I'm playing whack-a-mole in Siberia

Chapter 37 Shortness of breath
  Ya San doesn’t care about the process, only the results.

It's a good thing that George and Alfred were able to find the book.

If they can't find it, both of them will be out of luck together.

St. Petersburg University and the Petersburg Academy of Sciences were founded by Peter the Great in 1724.

The Petersburg Academy of Sciences is the first scientific research institution in Russia. Russia's first chemical laboratory is at the Petersburg Academy of Sciences. It was established by Lomonosov, the founder of Russian chemistry.

Lomonosov was an encyclopedic all-rounder. He proposed the prototype of the "Law of Conservation of Mass" and proposed the term "physical chemistry" for the first time.

In terms of the subject of chemistry alone, the current strength of the Petersburg Academy of Sciences is no less than that of any scientific research institution in the world.

Russia still attaches great importance to scientific and technological talents. Scientific and technological talents belong to the privileged class among the privileged classes in Russia. They have a high social status and equally good welfare benefits.

The name of the Tsar is indeed very easy to use. If George had hired these professors in the name of Super Duke Yurievsky, they would probably ignore George.

Invited in the name of the Tsar, several academicians soon arrived.

Don’t doubt whether there were academicians in Russia in 1881. Lomonosov was the first academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences. That was already 1745.

Ask George and Alfred, both laymen, to read a chemistry book.

George and Alfred were very good at serving these white-haired academicians.

It was too disrespectful to receive academicians in the study, so George asked someone to clean up a reception room, get some fruit snacks, champagne and other things, and have a simple but not simple tea party.

The academicians are all very old. Each of them has one crutch, and one of them even needs someone to support him.

George and Alfred started moving almost at the same time——

Then he stopped almost at the same time.

Looking at each other's eyes, there is more contempt - and sympathy.

"Gentlemen, His Majesty and the Empire need a smokeless gunpowder. Which of you has it?" Alfred's opening words were indeed very clear.

The academicians looked at each other, somewhat frowning.

"Smokeless gunpowder is already available -" The academician, who needs help to walk, is a little leaky. He really doesn't know how to live, and he doesn't know how to get gold teeth.

It has been more than a thousand years since black powder was invented, and people have been improving it over the years.

Smokeless gunpowder had also been invented, but was not stable enough for military use.

Unstable gunpowder is very dangerous. It may explode if left unmoved. There have been many gunpowder depot explosion accidents. Who dares to use it?

"Where?" Alfred asked a question that even George scratched his head. There was definitely a problem with this guy's communication skills.

"If you want it, everyone here can make it, if you don't want to blow up the Winter Palace!" The old man spoke rudely, and had no scruples because of George and Alfred's status, most of them were members of the aristocracy. .

Academicians deserve a title.

George couldn't let Alfred continue, otherwise there would be a quarrel.

"Gentlemen, I hope that everything we say today will be kept secret." George went online first, raising the mood with just one sentence.

Academicians are immobile. Everything they come into contact with on a daily basis is confidential, and they have a strong sense of confidentiality.

"I think everyone is well aware of the significance of smokeless gunpowder to the empire. The international situation facing the empire is becoming more and more severe, and domestic and foreign conflicts are becoming more and more acute." George directly talked about the value. There is no need to doubt the political consciousness of the academicians. , this is the right medicine.

Sure enough, before George finished speaking, the academician's breathing became rapid.

Is this effective? ! ! !
  Before George could feel proud, a group of doctors and nurses rushed in with a cheer—

This——    This is worth too much, is it worth it?

George was sweating profusely, but he had to be careful not to irritate anyone.

Fortunately, there is no big problem. The academician's body is still quite strong.

George pondered for a long time before starting again: "Your Majesty came to you, hoping that you can find a way to stabilize smokeless gunpowder, so that the empire's military strength will be qualitatively improved -"

George originally wanted to say that as long as the smokeless gunpowder could be stabilized, Russia could march south and conquer Europe.

For the health of the academicians, George decided to keep a low profile.

The academicians didn't need to keep a low profile. They didn't shy away from it and started discussing it in front of George and Alfred.

"The nitrocellulose invented by Schoenbach is not stable, so our task is to find a way to make nitrocellulose stable." The patient who had just escaped from life-threatening danger was the first to speak. George was very worried about his body.

The patient did not take the medicine with water, but with champagne. George was frightened when he saw it.

This is not because doctors are irresponsible, but because the patients themselves strongly demand it.

The other academicians had no intention of persuading him, and even after the patient was out of danger, the academicians even toasted together to celebrate.

George now understands more and more why Russians like drinking so much.

"Then use a stabilizer to stabilize the nitrocellulose." The academician who needs help is experienced.

"Dissolve the nitrocellulose first, and then add the stabilizer, the effect will be better——"

"The Swedish Academy of Sciences conducted research in this area a few years ago, but it stopped halfway for some unknown reason. I know one of my old friends, and maybe I can ask him for some information."

"The Collège de France is also conducting research in this area. Professor Auguste is conducting academic exchanges at the Collège de France. You can ask him to inquire about the progress of the Collège de France."

The academicians quickly pieced together the outline of the matter by talking to each other.

George was almost dumbfounded.

Do you all conduct scientific research so casually?

It's really not.

Scientific research is very serious, but smokeless gunpowder is no secret. It has been around since 1845. All countries are conducting research on smokeless gunpowder, and they all have some experience.

George didn't know that in another time and space, two years later, the Frenchman Vieri invented the world's first stable smokeless gunpowder.

And within just five years, major countries around the world had begun using smokeless gunpowder as bullet propellant.

With Russia's scientific research capabilities, as long as there is enough funding, it is not impossible to invent stable smokeless gunpowder before the French.

So why doesn't anyone do it?

Because there is no demand.

Russia has the strength, but lacks motivation.

France was motivated to research smokeless gunpowder because it faced the threat from Prussia.

Russia has completed its revenge and has no motivation in the short term. If the Tsar does not provide funds, will the academicians be allowed to research it out of their own pockets?

Academicians are very busy.

"Whoever can complete this research first will receive a private reward of 10 rubles." George was rich and powerful, and now someone's breathing was really short.

(End of this chapter)