New Han Dynasty 1834

Chapter 8 "Technological Obsession"

Liu Yulong entered the main hall of the Academy of Natural Sciences and sat down behind the imperial desk in the main seat.

He once again received the adoration of the crowd, and then, seemingly with considerable emotion, asked a crucial question:

"I haven't been to the Gewu Institute for at least three years. I wonder how the main research projects are progressing now?"

"Let's start by talking about the steam engine. Have there been any significant research findings?"

Liu Yulong judged that, given Liu Desheng's bizarre arrangements, their research was unlikely to yield any practical results.

However, Liu Yulong still took the initiative to ask this question, preparing to subtly adjust the bizarre arrangements left by Liu Desheng after the officials of the Gewu Academy admitted that there were no significant results.

After all, this was about changing the "ancestral system," and as the emperor, he couldn't directly oppose his ancestors.

The scholars and craftsmen of the Institute of Natural History kept shifting their gazes, which gradually focused on several "Grand Scholars" of the Institute.

The Imperial Academy itself did not have a direct supervising official; theoretically, it was directly managed by the emperor himself.

However, Liu Desheng established the position of "Grand Secretary" to assist the emperor in governance.

There are usually three to five Grand Secretaries of the Imperial Academy of Gewu. There is no nominal difference in rank among the Grand Secretaries; they are all officials of the third rank.

However, the Grand Secretaries of the Imperial Academy of Natural History were similar to the Grand Secretaries of the Ming Dynasty's Cabinet. They were also divided into Chief, Second, Third, Fourth and Last positions according to their length of service.

The chief scholar usually chaired the meeting, leading other scholars to sort out the problems of the Academy of Natural Sciences, give suggestions, and submit them to the emperor for approval.

The current chief scholar of the Academy of Sciences is named Wang Lai, who is 66 years old this year and can be considered a mathematician in history.

Upon hearing Liu Yulong's question, Wang Lai immediately stepped forward as a representative to answer with clasped hands:

"Your Majesty, the Machinery Division of the Imperial Academy of Sciences produced a working steam engine last autumn."

"However, there are too many parts used, and the manufacturing process is also quite complicated."

"The machine itself is still difficult to operate stably for a long time, and the power output is still relatively limited, not yet exceeding the European steam engine that we have copied and improved."

"By the standards of Emperor Taizu Gaozu, it still has no practical value..."

When the nobles and military officers faced the emperor, they were accustomed to addressing him directly as "Your Majesty," just like ordinary people in the Central Plains.

However, officials in the Imperial Academy of Natural History, as well as civil officials in various departments of the court, were accustomed to using the more formal "Your Majesty".

Liu Yulong was somewhat puzzled by this answer:

"Did you really build a working steam engine? And without using any existing European designs?"

Wang Lai gave a rather cautious answer and explanation:

"This old minister dares not conceal the fact that the Institute of Geology did not use any known European original designs."

"But it also cannot be guaranteed that no other Europeans created similar designs in places that the Institute of Geography did not know about."

"We also used European-style steam engines as tools to participate in the processing and manufacturing of our new steam engines."

"Without the European-style steam engine, we would not have been able to independently manufacture this new type of steam engine."

"However, once the new steam engine becomes practical, the European steam engine can be discarded."

Liu Yulong fell into deep thought after hearing these answers.

In Liu Yulong's view, his grandfather Liu Desheng was mostly poisoned by the internet, which is why he dug many pitfalls in the scientific research and education system of Dahan.

The largest of them, Liu Yulong felt, could be described as "technological fastidiousness."

It's possible that the local people said China didn't have its own science and technology, and all its technology came from abroad.

Liu Desheng prohibited scholars and craftsmen from directly using foreign technologies.

By this time, steam engines in Britain, France, and the United States had already been put into practical use. Liu Desheng allowed craftsmen to imitate this "European-style steam engine" as a reference and tool, but did not allow its production and application outside the Academy of Sciences.

Liu Desheng demanded that the craftsmen design a completely new steam engine, the key being that its structure be entirely different from that of the European steam engine, that is, to avoid the mature technology route already used by Europeans.

The most typical crankshafts, connecting rods, pistons, and planetary gears are not allowed to be used.

This directly led to a long-term delay in the development of steam engines in the Han Dynasty, and they still cannot be put into practical use to this day.

Without this peculiar restriction, craftsmen who learned about European steam engines could have directly applied them to build various steam-powered factories, trains, and railways.

That would create increasingly large interest groups and gather a large number of people who depend on these industries for their livelihood.

At that time, it became much more difficult for other officials to abolish the Academy of Sciences.

In this way, the Academy of Natural History could have a practical function, and even without the full support of the imperial power, it could continue to exist independently.

Industries that can operate independently and generate profits are the "pillars" of research institutions.

However, Liu Desheng refused to allow that, and the replica European steam engine could only be used inside the Gewu Institute.

After Liu Yulong regained his memory, he thought about Liu Desheng's arrangements and wished he could travel through a time tunnel to beat him up.

If the Han Dynasty were the only country in the world, that would be fine; we could conduct this kind of "social experiment."

Furthermore, we can observe what kind of scientific systems artisans could create without external influence.

But it was already the mid-19th century, and the Industrial Revolution had already begun in full swing.

The urgent task is to catch up with the pace as soon as possible, apply existing mature technologies, and rush into the industrial age.

At that time, there was no cross-border patent protection, so once you learned it, it was yours.

For hundreds or even thousands of years, Europeans have learned from and imitated many of China's existing technologies.

The key point is that science and technology develop rapidly precisely through exchange and conflict.

The Germanic peoples of places like England, France, and Germany were originally considered pure barbarians within the traditional European context.

After invading and destroying the Western Roman Empire, they learned about the feudal system and basic social governance.

Through long-term confrontation and interaction with the Arabs and the Eastern Roman Empire, they gradually learned various mathematical and architectural knowledge accumulated by the Arabs and the Eastern Roman Empire.

Starting around the time of the Mongol westward expansion, they began to comprehensively learn Eastern technologies and knowledge, such as gunpowder, ship's wheel, printing, ceramics, and silk weaving.

Even during the Qing Dynasty, they learned how to make water-powered spinning machines from sailors who had traveled to the East, and later they even stole the tea-frying technique.

The spinning jenny, which is said to be the starting point of the Industrial Revolution, had similar machines that already appeared in the Song Dynasty.

Western Europe's level of social production technology did not surpass that of the East until Watt's reciprocating steam engine became widespread, in most industries.

It was through this continuous learning from multiple civilizations that the pace of technological innovation accelerated, enabling us to transition from barbarism to the industrial age in just over a thousand years.

The key point is that the so-called West is not a single country, and modern science and technology were not created independently by any one nation.

Most countries are learning from each other. The key is that other countries are secretly learning from us, but we don't learn from others. If we don't fall behind, who will?

Those with the most extreme technological fastidiousness are ultimately heading in the same direction as the Manchu Qing dynasty's refusal to learn.

Especially in the mid-to-late 19th century, the original protection of technology was rapidly declining, and monopolistic barriers had not yet been formed.

The world has entered the era of "free-market capitalism," also known as "the era in which capitalists are willing to sell the noose that strangles them for profit," an era of rapid and free expansion of capital and technology.

From steel smelting and steam engine production technology, to all gunpowder and cannons and their production technology, and even the technology for building large capital ships used by the navy, everything can be commercially sold.

In the 21st century, nuclear-powered aircraft carriers with electromagnetic catapults and fifth-generation stealth carrier-based fighter jets can be freely bought and sold, and there are even multiple countries and manufacturers that support customized production and technology transfer.

When the Qing Dynasty went to Europe to buy warships and organize its navy, it could pick and choose among shipyards in many European countries.

This is an era where people can freely learn from each other, or rather, an era where they can copy each other. Major countries in the world are competing to see who can learn faster and whose technology can be updated and iterated more quickly.

If a newly designed warship is built and put into service even slightly slowly, it will already be outdated by the time the military uses it.

To keep their military equipment from becoming outdated, they either need to have ample funds to continuously purchase new equipment, or they need to produce and build their own new equipment and maintain a leading edge.

If a country engages in technological fastidiousness at this time, it will certainly severely slow down its industrial and military technology development, causing its military and technological levels to lag behind those of Western Europe and the United States, which are characterized by free-market capitalism.

Liu Yulong could not support technical fastidiousness, feeling it was a pure waste of time and unlikely to yield any results.

But now Wang Lai says that the Gewu Institute has actually created a completely new steam engine, and they haven't directly referenced the "European steam engine".

Although it still has no practical value at present, it is at least operational.

"What exactly have they come up with?"

After pondering for a few seconds, Liu Yulong vaguely guessed something in his mind, then stood up and walked out:

"Take me to see your machine right away, to see how it's designed and how it works."

The officials from the Institute of Physics, led by Wang Lai, breathed a slight sigh of relief. They could all see that Liu Yulong was now very curious and expectant.

This shows that Liu Yulong still appreciates the achievements of the Institute of Physics.

Wang Lai immediately bowed and accepted the order, then led the other key officials and craftsmen to accompany Liu Yulong to the steam testing ground.

In the northeast corner of the Gewu Institute, there are several rows of large factory buildings made of blue bricks, which store a large amount of coal and mechanical parts.

There were also several European-style steam engines of different models, driving various processing machinery to assist in research and development and experimentation.

Wang Lai had the craftsmen open one of the workshops, and together with the person in charge of the workshop, led Liu Yulong into the warehouse.

As soon as Liu Yulong entered the warehouse, he saw a "cartwheel" placed in the middle.

It should be described as a heavy disc the size of a wheel, with a shaft running through the center of the disc, making it look very much like a wheel.

Two copper pipes were inserted around the "wheel," with the other end of each pipe passing through the wall and connecting to the boiler next door.

The boiler was always in operation, supplying steam to several steam engines in the vicinity.