Chapter 551: Chapter 361: The Pursuit of Knowledge_2

“As for the single-person small flying device, we will embed a dragonfly…”

At this point, Harrison Clark paused briefly.

He recalled the Compound-Eyed Observer’s Dragonfly Fighter.

The others gradually caught on as well.

Everyone burst into laughter.

It turned out to be as simple as that.

Research is like that; some seemingly straightforward principles that ordinary people can grasp can become dead ends for even the brightest minds. Even with collective intelligence branching out, it’s still not easy to get out of these ruts.

Perhaps someone had thought of Clark’s idea before, but they had a small, separate task to do first. They figured they would finish it and then report to their superiors, but by the time they looked up, several months had passed.

It’s also possible that a small team was already developing in this direction, but due to insufficient technical expertise and resource allocation, they couldn’t produce results quickly enough.

These small teams also lacked the power to influence the bigger picture.

The pitfalls of collective thinking may be even harder to escape than those of individual thought.

In such cases, a leader is needed to force others out of their mental traps.

Clark took on this role.

Inspired by him, the plantation project team immediately changed direction and devoted all their efforts to developing chimeric gene structures.

Clark specifically appointed Yvonne Wallace as the core project leader.

This long-haired girl made a deep impression on him, for she too was capable of coming up with ingenious ideas.

After the meeting, the people in the virtual conference room began to leave one after another, and Bernal Connor, who was responsible for co-hosting, came over.

“Harrison… Harrison Clark. Personally, I don’t think what the plantation project team is doing right now is very meaningful, and even if the direction you proposed is viable, it will still take decades.”

“Years ago, Sergey attempted to integrate the genes of soft-bodied animals, microorganisms, thermophilic bacteria, humans, and other living creatures into the Dyson membrane system, and that too took a long time even after the initial design schemes were completed. This time around, we won’t be able to come up with a viable solution worth mentioning.”

Clark shook his head. “I understand what you mean. I know it’s not entirely fair to the people in this timeline.”

Connor shook his head. “Fair or not, I think it would be better for the plantation project team to focus on researching new technologies that can produce results and that you can take with you.”

Clark: “The easier something is to obtain, the less important it is. Only what fundamentally changes is truly valuable. I know it’s not possible this time, but I believe it will be sooner or later. How much we can figure out this time is what we can, and I’ll remember as much as I can. With the efforts of countless people in each timeline, we can master technology that was never meant for us.”

With that, Clark patted Mr. Connor on the shoulder. “The more you study, the easier it is to develop a sense of awe for the mysteries of science, just like you do. I, on the other hand, am quite ignorant, so I dare to imagine and speculate boldly. To me, human potential is nothing short of a cosmic miracle. Trust me, we can do it.”

As Clark’s figure gradually disappeared in the conference room, Mr. Connor’s thoughts were a jumble.

He smelled something.

Although he didn’t know where Clark’s pessimism came from, the old man knew very well that Clark still didn’t expect to win this time.

But Mr. Connor didn’t blame Clark for being cautious.

He understood that this might be the core philosophy that supported Clark.

As for the cosmic miracle of human potential, Mr. Connor seemed to have some understanding too.

In the previous timeline of Clark’s memory, 31st century humans’ understanding and application of dark energy and antimatter were still limited to being aware of their existence, as if they could see them from afar but could not truly touch them.

In this timeline, we’ve done it.

The Particle-interference Bomb, Mars Power, and Dark Energy Black Hole Bomb were all practical applications.

Although Clark played a significant role in the transformation of these achievements, the value of the efforts of generations of scientific researchers over the past thousand years cannot be denied either.

It’s because we were committed to the right direction from the start, blindly confident in moving forward, that we were able to complete the development of prerequisite technologies before Clark’s arrival, ultimately achieving results in one fell swoop.

Thank goodness, we chose the right path from the beginning.

The Compound-Eyed Observer, who had already reached the Tier 3 Civilization, still considered the application of dark energy and antimatter as their main means.

It’s incredible to think that people had already seen the potential of antimatter and dark energy as far back as the 20th century.

In addition to these two directions, there were also other fields such as curved space travel, quantum theory, and artificial intelligence.

Before obtaining Clark’s memories, Connor often wondered how the ancient sages had started thinking in such an imaginative manner when humanity had not really stepped beyond the Earth, to unveil the deep mysteries of the universe.

Whenever he thought of this, he would pay them the utmost respect.

The more knowledge he had in his head, the more Connor marveled at the wisdom of the ancients.

How imaginative and creative must those scientists have been to complete such complex calculations — and to get them right?

While the term “neglecting the present and admiring the past” used to have a negative connotation, it now seems that the ancients are indeed worthy of reverence.

The terrifying potential of humanity was already evident at the end of the 19th century, when humans still traveled by steam trains.

Though the people of that era were still weak and humble creatures on Earth, their magnificent minds had already soared across the universe.

Connor couldn’t imagine where the gaze of a Tier 3 Civilization would be directed or how they would sweep across the cosmos.

No wonder the Compound-Eyed Observer hurriedly attacked.

Not to mention the Compound-Eyed Observer, any civilization with a brain would have to fight the Earthlings with all their might.

Sigh.

Connor, like Clark, eventually came to understand the position of the Compound-Eyed Observer.

This war seems unequal, but it is, in fact, a war that will determine the fate of both sides.

Connor also believed in Clark’s judgment.

The Compound-Eyed Observer’s technological direction was likely to focus on unified power and extraordinary biology, but the strength of individuals themselves was weak.

The Compound-Eyed Observer’s use of dark energy and antimatter might not be the epitome of technology, and could even be somewhat crude.

Perhaps they didn’t even know the principles behind these technologies. They only knew that they could be used in this way, and if the effects were good, they would simply do it.

This is the essential difference between Earthlings and the Compound-Eyed Observer.

Earthlings see fire and intuitively ponder its origin, what substances it consumes during combustion, what new substances it produces, and the energy changes during combustion.

Earthlings look up at the stars and wonder why they are different colors.

And what different cosmic phenomena are represented by the different colors.

…

Earthlings have a terrible desire for knowledge, and this is the root of their boundless potential.

We are born to figure out what the universe looks like.

September 26, 3020.

The preparations for the war were completed.

Earth, Oxfordshire.

The Oath-taking Convention began as scheduled.