Deep Space Wandering Fleet
Chapter 392 - 390 Searching for Silicon-based Life

Chapter 392: Chapter 390 Searching for Silicon-based Life

"Have there been any genius newcomers recently?" Shu Xiao casually asked, the first thing he wanted to know after waking up.

"Of course, there’s one high-achiever from the Mathematics Department at Deep Space University, who is incredibly talented in mathematical modeling. Another one graduated from Star University, all of them working on robots in high gravity environments. We at our institute managed to snag just two students. Take a look at their papers: ’Numerical Simulation Verification Study of High-Pressure Air Short Blowing Mathematical Model for Submarines’ and ’Design of Hydraulic Press Control System for Submarine Shell Heads.’"

Shu Xiao flipped through the abstracts, reflecting, "Submarines operating in deep-sea environments, huh? This generation of students is impressive too... Oh, right, has the planning for the Tenth Research Institute started yet?"

"Yes, some well-known experts from here have been transferred there, and it’s said that a few new universities will be established specializing in scientific surveys in complex environments. Would you be interested in teaching? The main research interests are mechanical engineering and spaceship design."

"No, I’m not that skilled," Shu Xiao quickly shook his head.

He himself was still a young man at fifty, learning more from the experts was far more important than being qualified to mentor newcomers.

Designing spaceships, submarines, and such—don’t think they sound very cool; every single component embodies the wisdom of numerous researchers.

In this casual conversation, he had basically caught up with the major events of recent years. Every time he woke from hibernation, there was good news to hear.

His colleague, Xu Yafeng, continued, "...first let’s discuss recent work. To prepare for the scientific investigation of Super Earth, government agencies have announced a major topic that includes new robots and transport machine design plans. Do you have any thoughts? It could be great to apply for a project."

"Super Earth exploration, hmm..."

"Yes, currently the technology allows us to send exploration robots, but re-launching from it is much more challenging. Three times the gravity, eight times the air pressure, all challenging factors."

"Our current shuttles likely can’t return from such high-gravity planets, so everyone is considering employing the latest ramjet engine technology."

That made sense.

Shu Xiao, intrigued, turned on his computer and browsed relevant scientific forums. There were many experts in the field, each a big name in their own right.

"...Humans can’t land on this planet directly. Under three times gravity, everything must rely on robots. But we can use VR technology to link to these robots’ vision, effectively replacing manual control."

"...The atmosphere is too thick; the shuttle’s outer coating needs to be redone, or else the entire spaceship could easily burn to ash due to high speeds. It’s a systemic project, if we’re doing it, everything needs to be redesigned."

"...After calculations, the nuclear fusion engine’s specific impulse, theoretically, should definitely not be problematic, capable of overcoming three times gravity. If it were ten times gravity, it would be terrible; even our spaceships wouldn’t be able to break free from gravity."

Reading the various comments below, Shu Xiao frowned—the research in this area was turning out to be much more troublesome than anticipated!

He smiled and said, "Looking at the list, I see a lot of big names; I thought it would be resolved in just a few months."

A colleague sitting beside him added, "For now, we only know the general environment of the planet. Again, the robots will still need to withstand heat, high gravity, water, and acid, right? There might even be a need to withstand typhoons; such a dense atmosphere, even a slight wind could blow the robots away."

Shu Xiao began to ponder deeply, his frown tightening. He happened to be a researcher in the relevant field, and his interest in this issue was significant.

Don’t think since humans are part of an interstellar civilization, they can overcome all natural conditions.

These factors combined, humans were experiencing them for the first time. Three times gravity might even require redesigning things as fundamental as microchips.

"But that said, if it’s so difficult for humans, then if there’s a Wisdom Civilization on this planet, how would they solve this problem? It’s not that we underestimate ourselves, but after all, humans have stepped onto the threshold of Third-level Civilization."

"Hey, you’re right. So, I bet if there’s a civilization on this planet, it hasn’t reached space."

"What a sure win, why even bet!" The young folks started cracking jokes.

Xu Yafeng coughed twice from the side, "...We could deploy a Deceleration Umbrella and drop a tank-like robot. As long as this robot is heavy enough, we don’t have to worry about strong winds, as the atmosphere of the planet is very dense and the effect of the Deceleration Umbrella is quite good."

"...We could also employ some airships. Airships should be able to scout the terrain, right? And they don’t require high technology; our nano-materials would be more than sufficient for building airships. I’ve already submitted a report on this topic, do you want to join?"

"No problem!" Shu Xiao nodded, finding practical solutions with simple technology—this is real wisdom, "But relying solely on airships, how would we collect biological samples?"

"That’s not something we should worry about..." Xu Yafeng pursed his lips, "There are some big shots designing new spaceships. Anyway, the probes that we deploy aren’t the only type."

The two enthusiastically discussed for a long time before gradually quieting down.

Shu Xiao suddenly pondered, "So, what do you think the life on this planet would be like? It can’t just be microorganisms, that would be too boring."

"That’s not entirely impossible... Let’s hope it’s not that unlucky." Xu Yafeng sighed regretfully, "Three times Earth’s gravity means that the creatures here couldn’t possibly grow as large as dinosaurs..."

"Otherwise, their bones would have to be incredibly hard, tougher than regular steel-reinforced concrete. It’s hard to evolve such a physique under natural conditions; every material has its limits."

"Hence, I guess the life on this planet should all be creatures that crawl close to the ground, or even like the Glizerians, living underground."

Another young person pitched in, "I think that, given the dense atmosphere, there might be a lot of species capable of gliding. Although the planet’s gravity is three times that of Earth, the increase in air pressure is even greater. It would be similar to how fish swim in water; perhaps streamlined creatures that can glide through the air will evolve."

"Could there be other forms of life?" Shu Xiao casually opened a thread discussing the possibility of silicon-based life on this planet.

This high-gravity, highly complex environment with temperatures reaching six to seventy degrees Celsius could give rise to a form of silicon-based life completely different from that found on Earth!

However, this speculation had been rebutted by a large group of biologists.

Many biologists believe that silicon-based life is difficult to produce naturally.

Because humans have visited various planets and only found silicon dioxide and silicates but never silane and silicones.

Can mere silicon dioxide and silicates constitute life?

Of course not.

From a chemical perspective, people have discovered advanced carbon compounds in comets and meteorites, but no advanced silicon compounds.

Methane is commonly found on planets, in interstellar matter, and in nebulas, too. Complex molecules like methyl acetylene and Cyanide Decapentaene can be found in interstellar matter, and amino acids have even been discovered on meteorites!

Yet, no silane-related compounds have ever been discovered by humans.

This means that not only is there no silane in interstellar matter, but also that it cannot be formed even through planetary chemical processes that follow.

If even complex silicon-related compounds cannot be naturally produced, the existence of silicon-based life becomes an unsubstantiated notion.