likely answer in mind,' and I guess that means you've already done so, and you've found your place in that world." Pelorat suddenly showed an embarrassed expression. "Well, well, it's not what you think it is. I did look up the statistics, at least I asked someone from the astronomy department to look it up for me, and it turned out- well, let me be straight with you, there is no world like that .” Trevize sat down again abruptly. "That means all your theories are screwed up." "I don't think so." "What is it? You build a model with all kinds of details, and you can't find a planet that actually fits. That means your model is useless and you have to start all over again. " "No, that's just an incomplete statistical table representing inhabited planets. After all, there are tens of millions of inhabited planets in the Milky Way, some of which are very remote and hidden. For example, nearly half of the planets in the statistical table, among them The population numbers are not precise. In addition, there are 640,000 inhabited worlds, and there is almost no other information except the name, and some have at most a location. According to the estimates of some galactic geologists, the statistical table is not There may be as many as 10,000 inhabited planets registered. According to the general guess, those worlds did this on purpose, during the imperial period, so that they might help them evade taxes." "Wait until the empire collapses, and in the past few centuries," Trevize said in a mocking tone, "it may help them to engage in low-cost businesses and use their world as their base camp. Sometimes, doing this business Easier to get rich than serious trade." "I don't know that," said Pelorat incredulously. Trevize continued: "In any case, whatever the intentions of the inhabitants of Earth, I think that the list of inhabited planets should always include Earth. It is by definition the oldest world and could not have been left out by the early galactic civilizations. And once it's registered on the statistical table, it can never disappear. On this issue, we can certainly believe in the effect of social inertia." Pelorat showed a embarrassed expression, hesitated for a long time before saying: "Actually, there are indeed. Among the list of inhabited planets, there is indeed one called Earth." Trevize glared at him and said, "I remember you just told me that Earth wasn't on that list." "The name 'Earth' is not on the list, but there is a planet called 'Gaia'." "'Capping'? What does it have to do with the earth?" "The 'Gai' in Gai Shi, and the 'Ya' next to the female character, it means the earth." "Why does it mean Earth and not something else, Janov? The name makes no sense to me." Pelorat had a rare expression on his face, but now he seemed to be frowning. "I don't know if you will believe what I'm going to say next. According to my analysis of those myths and legends, I found that on Earth, there are several different languages ​​that cannot communicate with each other." "what?" "You heard me right, after all, throughout the galaxy, we also have thousands of different accents—" "Of course there are many different dialects or dialects in various parts of the galaxy, but they are not different languages ​​that cannot be communicated. Even if some dialects are not easy to understand, they are still not out of the scope of the standard language of the galaxy.", "Of course, but now the interstellar What would happen if a world was isolated for a long period of time?" "But you're talking about the Earth itself. It's a single planet. Where's the isolation?" "Earth is the planet of human origin, don't forget this. There must have been an unimaginable primitive period, no interstellar travel, no computers, no technology of any kind. After an unknown number of years, and countless survival competitions , human beings gradually evolved from non-human ancestors." "That statement is simply ridiculous." Pelorat immediately showed embarrassment after hearing this comment. "Perhaps it's no use discussing it, boy. I've never convinced anyone. It's my own fault, of course, I'm sure." Trevize immediately regretted it, and quickly apologized: "Janov, I apologize to you, I just blurted it out without going through my brain at all. After all, many of the concepts you told me are unfamiliar to me. It took over thirty years to slowly build up these theories, and I had to take them all at once, and you have to take that into account -- listen to me, I can imagine primitive people on Earth who developed Two completely different languages ​​that cannot communicate with each other..." "Maybe there are as many as six or seven kinds—" Pelorat said without much confidence, "the earth may be divided into several huge continents, and at first, there may be no connection between the continents. People who live in each landmass People in the world are likely to develop their own unique language.” Trevize deliberately said in a serious tone: "Once the people on each landmass know each other's existence, they may also start arguing about the origin, arguing on which landmass first appeared from other landmass. Humans evolved from animals." "It's very possible, Grant. It's only natural for them to do that." "And among those different languages, one has 'Gaia' for Earth, but the name 'Earth' comes from another language." "Yep." "And the language that called the Earth 'Earth' later developed into the Galactic Standard Language. However, the inhabitants of the Earth, for some reason, used the 'Gaiya' in their other language to call their own world." "Exactly! You're a quick learner, Grant." "However, I don't think it's necessary to think too much about it. If Gaia is really the earth, although the name is different, but according to your previous argument, the rotation period of this Gaia should be exactly a standard day, and the revolution period is exactly a standard year, and has a large moon orbiting the planet with an orbital period of exactly one month." "Yes, it must be so." "Okay, so tell me, does it meet or don't meet these requirements?" "Actually, I dare not say, because there is no such information in the statistics." "Really? Well, then, Janov, shall we fly to Gaia, measure its rotation and revolution period, and take a good look at its moons?" "I really want to go, Grant." Pelorat said hesitantly. "The problem is that its location is also not precisely documented." "You mean that the only information you have is a name and nothing else, which is what you call a 'highly likely answer'?" "That's why I want to go to the Galaxy Library!" "Wait a minute, you said the exact location wasn't listed in the statistics, is there any other information on it?" "It's listed under Sessel Sector, with a question mark next to it." "Okay, then—Janov, don't hang your head down anymore, let's fly to the Sachel star area, we will always find Gaia!"