1
00:00:11,100 --> 00:00:15,919
♪ Endless drifting ♪

2
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♪ To the end of the dark forest ♪

3
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♪ The wind is like a hand ♪

4
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♪ Trying to keep time ♪

5
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♪ Who is the hunter with a gun ♪

6
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♪ Trying to devour the entire universe ♪

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♪ The light is like an eye ♪

8
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♪ That penetrates dreams ♪

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♪ Don't answer ♪

10
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♪ Who is eager to fill his eyes
with the starry sky ♪

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♪ The earth is no longer rotating ♪

12
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♪ You gave me a small universe ♪

13
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♪ In the arms of the universe ♪

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♪ Calling humbly for
the vast space and time ♪

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♪ The world aches dully ♪

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00:01:32,300 --> 00:01:38,979
Three-Body

17
00:01:38,980 --> 00:01:41,860
Episode 18

18
00:01:47,120 --> 00:01:49,949
Wenjie, this is an official decision.

19
00:01:49,950 --> 00:01:53,309
From this day onwards, you'll be working
in the Monitoring Department.

20
00:01:53,310 --> 00:01:57,479
Now I'll explain the work
of the Monitoring Department to you.

21
00:01:57,480 --> 00:02:02,650
Simply put, the goal is to keep an eye

22
00:02:03,180 --> 00:02:05,429
on all enemy activities in space,

23
00:02:05,430 --> 00:02:09,309
including intercepting communications

24
00:02:09,310 --> 00:02:12,799
between enemy space vessels and the ground,
and between the space vessels themselves,

25
00:02:12,800 --> 00:02:15,119
track the orbits
of enemy space vessels,

26
00:02:15,120 --> 00:02:18,029
collaborate with our telemetry
and tracking centers,

27
00:02:18,030 --> 00:02:20,469
and provide data
for Red Coast's combat systems.

28
00:02:20,470 --> 00:02:24,149
In other words,
the eyes of Red Coast are here.

29
00:02:24,150 --> 00:02:26,869
Political Commissar Lei,

30
00:02:26,870 --> 00:02:33,190
I think you should reconsider
whether it's necessary to tell her this.

31
00:02:37,870 --> 00:02:43,359
Political Commissar Lei,
if it's too sensitive, then...

32
00:02:43,360 --> 00:02:45,550
No, Wenjie.

33
00:02:46,720 --> 00:02:51,589
Weining, like I said, work must be done.

34
00:02:51,590 --> 00:02:57,870
She needs all the information
in order to do her job.

35
00:02:58,080 --> 00:02:59,000
Fine.

36
00:02:59,001 --> 00:03:00,559
I'll report this to the high-ups.

37
00:03:00,560 --> 00:03:01,629
Sure.

38
00:03:01,630 --> 00:03:03,359
You have the right to do so.

39
00:03:03,360 --> 00:03:07,469
But I give you my word that I'll
take full responsibility for my action.

40
00:03:07,470 --> 00:03:08,909
Alright.

41
00:03:08,910 --> 00:03:12,030
I'll take your word for it.

42
00:03:19,310 --> 00:03:20,190
Don't mind him.

43
00:03:20,191 --> 00:03:21,589
That's just the way he is.

44
00:03:21,590 --> 00:03:24,429
He can be too cautious
to be openhanded at work.

45
00:03:24,430 --> 00:03:26,999
Wenjie, come here.

46
00:03:27,000 --> 00:03:29,590
Take a seat.

47
00:03:30,310 --> 00:03:32,800
Sit.

48
00:03:39,430 --> 00:03:43,869
Look, when we first brought you here,
the goal was simple.

49
00:03:43,870 --> 00:03:46,679
Red Coast's monitoring system
often had interference

50
00:03:46,680 --> 00:03:51,559
caused by electromagnetic radiation
from solar flares and sunspots.

51
00:03:51,560 --> 00:03:54,029
Then we came across your paper

52
00:03:54,030 --> 00:03:57,799
and believed that you were
an expert in solar activity.

53
00:03:57,800 --> 00:04:00,469
And your predictive model
was the most accurate.

54
00:04:00,470 --> 00:04:04,359
So we wanted to solicit your help
in solving this problem.

55
00:04:04,360 --> 00:04:07,909
After you came,
you demonstrated strong abilities,

56
00:04:07,910 --> 00:04:12,469
so I decided to entrust you
with more important work.

57
00:04:12,470 --> 00:04:16,359
You've worked in Transmission
for a while

58
00:04:16,360 --> 00:04:18,479
and gained an overview of Red Coast.

59
00:04:18,480 --> 00:04:20,429
Now that you're transferred,

60
00:04:20,430 --> 00:04:24,799
your assignment in Monitoring
will be discussed later.

61
00:04:24,800 --> 00:04:30,480
Of course, as you can see,
there's some resistance.

62
00:04:31,190 --> 00:04:34,359
But I trust you.

63
00:04:34,360 --> 00:04:39,829
Personally, I have faith in you.

64
00:04:39,830 --> 00:04:46,310
I hope you can keep up the good work
and earn the trust of the organization.

65
00:04:52,950 --> 00:04:57,719
Wenjie, honestly,

66
00:04:57,720 --> 00:05:01,940
I sincerely hope that someday,

67
00:05:04,040 --> 00:05:08,810
I'll be able to call you Comrade Ye.

68
00:05:14,870 --> 00:05:17,430
Don't let me down.

69
00:05:38,870 --> 00:05:42,239
Even though
Political Commissar Lei trusted me,

70
00:05:42,240 --> 00:05:45,679
my activities were severely restricted.

71
00:05:45,680 --> 00:05:52,039
I had access to the software
source code, but not the database.

72
00:05:52,040 --> 00:05:57,509
And I had to learn the software techniques
from scratch.

73
00:05:57,510 --> 00:06:02,160
That was far from being easy.

74
00:06:14,560 --> 00:06:17,159
File Bag
According to the latest weather forecast,

75
00:06:17,160 --> 00:06:20,039
from 8:00 AM today
to 8:00 PM tomorrow,

76
00:06:20,040 --> 00:06:25,189
parts of the Northwest
will see light snow or sleet.

77
00:06:25,190 --> 00:06:28,829
The local high will be
9 degrees Celsius.

78
00:06:28,830 --> 00:06:30,189
Report.

79
00:06:30,190 --> 00:06:32,800
Come in.

80
00:06:34,950 --> 00:06:37,599
Chief Engineer Yang,
after being deciphered by the computer,

81
00:06:37,600 --> 00:06:41,359
what we had received turned out to be
a few satellite photographs.

82
00:06:41,360 --> 00:06:43,389
GSD's Surveying and Mapping Bureau said

83
00:06:43,390 --> 00:06:45,999
they're images of
our important military targets,

84
00:06:46,000 --> 00:06:48,799
including the naval harbor at Qingdao
and several key factories

85
00:06:48,800 --> 00:06:52,549
of the Third Front program.

86
00:06:52,550 --> 00:06:54,599
Did we monitor their satellites?

87
00:06:54,600 --> 00:06:57,919
Analysis confirmed
that these images came from the KA-9

88
00:06:57,920 --> 00:07:00,679
Reconnaissance System of the West.

89
00:07:00,680 --> 00:07:03,559
The first KA-9 had just been launched.

90
00:07:03,560 --> 00:07:06,629
Although it mainly relied on recoverable
film capsules for intelligence gathering,

91
00:07:06,630 --> 00:07:08,509
it was also being used to test out

92
00:07:08,510 --> 00:07:11,119
the more advanced radio transmission
of digital images.

93
00:07:11,120 --> 00:07:13,920
As the...

94
00:07:16,910 --> 00:07:20,559
As the technology is undeveloped, the
satellite transmitted at a low frequency,

95
00:07:20,560 --> 00:07:26,270
which increased its range of reception
sufficiently for it to be intercepted by us.

96
00:07:26,480 --> 00:07:28,429
Abandon this target.

97
00:07:28,430 --> 00:07:30,119
Change the frequency.

98
00:07:30,120 --> 00:07:34,269
I'll let you know about the direction.

99
00:07:34,270 --> 00:07:38,399
We're having a rare opportunity to learn more
about the Western satellite reconnaissance system.

100
00:07:38,400 --> 00:07:40,039
Are you sure about letting it go?

101
00:07:40,040 --> 00:07:42,429
How many times do I have to tell you?

102
00:07:42,430 --> 00:07:46,720
Change the direction
and the frequency!

103
00:07:56,070 --> 00:07:58,869
Transmission has a machine down.

104
00:07:58,870 --> 00:08:01,950
Go and check it.

105
00:08:04,800 --> 00:08:07,310
Yes, sir.

106
00:08:18,120 --> 00:08:23,480
So, it was Yang Weining
who kept holding you back?

107
00:08:23,920 --> 00:08:29,479
He was acting weird,
always lashing out at me for no reason.

108
00:08:29,480 --> 00:08:31,309
But I didn't mind.

109
00:08:31,310 --> 00:08:38,239
What mattered to me
was those unexplainable matters at work.

110
00:08:38,240 --> 00:08:42,149
They made me realize
that Red Coast was

111
00:08:42,150 --> 00:08:46,240
far more complex than I had imagined.

112
00:09:02,790 --> 00:09:06,869
The 299th transmission
of Red Coast Project is finished.

113
00:09:06,870 --> 00:09:08,839
Shutting down transmission system.

114
00:09:08,840 --> 00:09:11,439
Red Coast entering monitoring mode.

115
00:09:11,440 --> 00:09:16,269
Monitoring frequency range:
1,000 MHz to 40,000 MHz.

116
00:09:16,270 --> 00:09:20,869
Monitoring frequency range:
1,000 MHz to 40,000 MHz.

117
00:09:20,870 --> 00:09:24,199
Monitoring channels: 15,000.

118
00:09:24,200 --> 00:09:27,239
Monitoring channels: 15,000.

119
00:09:27,240 --> 00:09:32,269
Key frequencies to monitor:
Hydrogen atom frequency at 1,420 MHz.

120
00:09:32,270 --> 00:09:37,359
Hydroxyl radical radiation frequency
at 1,667 MHz.

121
00:09:37,360 --> 00:09:41,199
Water molecule radiation frequency
at 22,000 MHz.

122
00:09:41,200 --> 00:09:42,439
Repeat.

123
00:09:42,440 --> 00:09:48,479
Key frequencies to monitor:
Hydrogen atom frequency at 1,420 MHz...

124
00:09:48,480 --> 00:09:53,029
The designated frequencies
for the three transmissions

125
00:09:53,030 --> 00:09:57,509
were lower than microwave range
and couldn't result in

126
00:09:57,510 --> 00:10:00,199
any heating effect in the target.

127
00:10:00,200 --> 00:10:03,239
Both Yang Weining's strange attitude

128
00:10:03,240 --> 00:10:08,079
and those abnormal cases
said one thing.

129
00:10:08,080 --> 00:10:13,480
That is, the real purpose of Red Coast
was top-secret.

130
00:10:26,340 --> 00:10:27,659
Calling Wang Miao End Call

131
00:10:27,660 --> 00:10:30,060
Chang

132
00:10:35,630 --> 00:10:38,509
Chang, it's me.

133
00:10:38,510 --> 00:10:42,839
We're in Qijiatun.
I've checked with the village committee.

134
00:10:42,840 --> 00:10:44,149
Red Coast File Bag

135
00:10:44,150 --> 00:10:46,239
That red ginseng factory checks out.

136
00:10:46,240 --> 00:10:50,439
The locals can get paid
by working there.

137
00:10:50,440 --> 00:10:52,909
Where are we on declassifying the files?

138
00:10:52,910 --> 00:10:56,359
You've promised me. I need them today.

139
00:10:56,360 --> 00:10:58,359
I've got them.

140
00:10:58,360 --> 00:11:03,029
What's inside
is way beyond imagination.

141
00:11:03,030 --> 00:11:05,509
Don't keep me guessing, OK?

142
00:11:05,510 --> 00:11:08,389
What on earth is Red Coast for?

143
00:11:08,390 --> 00:11:14,390
Their research
is indeed the most confidential.

144
00:11:14,670 --> 00:11:18,549
Troubleshooting
of Magnetic Core Memory is complete.

145
00:11:18,550 --> 00:11:19,839
Clear fault codes.

146
00:11:19,840 --> 00:11:21,239
Hello?

147
00:11:21,240 --> 00:11:25,239
Ye Wenjie, come to my office now.

148
00:11:25,240 --> 00:11:27,479
Yes, sir.

149
00:11:27,480 --> 00:11:30,909
A routine work meeting
will be held at 3:00 PM.

150
00:11:30,910 --> 00:11:34,269
Please be prepared.

151
00:11:34,270 --> 00:11:39,960
Department heads
are to attend on time.

152
00:12:01,600 --> 00:12:04,029
Report.

153
00:12:04,030 --> 00:12:06,550
Come in.

154
00:12:17,960 --> 00:12:22,910
Ye Wenjie, come here.

155
00:12:27,720 --> 00:12:30,930
I assumed Political Commissar Lei

156
00:12:30,940 --> 00:12:34,240
was being punished for promoting me.

157
00:12:35,550 --> 00:12:38,119
I told myself that no matter what,

158
00:12:38,120 --> 00:12:42,099
I couldn't drag him down
even if I had to lie.

159
00:12:42,100 --> 00:12:45,740
Ye Wenjie Experience

160
00:12:56,150 --> 00:13:01,949
Ye Wenjie, first, let me be clear
that I disagree with all this.

161
00:13:01,950 --> 00:13:04,599
The decision was made
by Chief Engineer Yang

162
00:13:04,600 --> 00:13:07,869
after seeking the high-ups' permission.

163
00:13:07,870 --> 00:13:11,319
He alone will take all the consequences.

164
00:13:11,320 --> 00:13:17,509
To better utilize your skills,
he talked to the superiors repeatedly.

165
00:13:17,510 --> 00:13:23,029
Army Political Department
did their investigation, too.

166
00:13:23,030 --> 00:13:26,509
Now, we've been authorized
to disclose the true nature

167
00:13:26,510 --> 00:13:29,960
of the Red Coast Project to you.

168
00:13:38,720 --> 00:13:43,479
I hope you'll treasure this opportunity
and work hard to redeem your sins.

169
00:13:43,480 --> 00:13:46,269
From now on, you must behave
with the utmost propriety.

170
00:13:46,270 --> 00:13:48,930
Any transgression

171
00:13:49,270 --> 00:13:52,480
will receive the harshest punishment.

172
00:13:54,480 --> 00:13:57,480
Understood?

173
00:13:58,200 --> 00:14:00,319
Yes, sir.

174
00:14:00,320 --> 00:14:03,959
It wasn't until then that I realized

175
00:14:03,960 --> 00:14:08,479
everything Lei Zhicheng had told me
was a lie.

176
00:14:08,480 --> 00:14:12,719
Red Coast
was neither a powerful weapon

177
00:14:12,720 --> 00:14:16,999
nor a monitor on enemy space vessels.

178
00:14:17,000 --> 00:14:22,790
All his care, promotion, and protection
were all an act.

179
00:14:24,440 --> 00:14:30,510
That's why Yang Weining
tried to stop him.

180
00:14:34,200 --> 00:14:40,080
Yang Weining was a good man.

181
00:14:40,720 --> 00:14:44,959
When the leaders
doubted me for my background,

182
00:14:44,960 --> 00:14:49,120
he stood up for me.

183
00:14:49,440 --> 00:14:51,340
And it was also he

184
00:14:52,190 --> 00:14:57,790
who told me the truth about Red Coast.

185
00:14:59,320 --> 00:15:04,029
If you want to quit,
it's not too late now.

186
00:15:04,030 --> 00:15:06,960
I'll do it.

187
00:15:16,000 --> 00:15:17,999
Are you sure?

188
00:15:18,000 --> 00:15:24,720
Once you said yes, the last ray of hope
of leaving Radar Peak would be gone.

189
00:15:25,150 --> 00:15:31,480
You'd spend the rest of your life here.

190
00:15:34,360 --> 00:15:37,150
Yes, I'll do it.

191
00:15:51,120 --> 00:15:58,120
The truth was an incredible fairy tale
for the ages.

192
00:16:12,440 --> 00:16:13,999
It's a lot.

193
00:16:14,000 --> 00:16:16,840
Read it yourself.

194
00:16:36,860 --> 00:16:44,580
A Question Largely Ignored by Trends
in Fundamental World Scientific Research

195
00:16:58,940 --> 00:17:02,820
Space Science and Technology

196
00:17:07,160 --> 00:17:10,959
This file talks about
two ways to convert the results

197
00:17:10,960 --> 00:17:14,159
of fundamental scientific research
into practical applications:

198
00:17:14,160 --> 00:17:17,479
gradualistic mode and saltatory mode.

199
00:17:17,480 --> 00:17:18,749
That's right.

200
00:17:18,750 --> 00:17:21,509
Gradualistic mode refers to
theoretical, fundamental results

201
00:17:21,510 --> 00:17:24,399
being gradually applied to technology

202
00:17:24,400 --> 00:17:27,959
such as the development and application
of space technology.

203
00:17:27,960 --> 00:17:30,159
Saltatory mode means
theoretical, fundamental results

204
00:17:30,160 --> 00:17:32,829
rapidly become applied technology,

205
00:17:32,830 --> 00:17:35,679
Nuclear Weapons
leading to a technological leap.

206
00:17:35,680 --> 00:17:37,919
Examples include nuclear weapons.

207
00:17:37,920 --> 00:17:39,239
Yes.

208
00:17:39,240 --> 00:17:41,109
Now, both NATO and the Warsaw Pact

209
00:17:41,110 --> 00:17:42,999
are intensely active
in fundamental research

210
00:17:43,000 --> 00:17:45,069
and investing heavily in it.

211
00:17:45,070 --> 00:17:48,919
At this rate,
technological leaps may occur anytime.

212
00:17:48,920 --> 00:17:52,679
That will pose a major threat
to our strategic planning.

213
00:17:52,680 --> 00:17:57,589
Here it lists the fields
where such leaps are most likely:

214
00:17:57,590 --> 00:18:03,220
physics, biology, computer science.

215
00:18:07,580 --> 00:18:10,740
SETI

216
00:18:16,920 --> 00:18:20,590
The Search for
Extraterrestrial Intelligence.

217
00:18:26,110 --> 00:18:28,829
If a leap occurs in this field,

218
00:18:28,830 --> 00:18:34,789
its impact will exceed the sum of that
in the other three.

219
00:18:34,790 --> 00:18:37,789
That's what I'm talking about.

220
00:18:37,790 --> 00:18:43,409
Several NATO states
have already prioritized SETI.

221
00:18:43,410 --> 00:18:47,349
For example,
they launched Project Ozma

222
00:18:47,350 --> 00:18:49,750
Green Bank Telescope at NRAO
and built NRAO.

223
00:18:49,760 --> 00:18:51,920
Concise Star Chart
The project examined the stars

224
00:18:51,930 --> 00:18:57,959
Tau Ceti and Epsilon Eridani
and planned to broaden

225
00:18:57,960 --> 00:18:59,749
the frequency range in 1972.

226
00:18:59,750 --> 00:19:02,509
The Pioneer 10 and 11 probes
would be launched,

227
00:19:02,510 --> 00:19:04,349
each carrying a metal plaque

228
00:19:04,350 --> 00:19:07,269
with information about
civilization on Earth.

229
00:19:07,270 --> 00:19:11,399
And in 1977, they'd launch
the Voyager 1 and 2 probes,

230
00:19:11,400 --> 00:19:14,590
each with a metal audio record.

231
00:19:15,000 --> 00:19:17,509
This is the Arecibo Observatory.

232
00:19:17,510 --> 00:19:20,349
It's ready to use
and extremely powerful.

233
00:19:20,350 --> 00:19:22,679
Its effective energy collection area
is about 20 acres,

234
00:19:22,680 --> 00:19:26,959
greater than that of all the others
in the world combined.

235
00:19:26,960 --> 00:19:28,829
Together with the computer system,

236
00:19:28,830 --> 00:19:31,269
it can simultaneously monitor
65,000 channels,

237
00:19:31,270 --> 00:19:33,719
and it's capable of
ultrahigh energy transmissions.

238
00:19:33,720 --> 00:19:35,509
Look.

239
00:19:35,510 --> 00:19:37,439
This is in Europe.

240
00:19:37,440 --> 00:19:41,750
They've also made huge investments.

241
00:19:47,640 --> 00:19:50,719
The entire world is working on SETI.

242
00:19:50,720 --> 00:19:52,719
That's true.

243
00:19:52,720 --> 00:19:57,309
Except for us
who are paying little attention to it.

244
00:19:57,310 --> 00:20:02,349
You should know, if any country
gets in touch with extraterrestrials,

245
00:20:02,350 --> 00:20:07,439
it'll overturn the global landscape,
especially those superpowers.

246
00:20:07,440 --> 00:20:12,350
If they beat us to it,
we'll no longer have a chance.

247
00:20:12,830 --> 00:20:16,879
As a major socialist power,
we cannot fall behind.

248
00:20:16,880 --> 00:20:20,549
This unknown area must be conquered
for strategic importance.

249
00:20:20,550 --> 00:20:24,160
There's a long way ahead of us.

250
00:20:24,680 --> 00:20:28,109
Ye Wenjie, from this moment on,

251
00:20:28,110 --> 00:20:31,439
your job is to develop the Red Coast
Self-Interpreting Code System.

252
00:20:31,440 --> 00:20:36,239
Precisely,
using universal, basic mathematical,

253
00:20:36,240 --> 00:20:40,309
and physical laws to construct
an elemental linguistic code

254
00:20:40,310 --> 00:20:47,109
that can be understood by any civilization
that has mastered basic algebra,

255
00:20:47,110 --> 00:20:51,159
Euclidean geometry,
and the laws of nonrelativistic physics.

256
00:20:51,160 --> 00:20:55,439
Building on that,
create a brand-new linguistic system

257
00:20:55,440 --> 00:21:00,000
including Chinese and Esperanto.

258
00:21:01,480 --> 00:21:04,400
Do you get it?

259
00:21:05,480 --> 00:21:08,160
Yes, sir.

260
00:21:09,310 --> 00:21:13,829
So, the mysterious Red Coast Project
was established for SETI,

261
00:21:13,830 --> 00:21:20,510
and you alone created the Red Coast
Self-Interpreting Code System.

262
00:21:20,640 --> 00:21:26,029
At that time,
the Cold War was at its height.

263
00:21:26,030 --> 00:21:31,439
The insanity of the human race
had reached its historical zenith.

264
00:21:31,440 --> 00:21:37,029
Nuclear submarines and nuclear weapons
lurking in the corners

265
00:21:37,030 --> 00:21:40,439
could be launched at a moment's notice.

266
00:21:40,440 --> 00:21:45,479
Once they were let go,
hundreds of cities would be leveled,

267
00:21:45,480 --> 00:21:48,399
killing hundreds of millions of people.

268
00:21:48,400 --> 00:21:50,879
With such technical leaps in sight,

269
00:21:50,880 --> 00:21:57,480
an intense sense of crisis
was shared all over the world.

270
00:21:58,440 --> 00:22:01,719
Professor Ye, you're an astrophysicist.

271
00:22:01,720 --> 00:22:06,069
Do you really think astronomy
will be taking a technological leap?

272
00:22:06,070 --> 00:22:11,690
As destructive as nukes are, the universe

273
00:22:11,700 --> 00:22:14,399
is harboring even more terrible forces

274
00:22:14,400 --> 00:22:18,199
such as black holes and anti-matter.

275
00:22:18,200 --> 00:22:22,720
Compared with them, a nuclear bomb

276
00:22:23,160 --> 00:22:25,550
is nothing but a tiny candle.

277
00:22:28,440 --> 00:22:34,439
There used to be a waveform monitor.

278
00:22:34,440 --> 00:22:40,959
It was to display the waves
that Red Coast picked up from space.

279
00:22:40,960 --> 00:22:42,920
My daily work was to

280
00:22:42,930 --> 00:22:48,070
monitor and record that curve,

281
00:22:48,440 --> 00:22:54,830
waiting to hear from
the extraterrestrials.

282
00:23:02,680 --> 00:23:09,260
Over there, we had a radio receiver,

283
00:23:09,790 --> 00:23:12,020
quite sophisticated.

284
00:23:12,400 --> 00:23:18,719
A ruby-based traveling-wave maser
amplified the signals received by

285
00:23:18,720 --> 00:23:21,549
the gigantic antenna.

286
00:23:21,550 --> 00:23:24,679
But there was interference.

287
00:23:24,680 --> 00:23:27,919
Wouldn't it affect the accuracy?

288
00:23:27,920 --> 00:23:34,509
Wang, you're underestimating Red Coast.

289
00:23:34,510 --> 00:23:39,210
As immature as the technology was,

290
00:23:40,130 --> 00:23:43,610
it could do more than you think.

291
00:23:44,400 --> 00:23:47,639
The core of the reception system

292
00:23:47,640 --> 00:23:51,639
was immersed in
liquid helium at -269 degrees Celsius.

293
00:23:51,640 --> 00:23:58,029
A helicopter came to resupply
liquid helium regularly.

294
00:23:58,030 --> 00:24:02,180
The reception system was thus

295
00:24:02,990 --> 00:24:06,290
capable of picking up faint signals.

296
00:24:06,920 --> 00:24:11,399
Back then,
our monitoring range was

297
00:24:11,400 --> 00:24:17,509
within a radius of 1,000 light years,
containing some 20 million stars.

298
00:24:17,510 --> 00:24:22,829
Other than searching for and monitoring
possible extraterrestrial intelligence,

299
00:24:22,830 --> 00:24:24,749
we also tried to

300
00:24:24,750 --> 00:24:28,309
20 Million Stars
send messages to the universe

301
00:24:28,310 --> 00:24:33,879
to establish contact and communication.

302
00:24:33,880 --> 00:24:40,720
So did you really make such attempts?

303
00:24:44,350 --> 00:24:45,290
We did.

304
00:24:45,291 --> 00:24:52,229
♪ In the blue sky float white clouds ♪

305
00:24:52,230 --> 00:24:59,079
♪ Below the white clouds run horses ♪

306
00:24:59,080 --> 00:25:07,080
♪ I swing my horsewhip
and the crack travels far and wide ♪

307
00:25:08,640 --> 00:25:14,400
Ye Wenjie and I
have redrafted the letter.

308
00:25:15,400 --> 00:25:20,270
Ye Wenjie, read it.

309
00:25:24,700 --> 00:25:28,180
PLA Letter Paper

310
00:25:31,590 --> 00:25:36,439
"We extend our best wishes to you,
inhabitants of another world.

311
00:25:36,440 --> 00:25:38,749
After reading the following message,

312
00:25:38,750 --> 00:25:43,639
you should have a basic understanding
of civilization on Earth.

313
00:25:43,640 --> 00:25:46,749
By dint of long toil and creativity,
the human race

314
00:25:46,750 --> 00:25:51,539
has built a splendid civilization,
blossoming with diverse cultures.

315
00:25:51,540 --> 00:25:57,269
We're also getting to know the laws of nature
and the development of human societies.

316
00:25:57,270 --> 00:25:59,639
We cherish all that we've accomplished.

317
00:25:59,640 --> 00:26:02,749
But our world is still flawed.

318
00:26:02,750 --> 00:26:08,829
Hate exists, as do prejudice and war.

319
00:26:08,830 --> 00:26:11,479
Contradictive productive forces
and relations

320
00:26:11,480 --> 00:26:14,159
are causing extremely
uneven distribution of wealth.

321
00:26:14,160 --> 00:26:19,029
And large portions of humanity
are living in poverty and misery.

322
00:26:19,030 --> 00:26:23,789
Human societies are working hard
to resolve the difficulties they face,

323
00:26:23,790 --> 00:26:27,589
striving to create a better future
for Earth civilization.

324
00:26:27,590 --> 00:26:33,399
The country that sent this message
is also engaged in this effort.

325
00:26:33,400 --> 00:26:36,589
We are dedicated to
building an ideal society

326
00:26:36,590 --> 00:26:41,719
where the labor and value of every human
are fully respected,

327
00:26:41,720 --> 00:26:47,309
and everyone's material
and spiritual needs are fully met

328
00:26:47,310 --> 00:26:50,789
so that civilization on Earth
may become more perfect.

329
00:26:50,790 --> 00:26:54,439
With the best of intentions,
we look forward to establishing contact

330
00:26:54,440 --> 00:26:57,749
with other civilized societies
in the universe.

331
00:26:57,750 --> 00:27:00,370
We look forward to working with you

332
00:27:00,380 --> 00:27:05,490
to build a better life
in this vast universe."

333
00:27:06,030 --> 00:27:11,900
This letter of humans' best wishes
was sent to the universe.

334
00:27:13,590 --> 00:27:18,400
Enclosed was an overview of Earth,

335
00:27:18,410 --> 00:27:21,309
life on Earth,

336
00:27:21,310 --> 00:27:27,269
and human society
as well as basic world history.

337
00:27:27,270 --> 00:27:33,310
All that was sent after transmitting
the Self-interpreting Code System.

338
00:27:34,160 --> 00:27:38,200
Red Coast is a great project, no doubt.

339
00:27:40,200 --> 00:27:43,580
When sending messages to the universe,

340
00:27:45,110 --> 00:27:47,959
how did you ensure our security?

341
00:27:47,960 --> 00:27:54,199
It was carefully vetted
to ensure that it didn't give away

342
00:27:54,200 --> 00:27:59,719
the Earth's coordinates
relative to the Milky Way.

343
00:27:59,720 --> 00:28:06,349
At the 2,280 MHz, 12,000 MHz,
and 22,000 MHz channels,

344
00:28:06,350 --> 00:28:11,159
the transmission times
of the message were

345
00:28:11,160 --> 00:28:16,439
31 minutes, 7.5 minutes,
and 3.5 minutes respectively.

346
00:28:16,440 --> 00:28:20,069
Transmission at the higher-frequency
12,000 MHz

347
00:28:20,070 --> 00:28:24,059
and 22,000 MHz channels was minimized

348
00:28:24,060 --> 00:28:27,610
in case our location was exposed.

349
00:28:29,350 --> 00:28:34,380
Back in those days, SETI at Red Coast

350
00:28:34,620 --> 00:28:37,620
was marginalized research.

351
00:28:38,200 --> 00:28:42,750
But why such a high security rating?

352
00:28:43,160 --> 00:28:48,719
They asked the same question
at the very beginning of the Project

353
00:28:48,720 --> 00:28:54,830
and it was asked until the very end.

354
00:28:55,000 --> 00:29:00,310
But now,
you should have the answer.

355
00:29:00,720 --> 00:29:02,910
We can only marvel at the foresight

356
00:29:02,930 --> 00:29:07,300
of the top decision-maker of the Project.

357
00:29:09,960 --> 00:29:12,390
Had Red Coast succeeded,

358
00:29:13,790 --> 00:29:16,240
the world would be utterly different.

359
00:29:19,070 --> 00:29:24,879
Well, it's still too soon to tell
whether it succeeded or not.

360
00:29:24,880 --> 00:29:27,470
The radio waves sent out

361
00:29:27,480 --> 00:29:31,760
haven't gone too far in the universe yet.

362
00:29:32,480 --> 00:29:37,109
The farther the signals travel,
the weaker they become,

363
00:29:37,110 --> 00:29:43,090
and the less likely that any extraterrestrial
civilization will receive them.

364
00:29:45,070 --> 00:29:50,789
In order for extraterrestrials to detect
our signals,

365
00:29:50,790 --> 00:29:56,789
we broadcast at a power level equal to
the energy output of a mid-sized star.

366
00:29:56,790 --> 00:30:00,199
Soviet astrophysicist
Nicolai Kardashev once proposed

367
00:30:00,200 --> 00:30:02,999
that we could divide civilizations

368
00:30:03,000 --> 00:30:07,829
based on the power they could command
for communication purposes,

369
00:30:07,830 --> 00:30:10,789
He divided them into three types:

370
00:30:10,790 --> 00:30:13,639
A Type I civilization
can muster an amount of energy equal to

371
00:30:13,640 --> 00:30:16,959
the total output of the Earth.

372
00:30:16,960 --> 00:30:20,309
A Type II civilization
can marshal the energy equal to

373
00:30:20,310 --> 00:30:23,070
the output of a typical star.

374
00:30:23,090 --> 00:30:26,199
A Type III civilization
can utilize its communication energy

375
00:30:26,200 --> 00:30:30,109
equal to the energy output of a galaxy.

376
00:30:30,110 --> 00:30:35,479
Civilization on Earth is currently
not even a full Type I.

377
00:30:35,480 --> 00:30:39,309
And the transmissions from Red Coast
used only about one ten-thousandth

378
00:30:39,310 --> 00:30:43,029
of the power the Earth could muster.

379
00:30:43,030 --> 00:30:45,510
Our call wasn't any louder

380
00:30:46,970 --> 00:30:51,310
than the buzzing of a mosquito.

381
00:30:52,110 --> 00:30:54,679
No one could hear it.

382
00:30:54,680 --> 00:30:58,639
But the Type II and III civilizations
Kardashev proposed do exist,

383
00:30:58,640 --> 00:31:02,949
we should be able to hear them by now.

384
00:31:02,950 --> 00:31:08,399
In this case, our efforts seem to
have only proven one thing

385
00:31:08,400 --> 00:31:14,920
that in the vast universe,
only the Earth has intelligent life.

386
00:31:18,350 --> 00:31:25,239
Theoretically, there might never be
a definitive answer to that question.

387
00:31:25,240 --> 00:31:30,700
But emotionally, I and everyone else

388
00:31:30,940 --> 00:31:35,480
who went through Red Coast all believed so.

389
00:31:38,400 --> 00:31:40,959
Too bad the Project was decommissioned.

390
00:31:40,960 --> 00:31:46,400
It was there already
and should've kept going.

391
00:31:47,310 --> 00:31:51,310
It was a great cause worth fighting for.

392
00:31:53,790 --> 00:31:56,180
In the late 70s,

393
00:31:56,700 --> 00:32:01,340
there was a large-scale renovation.

394
00:32:19,400 --> 00:32:23,349
The transmission system was automated.

395
00:32:23,350 --> 00:32:27,509
Data processing of monitoring
became far more advanced.

396
00:32:27,510 --> 00:32:31,549
40,000 channels
could be monitored simultaneously.

397
00:32:31,550 --> 00:32:35,730
The more people knew,
the clearer they became

398
00:32:35,740 --> 00:32:38,789
about the difficulty of SETI.

399
00:32:38,790 --> 00:32:45,350
And the leadership
lost interest in Red Coast.

400
00:32:46,480 --> 00:32:48,549
After the renovation,

401
00:32:48,550 --> 00:32:53,679
the first change we experienced
was lowered security rating.

402
00:32:53,680 --> 00:32:58,749
The security detail was reduced to
a group of five guards.

403
00:32:58,750 --> 00:33:01,480
Salute!

404
00:33:01,790 --> 00:33:05,829
Red Coast remained within
the Second Artillery Corps,

405
00:33:05,830 --> 00:33:07,789
but management
of its scientific activities

406
00:33:07,790 --> 00:33:11,239
was turned over to the Astronomy Institute
of Chinese Academy of Sciences.

407
00:33:11,240 --> 00:33:17,959
And it took on some research projects
that had nothing to do with SETI.

408
00:33:17,960 --> 00:33:23,830
I believe you achieved
most of your accomplishments then.

409
00:33:27,110 --> 00:33:33,069
At the time,
we had China's largest radio telescope.

410
00:33:33,070 --> 00:33:38,549
Following all those changes, we first
took on some radio astronomy projects.

411
00:33:38,550 --> 00:33:43,639
Later, more and more
such observatories were built,

412
00:33:43,640 --> 00:33:46,679
and Red Coast shifted
to the observation and

413
00:33:46,680 --> 00:33:50,719
analysis of solar electromagnetic activity

414
00:33:50,720 --> 00:33:55,349
with an added solar telescope.

415
00:33:55,350 --> 00:33:58,719
I bet practical applications were a ton.

416
00:33:58,720 --> 00:34:00,269
Correct.

417
00:34:00,270 --> 00:34:04,639
The mathematical model we built
for solar electromagnetic activity

418
00:34:04,640 --> 00:34:08,669
was state-of-the-art.

419
00:34:08,670 --> 00:34:12,549
With such fruition,
the large investment in Red Coast

420
00:34:12,550 --> 00:34:15,669
saw a little bit of return.

421
00:34:15,670 --> 00:34:22,109
Actually, much of the credit
should go to Political Commissar Lei,

422
00:34:22,110 --> 00:34:26,479
although he did have his own agenda, too.

423
00:34:26,480 --> 00:34:29,389
Political Commissar Lei?

424
00:34:29,390 --> 00:34:33,359
Wasn't he a political officer
in that technical unit?

425
00:34:33,360 --> 00:34:38,709
Before enlisting,
he had studied astrophysics as well.

426
00:34:38,710 --> 00:34:44,880
Research projects we took on outside
of SETI were all due to his efforts.

427
00:34:49,480 --> 00:34:54,589
It wasn't easy
to return to technical work.

428
00:34:54,590 --> 00:35:01,109
Without Lei,
Red Coast would've been long gone.

429
00:35:01,110 --> 00:35:04,790
When it was converted for civil use,

430
00:35:04,800 --> 00:35:08,839
the military basically abandoned it.

431
00:35:08,840 --> 00:35:14,149
Chinese Academy of Sciences
could no longer keep the base running.

432
00:35:14,150 --> 00:35:20,630
Inevitably, it was shut down.

433
00:35:59,110 --> 00:36:04,830
In the dead of the night, when I was alone

434
00:36:05,160 --> 00:36:07,509
in the empty monitoring room,

435
00:36:07,510 --> 00:36:10,030
I could hear in my headphones

436
00:36:10,040 --> 00:36:15,069
the lifeless noise of the universe.

437
00:36:15,070 --> 00:36:19,360
It was faint but continuous,

438
00:36:20,140 --> 00:36:22,640
more eternal than the stars.

439
00:36:24,630 --> 00:36:30,200
Sometimes I thought it sounded like

440
00:36:30,210 --> 00:36:35,999
the endless cold winds of Radar Peak.

441
00:36:36,000 --> 00:36:39,630
I was chilled to the bone.

442
00:36:40,360 --> 00:36:42,610
There weren't enough words

443
00:36:43,660 --> 00:36:46,960
to describe such loneliness.

444
00:36:49,400 --> 00:36:55,629
SETI is quite a unique discipline.

445
00:36:55,630 --> 00:37:01,330
It can shape researchers' perspectives
on life.

446
00:37:03,510 --> 00:37:07,919
It occurred to me repeatedly
that life was truly an accident

447
00:37:07,920 --> 00:37:13,279
among all the accidents in the universe.

448
00:37:13,280 --> 00:37:18,900
And the universe was an empty palace

449
00:37:19,880 --> 00:37:27,090
in which humankind was the only ant.

450
00:37:52,920 --> 00:37:58,790
This kind of thinking made me live
a conflicted life since.

451
00:38:00,670 --> 00:38:04,950
Sometimes I thought life was precious

452
00:38:05,540 --> 00:38:08,650
and more important than anything.

453
00:38:10,220 --> 00:38:13,029
But other times,

454
00:38:13,030 --> 00:38:19,759
I found humans so insignificant
that nothing was worthwhile.

455
00:38:19,760 --> 00:38:25,029
Anyway, despite such internal conflicts,

456
00:38:25,030 --> 00:38:27,080
my life slipped away,

457
00:38:28,150 --> 00:38:34,070
and before I knew it,
I was already old.

458
00:38:43,510 --> 00:38:48,919
I'm not getting any younger
or healthier.

459
00:38:48,920 --> 00:38:52,320
I can't predict the future.

460
00:38:52,440 --> 00:38:58,800
All I can do is live my life as it is.

461
00:39:40,860 --> 00:39:47,620
♪ I've seen things
you people won't believe ♪

462
00:39:48,340 --> 00:39:54,460
♪ Soon our planet will vanish ♪

463
00:39:55,820 --> 00:40:02,180
♪ I've known the future
you people won't think of ♪

464
00:40:03,100 --> 00:40:09,340
♪ Soon your planet will be punished ♪

465
00:40:10,420 --> 00:40:17,140
♪ I've seen things
you people won't believe ♪

466
00:40:17,860 --> 00:40:23,780
♪ Soon our planet will vanish ♪

467
00:40:25,220 --> 00:40:31,340
♪ I've known the future
you people won't think of ♪

468
00:40:32,620 --> 00:40:38,660
♪ Soon your planet will be punished ♪

469
00:40:39,980 --> 00:40:46,660
♪ I've seen things
you people won't believe ♪

470
00:40:47,380 --> 00:40:53,660
♪ Soon our planet will vanish ♪

471
00:40:54,820 --> 00:41:01,380
♪ I've known the future
you people won't think of ♪

472
00:41:02,100 --> 00:41:08,500
♪ Soon your planet will be punished ♪

473
00:41:09,460 --> 00:41:16,380
♪ I've seen things
you people won't believe ♪

474
00:41:16,900 --> 00:41:22,740
♪ Soon our planet will vanish ♪

475
00:41:24,220 --> 00:41:30,820
♪ I've known the future
you people won't think of ♪

476
00:41:31,740 --> 00:41:37,580
♪ Soon your planet will be punished ♪

477
00:41:39,060 --> 00:41:45,740
♪ I've seen things
you people won't believe ♪

478
00:41:46,460 --> 00:41:52,260
♪ Soon our planet will vanish ♪

479
00:41:53,690 --> 00:42:00,820
♪ I've known the future
you people won't think of ♪

480
00:42:01,120 --> 00:42:04,179
♪ Soon your planet will be punished ♪

481
00:42:04,180 --> 00:42:11,060
Three-Body