CHAPTER 19
THE SECOND CONFERENCE OF SCIENCE
Stomach full and a bit sleepy, Milanko starting reviewing the notes for his presentation to the scientists the following morning. It had been a millennium since he had attended that first conference as a little piglet. Now he was a world renown expert engineer and physicist and had been asked to be the keynote speaker at the Second Conference of Science. His scrawling notes were substantial. There were his equations on the earth’s rotation, the moon’s gravitational effect on the oceans and the earth’s gravity retarding the rotation of the moon. He had the gravity effects of Venus and Mars nailed down. The correlation of the combined cycles to the ice ages was clear and Milanko’s equations proved that there was causation as well. The cyclical motion of the ocean currents matched the solar spot activity and the current pattern was changing the climate at specific locations. Warm currents were warming cold places, melting ice caused fresh water to change the density and salinity of the oceans, and the ocean conveyor belt proved to be sensitive to all these factors. He couldn’t predict the locations of clouds or even their depth, but he could generalize their effect. His equations on the flow of the air currents were rough since there were many missing data points in the earth’s terrain features. There was even less information on the seafloor terrain but at least those currents moved much slower and chemical changes could take millennia to have an effect. He gave up on writing equations to match sea levels. He couldn’t tell with any certainty that the land was rising or subsiding, the water contracting or expanding, or even if currents were causing erosion here and soil placement there. But he knew he would be asked these things. It was good that Milanko had millennia to make his calculations and do research.
Milanko would focus on the Physics. He would delve deeply into the theories of Dr. Dick Feynhog at Princelytown University and Professor Dysonian Freepig at Cornelius University. While the mathematics were intriguing, he was particularly fascinated by Dr. Feynhog’s description of heat energy as “shaking and jiggling atoms.” That simplified a complex subject, the transfer of energy. But it was Professor Freepig’s description of the mechanics of space exploration that redirected Milanko’s thought processes to the planets and astrophysics. Milanko would not have the opportunity to meet with these great scientists, but he would devour their research articles. However, he would meet another prominent physicist in person, Dr. Whapper, also from Princelytown University. Apparently, Dr. Whapper knew Dr. Freepig quite well and would divulge many interesting stories concerning the outspoken Professor from Cornelius University. Milanko and Dr. Whapper would develop a great deal of respect for one another as time went by.
Porcus found the exhibits on Electricity to be of special interest. But there was more to the story of Electricity as he would soon learn. A young student that Porcus would later discover was his grandnephew, began a presentation. “A certain swine named Cabbage had developed some computational methods to solve large problems using mechanical devices. His ideas were transformed into electric circuits by Dr. Annathog (An emeritus researcher at the laboratories founded by Dr. Alex Grabell.) The result was what was called digital computing. The basis was a binary arithmetic based on the split hooves of the swine family. Though very useful in military intelligence operations (which was gratifying to Pater), the private sector of major corporations, even backyard experimenters, had advanced the new technology into mass usage. Gatespig, Wozshog and Jobswine had even developed affordable hooves-held calculators, computers and communication pads. Lil’ Redhenny’s Pollo Express started making maximum use of this new technology. Along with digital circuitry came other advances in the understanding of the physics of light and electricity. Light emitting diodes had replaced most of the old incandescent and florescent tube lighting systems and the photovoltaic effect research had advanced the development of solar cells and solar cell arrays to generate electricity for military, commercial and residential use. Most of these advances came from Grabell’s laboratories.
Porcus was not worried about Milanko’s presentation. He knew it would go well. But he was interested in the hot rock energy developed by the scientists from the far north. There would be a presentation in the afternoon by Al. Stein and M. Curious on the hot rocks and their future potential. Dr. Stein had expanded on the work of Fig and Leo and developed a single equation of the relationship of energy and matter. Porcus had heard about this new energy source from his father and wanted to see it for himself. It could be an improvement over having to burn everything for enough energy to survive. The black honey, black rocks and rock gas would not last forever.
With Chorley et al still far off, Porcus, Epler and Oenopides made the rounds of the Conference science exhibits. Milanko’s presentation had been warmly received but he was worn out from the long hours of preparation. Even food was of no interest to him, just some shut-eye for a few days. He was a pig, obviously. So, while he rested, the others wandered around in wide-eyed amazement. Epler spotted something that looked very familiar to him. It was Milanko’s personal science display.
There was a model of the planets, the sun and the moon, all rotating around on a wire frame. The earth was a spinning, glass terrarium with miniature oceans, continents with bare and forested mountains, valleys, plains and deserts. There were miniature rivers and there were clouds, many, many swirling clouds. The visible dynamics of the little world would change with each orbit around the sun. The little ocean currents would swirl and alternate. Ice would form and melt and miniature glaciers would shrink, then advance. Watching the exhibit was intoxicating. It would be viewed for millennia by the exhibit goers. Some would note the changes in orbit, the tilt and wobble of the earth over time. Students would take notes, scratch their whiskers and snort, “Of course, that has to be the answer!”
There were many answers and many more questions to follow as the closing of the conference approached. “What about the sun’s solar output, the sun spots, what about those? What is the makeup of the gases in the terrarium? Can you change the amount of greenhouse gases? Are the plants real?” Milanko’s exhibit had overtaken the topics of his presentation. When he woke from his nap, he was starved. In the exhibit cafeteria he had to push through the throngs of admirers and questioners between him and the bowls of acorns. He would reach the acorns and answer questions between bites. Millennia would pass.