I Pioneered Scientific Magic - Chapter 323 (Patreon)

Chapter 323: Lynn: To Measure the Speed of Light, Just a Small Gear is All I Need!

Glen's experiment on light beam measurement, despite its ultimate failure, propelled the curiosity of the wizards regarding the speed of light to a new high.

The results of the experiment were so shocking that it sparked immense discussion among them. The terrifying power of condensing strong light into a beam became a topic of fascination for every wizard.

It's foreseeable that optics would become a specialized field of study for many wizards in the future.

However, regarding the measurement of the speed of light, the wizards divided into two camps. Some staunchly believed that the speed of light was infinite. After all, they could easily see the distant sun and moon from here.

Measuring the speed of light was simply absurd!

On the other hand, some believed that the speed of light was finite. They reasoned that everything, including the 'element of light,' had its limits. But they couldn't conceive how to continue the experiment.

For light, even a distance of a hundred kilometers is reached in an instant. If it had a speed, it must surpass at least ten thousand kilometers per second for people's reactions to be unable to keep up. Consider that the circumference of the eternal star beneath their feet was merely over forty thousand kilometers!

"Are we supposed to conduct the experiment at both ends of the planet?" Sanchez's mind conjured this thought. That would certainly provide ample space, but how would they travel there?

"Fool, this planet is round, and light travels in a straight line. It either gets blocked or flies into space; it can't reach the other end," scoffed Raphael.

"What else do you suggest?" asked an irritated Sanchez.

Raphael opened his mouth and then shook his head helplessly. "How should I know?"

This wizard, filled with magical ideas, had surprised everyone. Who would have thought that merely erecting an ice pillar on the sea's surface and measuring the shadow's length would yield the entire planet's circumference and volume?

Thus, Raphael couldn't speculate on what new ingenious idea the other might come up with this time.

Curiosity aside, the magical conference continued as usual. Over three days, three recipients were awarded the Morning Star Medal.

They were Glenn, who conjured the focus magic, Flora, who presented electromagnetic theory on stage for Anthony, and...

Yoland, who had crafted a rudimentary microscope. This wizard from the prophecy guild, after being refuted by Lynn in the previous year's conference, had taken the criticism to heart and delved wholeheartedly into research.

While observing celestial bodies through an astronomical telescope, Yoland had a sudden inspiration and made some modifications, resulting in the creation of the microscope.

Though they had clashed at the conference a year prior, Lynn didn't hold any grudge. It was merely an academic dispute, normal even if it escalated. Yoland hadn't resorted to any low means to upset Lynn intentionally, so Lynn graciously nominated Yoland for the Morning Star Medal.

This magnanimity left Yoland feeling deeply ashamed.

This time, he had prepared for potential backlash, even drafting a speech of over ten thousand words to elucidate the research's significance. However, Lynn was the first to propose awarding him the Morning Star Medal.

In the midst of their collaboration, Raphael persistently tried to extract some details from Lynn, but Lynn diverted them aimlessly. Raphael murmured in private, pondering if Sanchez's speculation was accurate—perhaps the Star Mage wasn't entirely confident in the experiment, hence the constant secrecy.

Ignoring the various rumors circulating among the wizardry, Lynn returned to the rest area of the Iyeta Academy and summoned Elok and the others, inquiring about their preparations.

"Dean Lynn, we've finished making the gears as you instructed!" Elok and Pearce spoke wearily.

They had spent three days manufacturing ten gears of varying sizes, from five hundred teeth to twelve hundred teeth. As per the Dean's instructions, they had to ensure precision, with each tooth's distance being exactly equal, with an accuracy of one-thousandth of a centimeter.

Only certified wizards could accomplish such meticulous tasks. This was precisely why Lynn had brought them along—someone had to do the job!

Meanwhile, Lydia and Jonny were tasked with creating the lenses and mirrors, which were now complete.

"Excellent, it seems we can start the experiment tonight!" Lynn inspected the experimental equipment and nodded in satisfaction.

Elok and the others were incredibly puzzled. Why would the Dean ask them to make so many gears?

"Are we supposed to measure the speed of light with these things?" Lydia raised her hand and asked.

"Yes, the gears are enough for that!" Lynn nodded.

...

At night, within the city of Greenreal, the square was packed with wizards who had come to witness this experiment.

The Star Mage's reputation, coupled with the light-speed measurement experiment, made this a spectacle no one wanted to miss.

"Master Lynn, we've been waiting for days. You won't tease us now, will you?" Raphael expressed his frustration. He had been contemplating various methods for the experiment these past few days but hadn't found any solutions.

"My method is simple, and everything we need is right here!" Lynn smiled.

Curiously, Raphael and the others gazed at the experimental setup in front of Lynn. The most prominent item was the peculiar-looking alchemical apparatus. After Lynn's explanation, they understood it was used to emit a light beam, akin to Glen's focusing magic.

And placed on the walls of the DC district was a mirror, precisely four kilometers away from this square...

"Isn't this similar to Glen's mirror experiment for measuring light speed a few days ago?"

Nancy murmured softly, and the other wizards present nodded in agreement.

After all, Glen had used a hundred mirrors to create a hundred kilometers of space, but it had ultimately failed. In contrast, Lynn's mirrored surface, though traversing half of Greenreal City, was barely eight kilometers, not even a tenth.

Measuring the speed of light was simply a pipe dream!

"So, what's this for?" Raphael pointed at what Elok held. "How is this crucial for the experiment?"

"A gear?" Raphael immediately recognized it. This thing wasn't unfamiliar to alchemists; it had existed in the steam engine previously created by the Alchemy Association.

What did this have to do with measuring the speed of light?

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