Chương 57: 57 - Gravitational Field
Theodore's irritable words immediately captured everyone's attention.
Facing the astonished gazes of the crowd, Theodore didn't say much. He simply handed over the so-called research manuscript, and Herlram and the others took it and began to read, their faces contorted with mocking expressions.
When this manuscript reached the hands of Herlram, the grand wizard, he didn't laugh. He discovered something mentioned in the manuscript, something called "air resistance."
Lynn took a sip of his tea, not in a hurry to explain, but patiently waiting for the academy professors to finish examining his "research material."
Although he had limited knowledge of the "magic" in the wizard lands, Kora had left him with two basic books, "Elemental Analysis" and "Basic Magic Compendium" and the manuscripts he had written were extensions of existing theories in the wizard lands, easily verifiable.
In just five or six minutes, the dozen or so pages of the manuscript were thoroughly examined by the wizards. Given the unreliability of the so-called law of free fall, they only gave the remaining content a cursory look. They were astounded to find an even more outrageous idea in the manuscript.
"Listen, your name is Lynn, right? I don't know what Kora had in mind when he sent you to bring this absurd manuscript to the wizard lands, but forgive me for saying that the magical theories of the Society of Mystical Arts are full of holes..."
Kevin tossed the pages in his hand casually onto the table, saying with a hint of frustration. "And you even believe that this world is a spherical continent? It's just ridiculous."
"Why can't this world be spherical? No one has verified it yet," Lynn calmly placed his teacup down. Though he couldn't confirm this due to his lack of ability to fly into space, the fact that he could stand here already explained many things.
For instance, the mass and gravity of the planet beneath his feet were almost identical to Earth, as he felt virtually no difference in gravity.
The changing seasons and the movements of the sun and moon also served as evidence of planetary rotation and orbit around a star. Moreover, after leaving the Misty Sea, the first thing he saw in the harbor was the spire of the Howling Tower, followed by the tower itself. The most crucial evidence was the star chart; by placing the star in the center, he could construct a perfect model of the celestial system, the most direct proof.
If it weren't for the star chart indicating that this star had only five orbiting planets, Lynn would have started to suspect if this was another Earth from a parallel world.
Because it looked so similar.
"Since Iyeta Harbor faces the open sea, I wonder if any of you have ever used Farsight magic or alchemical spyglasses to observe the sea. If so, you should have noticed that when a sailboat gradually approaches from a distance, you first see the sails and then the hull."
As he spoke, Lynn extended his hand, and with a surge of magic, a huge and murky water globe appeared in front of everyone. He then inserted a feathered quill straight into the flow of water.
Immediately, the water began to ripple, and the quill rotated from the base to the top. Indeed, the first thing seen was the tip of the quill.
The wizards in attendance immediately understood Lynn's point. The massive water globe was akin to the continent beneath their feet, and the quill represented a ship. If the continent were flat, they would see the entire hull as it approached.
Only a curved surface would make the sails appear first.
"It does seem to be the case," Theodore's brow furrowed. Every Moonrise, he would go to the harbor dock to welcome new arrivals. Sometimes he had to use Farsight magic, and it was indeed as Lynn described. They always saw the sails on the horizon first.
This theory appeared to have some merit, but Theodore felt that something was amiss.
"That still doesn't prove that this continent is a spherical body; it might be a semi-circular one... That makes sense, doesn't it?" Another academy professor eagerly retorted, "And according to your theory, under the influence of gravity, the seawater above should have flowed down long ago..."
As he spoke, the academy professor mimicked Lynn, creating a clay sphere to simulate the continent. He then attached a layer of flowing water to its surface.
He promptly released the "Mage's Hand," causing the water to flow downwards, forming a puddle on the table.
"Look, it's like this... this completely doesn't work." The academy professor proudly exclaimed. Theodore and the others nodded in agreement.
"Don't we need to determine which side is 'up'?"
"Of course, the sky is above, and the land is below; it's gravity-guided." Theodore furrowed his brow and explained, not understanding why the question seemed so absurd.
"Is that so? How about this, then?" Lynn raised an eyebrow, removed the water globe, and placed his hand on the clay sphere the academy professor had created. He activated the "Mage's Hand," causing the originally soft clay sphere to slowly compress inward until it became a solid sphere.
"If we consider the force granted by the 'Mage's Hand' as gravity, for the center of the clay sphere, which side is up, and which side is down?"
Theodore was left completely baffled. Lynn's metaphor using the clay sphere to represent the continent was straightforward and easily understood, so he naturally grasped it well. However, that understanding was precisely what left him in awe.
For the center of a sphere, there was gravity on all sides, so in all directions, there was an "up." The "down" was located at the center of the sphere, which meant the water would naturally adhere to the surface of the sphere.
The professors in the room also recognized this point. They engaged in a heated debate. Kevin was entirely unwilling to believe in this so-called theory of a spherical world, insisting that the continent was flat and that the sailboat's farseeing phenomenon was just a coincidence, not direct evidence.
Philip and others, on the other hand, held the opposite view. They believed that Lynn's words might not be entirely without merit. At the very least, it was a plausible theory, worthy of further research and confirmation.
As the scholars were about to descend into a heated argument, Theodore turned his gaze to Lynn and asked again, "Are you suggesting that there's a force compressing everything towards the center of this continent? Is that why the water remains on the surface?"
Lynn had not yet answered when Herlram, who had been reviewing the manuscript all this time, finally spoke.
"In fact, it should be the opposite. There is some force at the center of the continent that spreads outward in all directions, forming a gravitational field... dragging everything inward. Is that what you're trying to convey, right?"
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