Classics fantasy – 4

Unexpectedly huge window occupying nearly a quarter of the sphere it is dazzling flashed. Now it seemed to similar to the real sun. This is Filinov sent a ray of light to a photo cell opening. The mass of light escaped from an opening, rushed through “an interplanetary scope” and began to fall meteorites on an opposite wall. Here also amusing began.

Fiery bombs fell to valleys and mountains, and over valleys and mountains anxiously began to fuss as if expecting a trouble, electrons. Light shells began to knock out these electrons – to tear off them from a surface, and electrons departed to an interplanetary scope, on the central ring – the anode. On the road they faced “neutral” gas molecules and knocked out from them electrons.

The stream of these electrons went to the center of the Universe – to a ring. It was also current. The photo cell began to work. The enormous interplanetary scope dividing the anode and the cathode was won. Under the influence of abyss light as if would disappear. Electrons – negatively loaded parts of electricity – flew to a positive pole.

But on it business did not come to an end. “Neutral” planetka – gas molecules – having lost an electron, became “a positive ion”. Such molecule has already only one satellite – a positive charge. The “earth” of caesium loaded with negative electricity began to attract it uncontrollably. And positive ions began to fall to “ground”. It was possible to think that there was a space disaster. The rain of positive electrons fell to “ground”, beat out new and new electrons each time. They soared up from a surface, rushed in an interplanetary scope on the central ring and fell. Other of them faced on the way neutral molecules, knocked out from them electrons which immediately fell to “ground”. And the stream of “meteorites” which broke from “earth” and flew to “the center of the Universe” grew as an avalanche – there was what is called increase in current.

Filinov, probably, still increased tension in a current chain to which the photo cell was attached, and gas molecules were suddenly lit. Now each of them became similar to the moon, and everything together they represented extremely beautiful show – thousands, millions of the moon which incessantly move.

– Gas luminescence? – Larichkin who did not forget about “terrestrial” names of the phenomena made in this world exclaimed. The sun window inflamed, grew dull. Filinov regulated luminous intensity. And when “window” shone stronger, the stream of electrons from a surface to the center of a sphere increased if “window” grew dull, also the current of electrons decreased – in other words, current fell. Harichkin and Larichkin saw what the scientist determines only by imagination, calculations given devices for observation own eyes. They could observe how the slightest increase or reduction of light increased or reduced quantity of the electrons falling on the central ring – that is current.

Harichkin and Larichkin were fascinated by an unprecedented show. They even forgot about danger and suddenly with horror saw that on their planetku-molecule the celestial body falls. They did not manage to scream from a fright as there was a collision and they fainted. And when recovered, saw that lie on a sofa near a cat of professor Filinov who had the usual sizes, as well as all around.

– There now – said Eagle owls – you also visited the world of a microcosm and now, probably, acquired much better all processes what are made in a photo cell. Light can give rise to electric current – you knew it earlier. Now you saw how he is born.

Photo cell! This new mighty weapon of the person. The current which is given rise or strengthened by light can set the mechanism in motion. Light can open and close doors, warn about the fires, stop trains, cars, to set huge cars in motion. Light of the star located at distance of hundreds of millions of kilometers from Earth can include an electric lighting, perform any task; the photo cell can sort cigars and consider development on the conveyor; the photo cell entered the industry, it will become usual soon and. The photo cell opens before inventors unlimited opportunities in all areas. Our photo cells are still weak as independent power sources, but that time when we learn to get directly from the sun the electric power of “industrial value” will come already soon. The roof of a body of the car will be a photo cell, and the car will move the solar energy turned into current. Roofs of houses will collect light in the afternoon to spend it at night. The polar summer will give so much photoelectric power that will get it for all long polar night. And night will stop being at night.

– You forgot to mention one important application of photo cells – in television – Harichkin told.

Larichkin pushed it sideways, however was already late. Filinov quickened and started talking:

– Yes, in television. Now I will explain you what role is played by a photo cell in television.

– We know – Larichkin answered.

– You know? – flew on it Eagle owls. – And I, guilty, not up to the end know. Also I want to understand, explaining to you.

It was its method: “to study, training”. Told about Filinov, as if he complained once: “What pupils, stupid at me! You will explain time – do not understand, you will explain two – do not understand. At last itself you begin to understand, and all of them do not understand yet”. And he liked to explain “known long ago”, assuring that in these explanations always and to itself (himself) you understand something that it seemed unclear and that unexpectedly you will understand more deeply and better.

– I know – Filinov became angry – so can tell only children like you. We, of course, know something, however in the field of radio, as well as in other areas, we still do not know a lot of things. Unless features of a layer of Hevisayd are known to us completely? Unless we are able to explain why the radio transmitter of bad home weak radio station reaches sometimes such distant reception and transfer what you will not always reach at powerful stations? We often grope the way in the dark. If we already “knew everything”, it would be awful. The youth on a share would have one cramming. Fortunately, for an inquisitive, innovative mind there is a work plenty. And for you including, my greyish pupils and assistants! – he added cockily. – The one who knows most, most modest.

By the way, about photo cells and television. Without photo cells also the television, of course, would be impossible. It is still imperfect also now. And therefore before going forward, “we will repeat passed”. I will tell only about the principles.

Larichkin breathed a sigh of relief.

– From your “travel” we learned that light can be turned into electric current. And vice versa: people learned to transform electric current to the public. All television is also based on these two facts. Here beam of light of a certain brightness. I pass it in a photo cell. Light excites current of the corresponding force. I give this current on wires or without wires. In the place of reception I turn electric current again to the public. And on the screen of the reception device there is a light spot, exactly same as though the ray of light from the source fell directly on our screen, without being exposed to transformation and transfer…

– Not exactly – Larichkin corrected. It was evil on this lecture about things, long ago known. – The ray of light loses something in force. Besides…

– Well, of course – Filinov agreed – at any transmission of energy it is necessary to deal with losses. And our purpose – to minimize them. But you do not interrupt me. I set the task to understand to myself… that is to you, the basic. – And it continued: – Thus, the ray of light can be transferred to other place by means of electricity. It would seem, as transfer of images on radio is easy. Put the person facing a photo cell, light more feasibly a face, and light reflected from an appearance will get to a photo cell, will excite current, current will come to other place, there it will turn to the public – and here before you on the screen the image of the person. And actually what we have? Not the image of the person, but light spot, no more. Why? Already and it is not so easy to answer this, apparently, simple question. Here we should think of how we in general see how our sight is arranged.

Why we see? And under what conditions? We see objects only because on them there are treatments of light and shade. In darkness everything is covered by absolute “shadow”, everything is black, and we do not see. However and at bright light we would also see nothing if shadows disappeared. Everything is dazzling would shine, would stick together eyes. And only. Sometimes inexperienced photographers seat photographed against a strong light source. Shadows almost disappear, and on a card instead of the person “pancake” turns out. Features cannot almost be distinguished. And light was more, than it is necessary! If we, as well as on the Moon, had no atmospheres, then all objects standing in a shadow absolutely would disappear from the field of our sight, and the subject lit half would seem to us the photo cut in two. Our sight is adapted for terrestrial conditions where thanks to the atmosphere we have an incalculable set of shadows and penumbras. Let’s take the human face lit sideways. We see this person. However actually we see a huge number of variously lit points – and not therefore only that points are lit unevenly, but also because the person unequally absorbs and reflects rays of light.

The beam which fell on black as if by soot the drawn eyebrow, it is almost entirely absorbed, and the pale cheek will reflect light completely. But also on this cheek there will be many separate points which will unequally reflect light. Each point of the person sends to our eye a separate beam, and beams these different force. Some points do not send beams also at all. All beams meet in our eye “lens” – a pupil, and then, having refracted, again disperse – exactly as in a camera lens! But display arises not on “an opaque plate”, and on an eye retina. The last consists of huge number of separate flasks, and each flask has “wire” – the nerve transferring the image to a brain. Look in a microscope approximately of a fly. There it is visible more distinctly. An eye of a fly is similar to honeycombs. It is not one, but hundreds of six-sided eyes. And on each of them only one beam – strong or weak gets. Our retina represents something like a board for a mosaic with ready dimples into which it is possible to insert stones of the first color. Set of these “multi-colored” rather raznosvetny stones also creates an overall picture, be this person or any other subject.

And the photo cell has no “retina”. The photo cell is only one flask of our retina, it is only one cell of an eye of a fly. If the fly could close all cells of the eye, except one, then either one light point, or an arithmetic average of all beams would get to this cell. And the fly would see only one spot. Here the same arithmetic average of all beams receives also a photo cell from the lit human face. Also it reflects only one spot.

But how in that case to transfer the image of the person? You will not remake a human eye, and a photo cell if on it all beams reflected by a human face fall can transfer only a light spot. It is impossible! But the separate points on a face which are sharply lit can be transferred. If to cover the lit face with the screen and in the screen to make a small hole which, say, passes a light beam only from one point of the person, then this beam, without mixing up with others, gets on a photo cell and causes the corresponding current which can be transferred and again to turn into light point. If we place this hole in the screen against brightly lit point on a nose, then the bright beam will cause also current of the corresponding force, so, and on the accepting screen brighter point will flash. If the hole appears against the shaded point of the person, then and it will be reflected in the screen more dark stain.

Thus, it is possible to transfer only separate “stones” of different coloring for our mosaic portrait. At the same time on our mosaic these “stones” will settle down in the same spatial ratio in what they were on a face. However how to make the finished mosaic portrait? We have an opportunity “to send” only one “stone” for once. Let’s say sent black – eyebrows – and it is necessary to send white “stone” – a forehead. But hardly we will move a screen hole from eyebrows on a forehead, black “stone” will disappear, and we will not receive a mosaic portrait. So it would also be if one feature of our sight did not come to the rescue. From the screen black “stone” disappears, but he still lives in our eye and some time keeps. Our sight is capable to keep what was seen during approximately seventh fraction of a second after the subject dropped out of sight. Thus, we will see still black “stone” on the screen when on it white appeared in other place. And not only these two. If in one seventh seconds we manage to send one by one hundreds and even thousands of “stones”, then on the screen we would see them at the same time everything. Needless to say that by what the smaller quantity of “stones” will be laid in our mosaic, that the portrait will “be more rough”. The task, leaves, in that for the shortest time it is possible to transfer more “stones” – light points. This task was solved by Nipkow’s disk. In this disk of a hole are placed on a spiral. Each point of the person sends a ray of light through a certain hole of a disk. And all points at the same time create full “portrait” – the image of the person who during transfer can even move, laugh, and all these movements will be repeated on the screen.

The problem of television was so solved.

However the decision nevertheless was incomplete. I already said that the more in our mosaic, the image is fuller and more expressive than “stones”. But we are limited to time. And if we give for a short time too many “stones”, then each of them will exist very short time. The more “stones”, the less time “burns” on the screen light point, the photo cell works more weakly, the less light is transferred to the screen, and the image appears dim. It was necessary to look for an exit in other design of a photo cell, and the right way of searches could be only one – to try to create the photo cell coming the device to a human eye with its “mosaic” of a photosensitive retina.

Such photo cell was also created. In it there is a transferring tube, on it a photosensitive mosaic on which the cathodic beam slides. Each element, each cell of this mosaic is as if a singular photo cell of the microscopic size like a flask of our eye. Each element receives a charge from a light beam. This charge is sent by the lamp amplifier. Each point of a new photo cell consists of the small silver ball covered with a caesium layer for photosensitivity. What did we reach? The image became expressive, clearer and lit. There was a possibility of increase in screens.

Whether the problem of ideal vision at distance is solved by it up to the end? It is clear, that does not decide. The wonderful eye of the TV still concedes to the most wonderful eye of the person. The task is in that on the TV screen we saw not worse, than on the screen of cinema. But also the cinema did not tell the last word yet. Why not to reach the color images which are ideally transferring nature why not to solve a problem of stereoscopy of the image? In a word, the screen of the TV is designed to give and will give ideal copies of reality. The image on the screen reaches full illusion. The person forgets that he sees the image on the flat screen, but not “an open window to the world”. The television connects to a sound broadcast. The person both sees and hears that he becomes in other place. The person creates to himself a teleeye and a teleear. Before it the whole world is open, and he becomes really the owner of the world. Its horizons extend to boundlessness. Its knowledge of the world increases. He becomes the new person in comparison with the ancestors – the person giant. Ancestors heard only at the distance available to an ear, and saw only with the naked eye.

Yes, the person will undergo wonderful transformation, will rise by the highest step, will gain “divine” properties of an omniscience and vseslyshaniye.

Eternal glory to that who worked on creation of these new tools of human knowledge of the world – “superears” and “a wonderful eye”!”

– Well? How? – Mischa asked, having finished reading.

Ginzburg moved lips.

– Anything, interestingly. You did not understand something, something is inexact lit. And in general it is interesting. About a cat tiger – it at you well left.

Mischa was a little disappointed. The cat is so, for humour, and here what scientific inaccuracies? But Ginzburg hurried.

– Reach! You will study more deeply, you will correct itself. Then you will read to me once again.

– But you go soon!

Ginzburg a broad gesture showed on the screen, a loud-speaker and theatrically recited:

– There is no separation any more. We will see and speak here is how now.

At last there came also day of departure of an expedition. Ginzburg warmly said goodbye to Mischa.

– Good-bye, and, I hope, to fast – he told. – You will see me on the screen as soon as I arrive to Murmansk and I will enter a radio cabin. On our trawler I will place TVs so that you will be able to see almost everything and by steamship, and around. We not for nothing worked with your father!

Mischa strong shook hands with Ginzburg, and they left.

The engineer Borin left to see off the guest.

When Mischa remained one, he looked at the white screen with the size in square meter, as on the page of the book where the text of the fascinating novel will appear soon.

MISCHA THE BARIN GOES TO THE TELEEXPEDITION

In the evening of the same day Mischa heard Ginzburg’s voice from a loud-speaker:

– Hallo, Mischa! I fly over Petrozavodsk. Over the Petrozavodsk airfield a beacon in two million candles. Bumpiness. Night flight over Karelia. Aero beacons specify the direction of flight… Just came back from salon restaurant. Ate tasty fish – a salmon. At supper – a concert from Madrid. I go to bed soon. Good night! In the morning, I hope, we will meet.

The voice ceased. The father entered.

– Who with you spoke? – he asked.