Chapter 63 Industrial Revolution and the First Mover Trap
Li Qiwei responded to each question with his own moves, and resolved three tricky questions from three different professions in succession, making everyone put away their contemptuous thoughts.
No one dared to underestimate the Qing Chinese on the podium anymore. Not only was he extremely talented in physics, he was also quick-witted and had sharp logic in other areas.
Li Qiwei swept his arrogant eyes across the classroom. He wanted to see what other monsters would jump out.
At this time, a middle-aged man sitting in the front row suddenly stood up and said, "Bruce Lee, hello, I am a professor in the Department of History at Cambridge University."
There was a sudden whisper from the audience, and Dean Sanders looked displeased. How could even someone from Cambridge come out to sabotage the show?
Sure enough, the other party had bad intentions and continued: "When I was studying the history of the East and the West, I was thinking about a question."
“Why did the first industrial revolution, represented by the steam engine, from the 18s to the 60s, take place in Britain rather than in the Qing Dynasty?”
“Why did the second industrial revolution, represented by electricity, internal combustion engines, and oil, continue to take place in Europe and the United States from the 19s onwards, rather than in the Qing Dynasty?”
“Does this mean that the European system is more advanced and reasonable than that of the East, and therefore suitable for the emergence and development of science?”
"For example, Bruce Lee, since you came to Cambridge, in just a few years, you have transformed from an ordinary Qing citizen to a famous young physicist."
"Do you think it was the fertile soil of science in Britain that nurtured you?"
"You said you picked up the light of truth, but can it really illuminate the land where you were born?"
“Can you continue to achieve new things when you return?”
When the questions were asked, everyone in the classroom was stunned. These three consecutive questions were so oppressive that it was hard to cope with.
At the same time, they all felt a sense of pride and superiority.
The great Industrial Revolution took place in great Britain because they had excellent systems and outstanding talents.
He Yujie and the other two had distorted faces and were so gloomy that water seemed to be dripping from their faces. These foreigners were really going too far.
They looked at Li Qiwei expectantly, hoping that he could resolve this difficulty as easily as before, and at the same time they also wanted an answer in their hearts.
Can the Spark Project really go smoothly? Can China really rise?
Li Qiwei took in everyone's expressions. He did not get angry about this question, nor did he intend to evade it.
He smiled faintly at first, then looked directly at the history professor and said, "I believe you can analyze dozens of papers on why the Industrial Revolution happened in Britain."
"But in summary, it's nothing more than the following points."
"First, Europe was a country with many different countries and no major unification, so the environment was loose, without any restrictions, and very free, so science began to germinate."
"Secondly, the great voyages of discovery hoped to determine routes through calculations, which led to a growing demand for science and thus accelerated the development of science."
"Third, a great man descended from heaven and, with his own strength, directly raised science to an incredible height, providing a theoretical basis for various subsequent inventions."
"Fourth, globalization allows goods from all over the world to be traded freely. Existing production efficiency cannot meet the rapidly expanding market demand. The pursuit of wealth has promoted the enthusiasm for invention, and various machines have come into being."
"Of course, there are many other reasons, and you can come up with more."
"But these are all inferring the cause from the effect. We Chinese have an old saying: hindsight is 20/20. It means that it is ridiculous to look for the cause after something has happened."
"Why do I say that? Because China once met all of the above conditions, but still has not developed today's science."
"Our country has also had wars among princes, and we once needed to design water conservancy canals and other facilities. We have also seen brilliant people, and we have also had countries come to pay tribute and trade with the world."
“Why is it that the same foundation, when moved to a different place, produces different results?”
"The reason is simple. It's because the Industrial Revolution happened because of luck!"
"Yes, pure luck."
Wow!
Now everyone in the classroom couldn't sit still. The great industrial revolution transformed Britain from a small maritime country into the present empire on which the sun never sets.
The country's land area exceeds 4 million square kilometers, accounting for a quarter of the world's land; its population is close to million, also accounting for a quarter of the total population.
Now, some people even say that all this was achieved by luck in the UK.
No one can accept this.
The audience immediately became indignant, and the history professor even shook his head slightly and sighed, obviously thinking that Li Qiwei's answer was just a trick to attract attention.
Even Professors Sanders and Case were troubled; they could not accept this view emotionally.
Li Qiwei didn't care about the shouting and raised his voice and said, "Don't be angry in a hurry. Doesn't my statement prove that Britain is a place blessed by God?"
When everyone heard this, it seemed to be true, but they still did not give up their anger towards Li Qiwei.
He went on to say: “One of the biggest problems with science and technology is that it is easy to copy and there is a first mover trap.”
"Don't you know that this year, the economic strength of the United States across the ocean has surpassed that of the United Kingdom?"
"The United States is a very new country, even born after the first industrial revolution, so why can its strength catch up so quickly?"
"It was because it replicated all of the British technology in a very short time and with great efficiency, and quickly widened the gap."
"The United States has 7600 million people, while the British mainland has only 4000 million people. The population in the colonies is of no use to the development of science and technology."
"With its huge population advantage, the United States will surpass Britain sooner or later."
"As for the so-called pioneer trap, take the steam engine as an example. During its invention, countless British engineers spent a lot of time to improve it to perfection. After that, it was impossible to go any further."
"The United States does not need to take these detours. It can directly choose the best improved version and instantly stand at the same scientific level as the United Kingdom, so the gap will be narrowed in a short period of time."
Hearing this, everyone present was stunned again. They seemed to sense something terrible, because what Li Qiwei said was so right.
Especially the pioneer trap, which makes people realize the seriousness of the problem.
Then, Li Qiwei said: "So, even if we Chinese lag behind temporarily, as long as God can favor us once, we can rise up and enter the road of industrial revolution before the forerunner trap is resolved."
"It will take the United States 100 years to catch up, but we will only need 20 years because our population is 4 million, which is larger than the population of all the British colonies combined."
"So, if you continue to bask in the glory of the birth of the Industrial Revolution, sooner or later, those latecomers will rise up by stepping on Britain."
"Now, Professor, I can answer your questions."
"First, I admit that it was Britain that brought me scientific knowledge."
"Second, when I return, I will make these technologies appear like mushrooms after rain, producing countless cars, ships, guns, and so on."
"Third, the world is a cycle. Sooner or later, China will become the first country to encounter the pioneer trap, just like Britain."
"Then maybe it will be a good time for you in Britain to catch up with China."
boom!
Everyone in the classroom gasped.
Li Qiwei's description was so horrifying, yet irrefutable, as if it was something that was bound to happen in the future.
At this moment, everyone looked at him differently, with admiration. For a foreigner to say such words was the most kind thing he could do.
At the same time, Li Qiwei’s final bold words make people feel extremely domineering.
Lao Xu is very grateful for everyone's monthly tickets and recommendation tickets, and thank you for your continued support. I will think more carefully about the following plots to make everyone enjoy it.
(End of this chapter)