Spark

The environmental transformation project is not Chen Nian's purpose. His real purpose is to make this project a flagship project.

It is a technical base that will continue to promote the sustainable development of biology and infrastructure fields based on this.

In fact, he also fully knows that it is not that simple to transform the desert environment.

Many people think that creating vegetation in the desert is just a simple "water source" problem, but in fact, just solving the water source problem cannot fundamentally solve the problem of land desertification, at least not in the short term.

Changes in the earth's environment are a complex system, and in a sense, even a chaotic system.

A change in one small factor may cause earth-shaking changes in the entire system.

Therefore, desertification control and afforestation are never as simple as “watering and planting trees”.

Improved seeds, water sources, soil improvement, and even flood control are all issues that need to be considered.

It is very complex, but precisely because of its complexity, it is more suitable as a flagship project.

Chengdu, in the office.

Chen Nian had just finished reading several reports on plant gene editing. Chen Guo knocked on the door and walked in. She shook her head and said:

"The reform plan related to condensation water vapor was rejected. It is generally believed by the above that this thing is a bit flashy and the real effect is subject to discussion. However, the large-scale environmental reform plan you proposed was approved."

"In other words, the general direction is fine, but the implementation details still need to be discussed."

"But no matter what, the first-phase experimental plan has been approved, and the renovation project near the quantum laboratory can proceed as scheduled."

Chen Nian was not surprised at all when he heard Chen Guo's words.

After all, from a technical point of view, if you want to achieve large-scale condensation and water storage, it is not only a cost and technology problem, but also a "coverage area" alone is a big problem.

How big is the desert?

The Taklimakan Desert is larger than a small country in Southeast Asia. If you want to deploy condensation equipment here, you might as well just plant trees all over it.

Therefore, Chen Nian was not disappointed by this, because after all, this was just a directional attempt. The goal he really wanted to achieve still required a combination of multiple means.

So he opened his mouth and replied:

"If it doesn't pass, then it doesn't pass. After all, this is just a means to deal with extreme situations. The focus is still on the project itself."

"The quantum base environmental transformation project is a platform and a testing ground. Here we have to try a variety of different technologies and equipment to find the most suitable solution."

"Those vast deserts will eventually be utilized, especially after nuclear fusion becomes the main method of energy acquisition."

"With the reduction in fossil energy use and carbon emissions, the desert's only role in carbon sequestration has become useless. It is better to turn it into usable land and expand our own living range and activity space."

"Inform the other side to prepare to start the project - let's try out a batch of equipment first and evaluate the effect."

"If the results can meet the standards, continue to follow up. If the results cannot meet the standards, just give up."

Opposite Chen Guo nodded, and then suddenly laughed again.

"This seems to be the first time you say 'give up if it doesn't work'. It's quite strange."

"There is no way. After entering the new era, the development speed of many things exceeds the speed of our cognitive improvement. All technologies are born in chaos and change, losing the previous step-by-step mature path."

"Trials and errors will become more and more frequent, especially taking risks, so failure is no big deal."

"Understood, then I will give them a budget target."

"no problem."

Chen Nian answered casually and turned his attention back to the technical materials in his hand. He carefully read the relevant literature on gene editing technology and gene editing equipment, intending to lay a stronger foundation before formally analyzing it.

He had never been exposed to the field of "biology" before, so it was particularly difficult to learn.

Fortunately, through long-term study and research work, his thinking has been basically trained. Although the progress is slow, it has not stagnated.

It is estimated that in another ten days and a half, he will be able to establish a basic understanding of biology and genetics and reach the point where he can "understand the general meaning of the literature."

Well, although it sounds unsophisticated, it is enough to at least support him in exploring the direction of analysis.

Chen Nian let out a long sigh of relief. When he raised his head again, he found that Chen Guo hadn't left yet. Instead, he sat down on the sofa, drinking tea, as if waiting for him.

"What's wrong? Is something wrong?"

Chen Nian asked.

"No. It's almost time for dinner. Wait a minute. By the way, I want to ask Wang Jiancheng about that project - it's just my curiosity."

"What happened to his project?"

Chen Nian asked doubtfully.

"Is his project strongly related to GAI?"

Chen Guo asked bluntly.

"Strong correlation - it is an exploration of advanced artificial intelligence training methods. The purpose is to use a broad public platform to create a 'virtual society' that can be learned and imitated by AI."

"To put it simply, human babies also learn in society, and the behavioral patterns from other mature individuals are the basis for shaping them into an 'intelligent creature'."

"What we have to do now is to move this 'socialized education' method to AI training and try to establish a mature 'AI mother nest'. You know, differentiated GAI."

Hearing this, Chen Guo couldn't help but sigh.

"So that's really what I want to ask."

"Is this training method really reliable?"

"Indeed, this project has raised considerable concerns about runaway artificial intelligence."

". But stop talking about it."

Chen Nian shook his head helplessly.

In fact, he has never believed in the idea that artificial intelligence can defeat humans and replace them.

Isn't this a joke?

What qualifications does a thing that can be completely controlled by simply cutting off power and internet have to threaten humanity?

Let alone artificial intelligence or robots, just take human beings as an example. The oppression of the upper class against the lower class has been the unchanging mainstream for thousands of years. How many bottom-up resistances have been successful?

——

Moreover, those cases that are truly successful are not purely “downcoming”, but are basically the natural replacement of more advanced ideas and social structures.

Can AI do this?

The possibility is almost zero.

So, Chen Nian opened his mouth and said:

"First of all, from a theoretical basis, this dystopian fantasy is impossible to realize."

"Secondly, it is quite easy to restrict AI. In the current network environment, using centralized and cloud computing methods to distribute computing power can completely eliminate the risk of AI getting out of control."

"A nuclear bomb is buried under the server and will detonate if there is an abnormality. Omnic crisis? What is the crisis?"

".Good idea."

Chen Guo nodded in admiration. In this aspect, Chen Nian really thought much more clearly than others.

"Let's go and eat."

"After eating, we will go home and rest. Tomorrow we will discuss the details of the specific implementation plan of the northwest project."

On the other side, northwest, suburbs of YL City.

Wang Wang was walking on the way back from the forest farm, wiping the sweat from his face with a towel while explaining the details of the afforestation technology trained on this day to the new technicians.

"So the water-vapor planting technology is actually a technology that is only suitable for planting trees on flowing sandy soil. Its core lies in the impact and drilling of high-pressure water jets to achieve the purpose of compacting the sandy soil."

"The main advantages of this process are easy operation and fast planting speed, but in fact, the survival rate is not as high as some media touted."

"Achieving 70% is considered excellent, and 60% is passing. Only in a few areas with excellent soil composition and soil density conditions can it reach over 90%."

"Therefore, when we choose technology, we must also consider the environment of different places. Although our considerations of 'cost' and 'economics' have been relatively weakened now, choosing the appropriate method is also a respect for this cause. .”

Hearing his words, the technicians surrounding him nodded with concentration.

They are all students majoring in agriculture and forestry from various colleges. The reason why they are here is actually not for any noble and respectable reasons such as "serving the country and the people" or "benefiting mankind", but they are The goal is too illusory, but it is due to changes in the general environment and employment prospects.

In the past few years, as the control of the Mu Us Desert has been basically completed and the results have been widely reported, society's views on the work of "desert control" have also changed.

Before that, many people thought that the so-called desertification control was an old man wearing a turban and looking like a farmer who was braving the wind and sand, stooping his back, waving a hoe to plant saplings one after another, and then using his body to block the strong wind. Standing as a sculpture in the sunset, it profoundly shows the tragic struggle between human beings and the natural environment in a harsh environment.

But when the documentary about the management of the Mu Us Desert was released, people were surprised to find that this was not the case at all.

Large machinery, high-power diesel engines and water pumps, automated irrigation systems, intelligent monitoring programs, weather radar, artificial rainfall, soil environment monitoring.

It can be said that this is not an evenly matched battle at all, but a complete crushing of the desert by human technology and productivity.

Therefore, under this background, those students who are still on the university campus have also chosen to invest in this work, because they found that the high-end level of this thing is not necessarily inferior to those who are in the Academy of Agricultural Sciences. Students engaged in scientific research.

Coupled with a fairly generous hardship subsidy, why not?

More and more talents are being sent to the northwest, and more fresh graduates are coming to YL City, the "flagship city", to learn experience and carry out practical training.

At first, Wang Wang was very pleased with this change. After all, it not only meant social recognition of his career, but also meant a reduction in the difficulty and intensity of work in the future.

——

But soon, he became aware of the problem behind the “influx of talent”.

At this rate, the number of talents entering the fields of desertification control and environmental transformation will soon exceed the demand. By then, the issue of employment will once again become a big problem for these passionate young people.

Wang Wang couldn't help but sigh, and after sending the new technicians back to their dormitories, he slowly returned to his residence.

His wife had already prepared a meal waiting for him. Seeing his sad face, she couldn't help but ask:

"What, is there anything wrong today?"

Wang Wang shook his head and replied:

"There's nothing wrong with it - it's just that a new group of college students have arrived, and I don't know how to arrange it later."

"Do you still need people in your department? If not, I can stuff them with you. At least give them the practical proof."

After hearing his words, his wife hesitated slightly and nodded, then replied:

"We still have the indicators, and short-term problems can be solved."

"However, it won't work if you keep doing it like this. Treating the symptoms but not the root cause."

"Who says it isn't?"

Wang Wang sighed again and continued:

"Nowadays, society is paying too much attention to the issue of desertification control. It can be said that the overall situation is overheated."

“But in fact, the carrying capacity of this industry is still limited.”

“There are only so many areas suitable for environmental transformation, and most of them are historically agricultural areas. The size and number of projects that these areas can carry are only so large.”

"Have we finished it? We can't attack the Taklimakan Desert, right? The amount of evaporation there is no joke. The problem of water evaporation cannot be solved. Just planting trees to achieve greening is simply a fool's errand."

"So, everyone thinks this is a good industry with a good direction, but its ceiling is there and there is no way to break through."

Hearing Wang Wang's words and looking at his expression, his wife couldn't comfort her for a moment.

Although she is in the same research institute as Wang Wang, she is engaged in administrative work and really does not have much say in such matters.

——

However, when talking about Taklimakan, she suddenly remembered something.

So, she opened her mouth and said:

"If you can't solve it, just put it aside for now. Don't be so anxious."

"But what you said about Taklama, I happened to see a contact note today."

"Next week, an old friend is coming over. Do you know who he is?"

"Who?"

Wang Wang asked curiously.

"Lin Guorui."

"Lin Guorui? Didn't he transfer to Southern Xinjiang? No wonder you suddenly said this."

"Why is he here? On vacation?"

"no."

The wife shook her head and replied:

"The document says communication, but I don't know what the specific communication was."

"You can go to the general affairs department and have a look later to see what the specific situation is."

Wang Wang nodded slightly and said no more.

But after hearing the news, a strange emotion suddenly appeared in his heart.

Lin Guorui is a big expert in the field of desertification control. He was transferred to work in the northwest more than three years ago. At that time, I felt it was a pity, thinking that he had given up his future.

However, in the subsequent communications, the other party did not appear frustrated at all.

It looks like he's doing pretty well there.

So if that's the case, why come back suddenly?

Communicate, what is there to communicate with?

Wang Wang's heart skipped a beat, and a somewhat "whimsical" idea came to his mind.

——

Is it possible that we really want to attack the Great Gobi?