Chapter 2349

At the end of the 18th century, long-distance communication still relied on beacons. Georgiana saw it in Normandy and even boarded one of the beacon towers.

There was a man named Bupu who, inspired by semaphore, invented a long-distance communication device. He installed three movable thin plates on a tall pole, and each thin plate was tied with a thin rope. The communicator holds the other end of the rope for manipulation, and only needs to touch the thin rope sheet to change its original position, form different shapes, and then form various symbols.

Bupp designed a total of 196 symbols, each of which can be used to represent a certain letter or word, so that different groups of symbols can be used to express different meanings. This kind of communication device must be assumed to be in a place with a wide view, such as the top of a mountain or a special iron tower, and the communicator must also have a telescope, so that the signal on the flag station can be clearly seen at a distance of 10 kilometers.

Each communication station is staffed by two people who take turns on duty day and night. At night or in cloudy weather, lights are used to distinguish signals, so that one station can be transmitted, and the message is transmitted to a distant place like a relay.

Bupp’s first entry, the line of communication, was completed in July 1794. This line of communication was assumed to be between Paris and Lyon, with a distance of 120 kilometers. A piece of information passed through 20 communication stations and took 3 hours to reach Paris. , This speed was shocking at the time.

Soon some other countries in Europe also built some flag-raising communication stations, which spread from Prussia to Russia, and from Berlin to Trier. The Fresnel lens makes the transmission distance farther. During the war, in addition to the communication line, the communication line is also easy to be destroyed, and there may be a problem of leaking, but it is very suitable for popularization in the foggy western France.

"Does he know about it?" Georgiana asked Farron.

Farrong shook his head, "He is a kind child. He firmly believes that his invention was created to save more people."

Georgiana was speechless.

Mrs. De Stahl also wrote in "On Germany", "Geniuses are born to understand and respect each other, but whether it is Germany or France, you can see that they have developed from solitude and from society. The most complete contrast is seen between these two minds which have been formed."

Newton did not expect that her classical mechanics would be used to calculate ballistics, and she estimated that Fresnel would not be happy to learn that his invention was used in the military.

She sighed and looked at the square in front of her. In the morning, so many people gathered in the square to watch the air show, full of laughter and surprise, but in the afternoon it changed, and no one except the police was allowed to enter.

After the death of Lorenzo de' Medici in 1492, Michelangelo also left Florence because he felt that it was not appropriate to stay for a long time. Machiavelli's History of Florence also covers this year, and he concludes his essay that no one can stop the ambitions of Lodovico Sforza, guardian of the Duke of Milan.

Two years later, King Charles VIII of France invaded Florence, and the Medici family in power was expelled. The Republic of Florence was established. The founder was Girolamo Savonarola, a Dominican friar. Served as spiritual and secular leader of Florence in 1498. In 1497, he lit a raging fire in front of the Florence City Hall, bringing together objects he believed to represent "worldly pleasures", including mirrors, cosmetics, portraits, pagan books, women's hats, lutes and all classical poetry. Throw it into the fire and burn it.

He sent children, because in his opinion, no one in this city is purer than children.

During his sermons, Savonarola often claimed that he could talk directly with God or saints. They told him that the last judgment was coming, and the following Italian wars and plagues seemed to be explained by his prophecies, so people were more likely to be eschatological. Bewitched, nobody stopped the kids when they took the "unclean" stuff from every house.

At that time, the Florentines felt that Savonarola had done a good job, but when they realized that life was getting harder and harder, Florence, which was mainly based on business, fell into poverty, and the original followers of Savonarola also left him.

When people's endurance exceeds a certain limit, they will go to another extreme. Anyway, the end of the world is coming, so why not enjoy yourself in time?

Closed taverns reopened, people began to gamble openly, and when the wine was hot, people talked about literature and art, sometimes telling crude jokes, although the Medici family outside the city was also trying to restore Florentine rule with the support of the Spanish army.

On May 13, 1497, Alexander VI expelled Savonarola from the church. Some people launched a civil uprising while he was preaching. He was burned at the stake, and this time, no one stopped him.

It was not long before Michelangelo returned to Florence and went on to work on the David and the Madonna in Bruges, as if nothing had changed.

But something changed too, Michelangelo became more famous, even though he was already famous before leaving Florence.

"Also, there is one more thing." Farron said in a low voice, "Do you still remember the British engineer who invented the gas lamp?"

"Of course, I remember, what's wrong?"

"Mr. Frederick Albert Windsor was blocked from registering a patent in England, and he believed that the Soho Company was behind it."

Georgiana was speechless again.

"There is a wide divergence between British patent law and French patent law, which may be specific to the UK, where a French patent is interpreted as a property right for an inventor through an investment in an invention, while in the UK it is a temporary exclusivity for an invention, If Mr. Windsor's application is approved in the UK, he can set up a national gas company and allow him to mine coke, which is much different from the threshing machine patent that Mr. Meeker exchanged for his annuity."

"What do you want to say?" Georgiana asked.

"The machinery stolen by Mr. Bowens did not pay patent fees. In 1789, Mr. Samuel Slater came to the United States. With his amazing memory, he imitated the most advanced spinning machine at that time, and with Brown The family cooperated and established the first textile factory in the United States. Because of him, the textile industry in the United States has developed rapidly and has surpassed France, ranking behind Britain and India. The British called him a 'traitor'. I remember a man named Henry Petty's young man."

"Have you seen him?" asked Georgiana.

"He wants the Americans to pay back their pre-war debts, as stipulated in the Treaty of Paris, right?" Farron asked.

"You've heard a lot," said Georgiana, laughing.

"If the Americans refuse to pay their debts, do we still recognize the legitimacy of the Paris Peace Treaty?" Farron asked.

"That's your business."

"Her Royal Highness... I mean Marie Antoinette doesn't care about this, even though she is trying very hard to integrate into France." Farron said with some melancholy, "They hope to destroy the American textile industry through war."

"who are they?"

"Those who are not happy to share patents."

"But I've seen a man who..."

"Where does his raw material come from?" Farron interrupted Georgiana.

Georgiana said nothing.

"Mr. Slater will be hanged if he returns to China. He left in a hurry and became a farmer after some disguise, but his father is still in England." Farron shook his head. "Poor old guy, he Because his son lost everything."

"Can't old Mr. Slater go to the younger one?" asked Georgiana.

Farron laughed.

"It is precisely because of Mr. Slater that the United States promulgated a law that the U.S. government does not recognize foreign patents. Anyone with new technology can apply for a patent in the United States and get protection without reviewing the source of the technology. We must be the same as the United States. ?"

"Why are you asking me?"

"Since Bowens is your knight, whose protection is he under?"