Chapter 61
Chapter 61
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Ace
Chapter: 61
Chapter Title: Duckling Takes the World by Storm
-----------------------------------------------------------------
"What the hell is this?"
Tae-jin rubbed his eyes and peered back at the screen.
He woke up that morning to total chaos on the anonymous board.
After reading through the post and all the comments, Tae-jin clicked the link.
Click.
Drooloo-doong, doo-doong—
The opening music played as the camera slowly panned across the studio.
"Hello, viewers. Welcome to a special broadcast of Science and the City, our in-depth science talk show. Today, we'll be covering the recent hot topic."
"Joining us is Professor Kim Ha-yoon, who does cross-research in math and physics. Please come on in."
"Nice to be here."
"We've heard that academic circles in America and Europe are in an uproar. What do you make of it, Professor?"
Professor Kim adjusted his glasses with a smile.
"As a scientist myself, I couldn't contain my excitement. And to think a Korean student is at the center of it all—it's shocking and something to be proud of."
"Could you explain it simply? Folks like me can't make heads or tails of the news even when we read it."
"In essence, here's what happened. Yoo Seo-ha observed quantum chaos in an MIT lab."
The host cut in.
"That's where it gets weird for me. Yoo Seo-ha is only 14, right? He's skipped grades so many times he's barely a high schooler now. How did he even get into an MIT quantum experiment?"
"Hahaha! Even MIT probably has no precedent for this. There's this famous event in academia called the 'Young Mathematicians Forum.' He was invited there. After that, I'm not entirely sure."
"Please go on."
"During the experiment, he made an unusual claim. That at the moment quantum energy dissipates, a subtle phase shift is detected. And he proposed the hypothesis that the pattern of that shift matches the internal waves hidden in the Riemann zeta function."
A pre-prepared computer graphic appeared on screen.
The vibration lines of quantum waves overlapped with the waveform of the Riemann zeta function.
"Even hearing it is tough. Make it simpler."
"When quanta are created or annihilated, there's an energy gap, right?"
The host nodded.
"Yeah, I follow that far."
"The claim that those gaps strikingly resemble the statistical spacing of the zeros in the Riemann zeta function has existed since 1973."
"So there was already a statistical similarity noted long ago."
"Yes. But that's where it ended. Physics aims for prediction. Where's the next point? No one could figure it out. That's why lately, the idea that it might just be coincidence has gained traction."
The host let out an admiring chuckle.
"Aha! Now it's clicking."
"But Yoo Seo-ha showed that's not the whole story. Beyond statistical similarity, he introduced a dynamical feature called phase rotation and proposed a new correspondence that directly links it to the argument changes in the zeta function."
"Tough terms, but I get the gist. Why is this such a big discovery?"
"Two reasons."
Professor Kim Ha-yoon held up two fingers.
"First, it confirms the structure of the Riemann zeta function—which had been seen as purely abstract—through observable physical signals in reality. Second, the mathematical model he proposed doesn't just say 'it looks similar'; it opens the possibility of a one-to-one correspondence with actual phase changes."
A brief silence fell.
"Does that mean the Riemann Hypothesis—one of those puzzles even I know about—could be proven?"
Professor Kim shook his head.
"Not right now. Hmm... Let me use an analogy. You like games, right?"
"Of course."
"Clearing the Riemann Hypothesis dungeon—we couldn't even enter it before. We were just circling outside, guessing 'How big is it?' or 'What monsters are inside?'"
"Aha!"
"Yoo Seo-ha found the entrance. Now we go in and fight hard."
The studio staff covered their mouths, laughing at Professor Kim's analogy.
"I hear universities worldwide are verifying the paper."
"Yes. Harvard, Oxford, Tokyo U, Germany's Max Planck Institute—they've all started replication experiments. MIT seems confident in the results. They wouldn't rush a paper like that without certainty."
"What happens after verification?"
Professor Kim grinned, excitement plain on his face.
"That's when the infinite competition begins. Or rather, it's already underway. A million-dollar prize is big, but the Riemann Hypothesis carries history and symbolism. Solving it would echo through the ages. No scholar could resist that temptation."
The host gasped in awe.
"Wow, it's giving me chills. A 14-year-old Korean boy pulling this off? Unbelievable."
"Not just you—the whole world is stunned. No university wouldn't want to snag Yoo Seo-ha. They're all pulling out the stops."
"Is the Riemann Hypothesis the most important problem for humanity?"
"I'm no expert on all of math, but I can say definitively no. Proving it would be a huge milestone for math, but there are other problems with far greater impact on our lives."
"Name one?"
Professor Kim answered without hesitation.
"One of the Millennium Problems: the Navier-Stokes equations."
"Why's that so important?"
"The Navier-Stokes equations describe fluid motion—gases or liquids. Water flow, atmospheric circulation, waves, clouds—all can be expressed by it. Simply put, it's math's attempt to interpret every 'flow' in the world."
"Sounds epic just hearing it."
Professor Kim waved it off with a laugh.
"Truth is, mathematicians don't love this problem much. Fluids! Doesn't even sound precise. Too much uncertainty. But it's crucial to study."
"Because it relates to Earth?"
"It's the foundation of our lives we must protect. Climate weirdness from global warming is already causing issues, right? Master this equation, and we could predict Earth's future with precision. It's tied directly to human survival."
"Feels epic. Like math decides humanity's fate."
"It always has. Human civilization is built on math's foundation. Calendars, rainfall prediction, land surveying, navigation, astronomy... All math."
Thinking the mood too heavy, the host pulled a goofy face.
"Great PR from our math prof. Thanks to you, I get why the Western world is flipping out. PD's yelling to wrap up. This has been Science and the City with anchor Kim Se-jin."
Click.
"Holy shit, Yoo Seo-ha!"
A scream burst from Tae-jin's mouth. His phone alarms blared nonstop. The group chat topic? Yoo Seo-ha, naturally.
Drag.
Tae-jin moved his mouse to expand the comments.
"Should I get an autograph or something?"
Tae-jin searched how much Einstein and von Neumann signed items went for these days.
On a mild winter afternoon bathed in warm sunlight, a battle of wills raged in the MIT president's office between two old men.
The president fixed Leonard with a cold stare.
"Didn't I tell you? If the dean steps in before admissions committee even moves, we get procedure issues. If a special admission scandal hits the press, will you take responsibility?"
Leonard was furious. The president had rejected his proposal twice already.
"The committee's hopeless. Too conservative. Why do you think Eliya Kronen went to Princeton? We were their first choice. But the committee nixed it over age, and didn't handle family relocation."
"We have rules to follow."
"You'd let a genius slip away right in front of us over those damn rules?"
"I want Seo-ha as our student too. The committee will send a formal offer. We'll issue an admissions letter in the president's name. This is rare even in MIT history."
"I'm saying that's not enough. Harvard and Princeton already sent people. They'll offer killer terms while we follow rules."
The president shook his head in resignation.
"What do you want?"
"At least match their level. Cover tuition and living expenses, provide family housing for full relocation. Sign a research affiliation with Seo-ha, and we can legally support family residency. Dodges minor protections too."
This bundled every perk MIT offered top talents. The president let out a hollow laugh.
"Anything else?"
Leonard's demands kept coming.
"He has a young sibling, so health insurance and schooling too. Elementary school placement, maybe even dispatch ELS teachers or tutors if needed. Family stability lets Seo-ha focus on research."
The president eyed Leonard in disbelief.
"Are we recruiting a professor here?"
"President!"
Leonard glared.
"In the 1940s, we built radar that changed the war. '60s, NASA collab for spaceships. '90s, world computer engineering hub. But now? Can we claim superiority over rivals in anything?"
Bam!
The furious president slammed his palm on the desk.
"No university in the world outranks us!"
Seeing the agitated president, Leonard spoke softly.
"Not now... But the future's uncertain. Charlie, Seo-ha will bring glory to MIT. We'll stand unrivaled at the world's intellectual center again."
The president's eyes trembled wildly.