Chapter 5 Standing on the Shoulders of Giants

“What's impossible about that?” Lin Ran continued tapping, but this time he didn’t follow the Fibonacci sequence; instead, he tapped slowly on the table at a rate of once per second.

“Euler could derive three-degree-of-freedom ballistic equations by hand. Since you work at NASA, you must have seen many who can mentally calculate complex integrals, achieving precision even surpassing the FRIDEN 130 calculator from Boeing.

Using Clairaut’s mathematical model of Earth's shape under rotating fluid equilibrium, Legendre's spherical harmonics, and Laplace’s perturbation theory, I deduced the coupling effects of atmospheric drag. Is there anything strange about that?”

Lin Ran tried his best to ease the atmosphere in the room, avoiding further straining the already fragile nerves of the other party.

Is this what it feels like to stand on the shoulders of giants? Lin Ran thought. Even without an enhanced brain, he already held significant advantages in this era.

Elite talents like Haines were merely pawns to be expertly handled.

As for how he judged the other party to be an elite at NASA, Lin Ran stood just outside a phone booth, overhearing a clear conversation between Haines and his superior. The other party’s extraordinary mental calculation skills during the call left no doubt he was an elite.

If any ordinary person at NASA could do this, the space race wouldn’t be a contest at all.

But before him, no matter how brilliant the elite, they could not compete with future wisdom.

“Randolph, alright, I’ll take your word that you’re a Ramanujan-type figure in aerospace, and I’m Sir Mukherjee who discovered Ramanujan. Since you’re so patient in explaining, what do you want?” Haines said after taking a deep breath.

“I just arrived in New York. I need a place to stay and some dollars—I’m penniless.

As for compensation, the fourth and fifth terms of Newton’s gravitational perturbation correction formula are the reward. You know their value well.

And why I came to you? That’s a coincidence.”

...

“Dear Professor Stührlinger, hello. The first day of the 1960s was a mild shock for me because I met a Ramanujan-type figure—assuming he’s not lying.

Like Ramanujan, he’s Asian with extraordinary mathematical talent, capable of deriving Newton’s gravitational perturbation correction formula up to the fifth term by hand...”

Haines brought Lin Ran back to his residence in New York, though he found the conditions Lin Ran proposed incredible.

Such a person actually worried about basic sustenance.

He had assumed Lin Ran’s request would be help to enter NASA, but it turned out to be a simple matter of money.

Yet, to Haines, this was an opportunity. If Lin Ran truly was a Ramanujan-level genius, even if Lin Ran didn’t want to, Haines would proactively offer to help him join NASA.

Now, he was feverishly writing a letter to his senior, Ernst Stürster, director of the Ion Propulsion Laboratory at the Marshall Space Flight Center.

His own position couldn’t get an Asian into NASA, even a Ramanujan genius, but Stürster could.

After committing Lin Ran’s formula derivations to memory in a café’s private room and then burning the written notes in a metal basin, Haines hurried back home to write to Stürster about the day’s encounter.

Back at Haines’ place, Lin Ran sorted through the gains and losses of this short half-day in the guest room.

“I didn’t reveal too much in my conversation with Haines. Saying I’m from the mainland isn’t a problem.

Who can verify whether I truly came from the mainland?

But this identity is certainly insufficient. Later, after returning to 2020, I need to find opportunities to further refine it.

If I want to join NASA, this identity won’t dispel doubts.

Especially with my knowledge and abilities, once inside NASA, I’ll shine like a firefly in the night.

No matter how far McCarthyism recedes, my identity must be airtight.

Being undocumented isn’t a problem, but an undocumented person with no traceable background is a huge problem—absolutely unacceptable.”

With Haines’ protection, the three days in 1960 passed particularly smoothly. Haines lived in a wealthy district with relatively good security.

Besides planning his next steps, Lin Ran conducted a series of tests with limited resources:

“To assess bodily changes, I can use astronaut testing methods.

However, baseline tests, stress tests, and motion capture require control groups or specialized equipment, which is unrealistic for me now.

High-speed cameras for reaction testing are unavailable. Even after returning to 2020, borrowing one would be difficult, and if anyone discovered my bodily abnormalities, it would be troublesome.

For now, I can only use rudimentary methods for preliminary judgment.

Whether it’s limb positioning, repeated motion trajectories, or muscle control, these can be tested without equipment.”

With a background in aerospace, Lin Ran had learned many methods to test the body in astronaut-related courses.

He had never thought he’d have a chance to become an astronaut or use these methods—yet unexpectedly, at this moment, they became useful.

By instructing his brain to target specific points, like just below the front earlobe, then observing the deviation of his finger touching that point, and gradually increasing difficulty with different targets, he assessed the precision of his limb control.

Or performing designated actions, such as drawing a square with the left hand and a circle with the right, was another method.

“Just as I predicted, my control over my body has reached a new level. Among humans, my degree of bodily control should be unsurpassed.”

When his brain ordered his finger to move down two centimeters, though he had no ruler, Lin Ran could visually estimate the distance precisely.

After confirming high precision control in various postures, Lin Ran gained a preliminary understanding of his transformation:

“The portal allows me to move across locations and time, and combined with bodily changes, I have certain survival capabilities.

The evolution of my brain is astonishing—not only improved calculation and memory but also a significant enhancement in deep thinking ability.”

For the remaining time, Lin Ran kept a low profile, avoiding trouble. His conversations with Haines continued to showcase his genius without revealing further abnormalities.

When questioned about his identity, Lin Ran responded evasively.

Without more information, he adhered to the principle that matters outside science often lead to mistakes; better to leave questions unanswered for now and avoid unnecessary risks.

While keeping a low profile, Lin Ran received an express letter from NASA: “Bring him to Houston and arrange an interview.”