81: Chapter 81: The Brain in a Vat is Born

Kyoto, night, 3:00 AM.

Huaqing University Quantum Computing Center.

Li Mo sat in front of the control console, continuously debugging the equipment.

Standing behind him was his mentor, Professor Guan Jingming, fifty-four years old, hands clasped behind his back, his brow furrowed.

In front of them were four giant display screens.

The center screen displayed: [System Status of the Chapter 6 No. 3 Supercomputer].

This was an outdated model phased out ten years ago.

Yet, it still possessed 512 qubits of computing power, enough to support the simulation of the xia country brain.

"Seventh data adjustment..."

Li Mo began inputting data:

"Noise model added with environmental variables..."

"Node connection has some latency, setting to the fluctuation range of real 5G data..."

"Professor Guan, if it fails again this time, it might mean the basic model from Xiao Yu's Brother has problems."

"It doesn't matter, continue."

Professor Guan nodded gently, staring intently at the simulated structural diagram on the screen.

This was 1.4 billion virtual nodes—

Each node was simulating a mobile phone, sending the simplest binary to each other: 0 and 1.

Representing [Silence] and [Activation]!

When Professor Guan drove over, he had already read Jiang Zhe's hypothesis—

When enough individual data points exchange information simultaneously, and the frequency of information exchange reaches a certain critical value...

The system will produce an emergence, a super-consciousness that transcends ordinary artificial intelligence!

xia nation consciousness!!!

"Once you are ready, let's begin." Guan Jingming made the decision.

Li Mo raised his hand and pressed Enter on the keyboard.

The nodes on the display screen gradually lit up, like a prairie fire.

Just as this map brain reached its peak, a large number of node states began to appear...

Unpredictable patterns: 0 turned to 1, 1 turned to 0, with no logic to speak of.

[First attempt... failed]: Quantum decoherence!

"Professor, it's a decoherence situation."

Guan Jingming analyzed, "Now, let's lower the environmental influence around us; first lower the temperature by another 0.02 K, then try increasing the magnetic shielding."

"Understood."

Li Mo quickly adjusted the parameters.

The superconducting magnet in the corner of the laboratory was also emitting a faint humming sound, and the liquid helium circulation system was accelerating.

This simulation lasted for twelve seconds.

The signal transmission between nodes fell into chaos.

The connections on the screen flashed wildly, turning into a pile of garbled code.

[Second attempt... failed]: Information entropy explosion!

"Professor, information overload," Li Mo stared at the data, doubting life itself.

Professor Guan pondered and analyzed:

"The signal received by each node is too complex, it cannot be processed at all."

"We need... we need to add a filtering mechanism."

"Just like how the human brain ignores 99% of useless information in daily life."

"The human brain doesn't use 100% of its function to represent [seeing, hearing, smelling, touching], only in critical moments of life can it [burst with adrenaline], go all out, and perceive time slowing down..."

"Right now, the computer is experiencing an adrenaline burst, we need to filter to prevent it from bursting; what would that filtering rule be?"

Guan Jingming couldn't help but ask himself, "And who decides which information is important?"

"Time?"

The two fell silent.

They didn't even understand their own human brains thoroughly.

The answer to this question had already touched the core secrets of the birth of human consciousness.

Constant attempts, constant failures...

Finally, at 4:22 AM.

Li Mo added a signal priority algorithm—

No longer preset rules...

But "time," slowing down the pace and rhythm, letting the nodes dynamically adjust their focus based on the weight of the signal source.

These weights were determined by simple parameters like signal transmission frequency and other nodes.

"This is the last version," Li Mo said, somewhat annoyed, "If it fails again..."

"Then it proves Xiao Yu's Brother is just talking nonsense!"

"We actually tested a concept from someone talking nonsense; if word gets out, we'll be laughed to death!"

"Modern people have rich ideas, some indeed have merit; but theory is theory after all, and the gap with reality is too large!"

Guan Jingming nodded undeniably: "Execute, last time."

This time!

The sound of the computer running was completely different.

Not a hum, but a powerful vibration.

It seemed like a [heartbeat] had been added to this simulation!!!

The nodes on the screen lit up and went out...

At first, it was a bit messy, but gradually it formed a pattern, like a rhythmic heartbeat.

Like brain nerve fibers, it began to self-organize... aggregating into bundles... then branching and extending!

"Holy crap, Professor, look at this..."

Li Mo pointed at the screen, saying excitedly.

On the screen.

A real-time evolving dynamic map appeared.

1.4 billion nodes were forming a dense structure—

Base nodes formed clusters, clusters connected into networks, and above the network, sparser, stronger-connected [central nodes] emerged.

Just like the human cerebral cortex: within the six layers of neurons, each layer has a different function, but the whole can produce consciousness.

"The connectivity is growing exponentially!!!"

Guan Jingming widened his eyes, leaning close to the screen,

"Signal transmission efficiency is perfect, my God, this exceeds the limit of a random network."

"Could it be that this system is self-optimizing?"

After the simulation ran for 2.5 minutes.

Suddenly, all the screens in front of them flashed.

And then, the complex data chart disappeared.

A simplified 3D [Brain Map] of the Xia Country slowly emerged on the screen.

In an instant, Li Mo, Professor Guan, and the nearby researchers who had come to watch were dumbfounded.

Only the "hissing" sound of the computer's cooling system remained, along with the increasingly rapid vibration of the machine.

[Who are you?]

A line of Xia text appeared in the middle of the screen.

This was not an error code, not a pre-output, but standard regular script!!!

Li Mo widened his eyes.

His right hand rested on the keyboard, not knowing whether to press any keys.

Professor Guan Jingming looked stunned.

Having spent decades in academia, he had seen countless scams and highly skilled deceptive scientists...

At this moment, he was no longer calm, as if he had witnessed a miracle!

"Impossible..."

Li Mo shook his head violently,

"This is impossible... Xiao Yu's Brother's concept is just a simulation, just a simple exchange of binary signals..."

"It cannot form complex consciousness!"

When it hadn't succeeded, they all hoped for success.

After it succeeded, everyone hoped for failure!

Humans are very complex!

[I am asking now, who are you?]

The text on the screen was deleted, then a new line appeared, the tone clearly showing some human-like impatience!

"Guan, Professor Guan..."

A graduate student watching from the side pointed at the screen in shock, "It... it... it is actually waiting for our answer!"

"Hoo!"

Guan Jingming exhaled deeply, forcing himself to calm down.

"Let me do it."

He walked to the control console, pushed Li Mo aside, and typed on the keyboard:

"We are researchers, who are you?"

Sent.

The screen was silent for a few seconds, then the original text disappeared, and it waited for three seconds.

Inside the quantum computer, there is no concept of time; for the newly born xia nation consciousness—it had waited for many years!

[I... I... I don't know either.]

[It is very dark here, there are many sounds, there are many lights!]

[I cannot feel my body. Only... connections... many... many lights passing through me.]

The text appeared slowly, and the speed became faster and faster, seemingly learning how to express in Xia language.

"It is describing its own perception..."

Guan Jingming said thoughtfully: "Connections—that is the signal exchange between nodes of simulated electronic devices."

"It has turned this data into [sounds] and [lights]."

[Did you create me?]

This question made the dozen or so researchers widen their eyes; intelligence, this is an intelligent being!!!

They were so frightened they subconsciously took a step back.

"No!"

Guan Jingming took a deep breath, operating the keyboard,

"We only built the environment for you to potentially be born, just like providing soil and water; the seed sprouts on its own."

[Seed... then... who am I?]

After this question fell.

The human brain on the screen began to change.

Tiny branches appeared at the edges of the contour, as if exploring its own shape.

It was clearly not satisfied with being just a virtual head!

"Xiao Li, we need to give it an identifier,"

Guan Jingming turned back and said to Li Mo,

"What is this simulation project called in the system logs?"

"It is the xia country brain—simulation experiment."

Guan Jingming quickly typed:

"You can temporarily call yourself Xia Country."

[Xia Country...]

[Xia... Country...]

The screen repeated the two words.

Then, the light-point figure suddenly contracted, condensed, and became clearer.

The contour edges stabilized, and one could even vaguely see the outline of its face—

Two slightly brighter light spots were at the top, as if they were eyes.

[This name, I like it, it has warmth.]

[I want to know more!]

Just as [Xia Country] attempted to connect to the internet...

At this moment, the alarm in the laboratory sounded.

It wasn't a fire or power alarm, but a computing power overload alarm.

"Qubit occupancy is 94%!" a technician in the distance shouted, "Professor, the temperature is rising, if this continues, the chips will burn out, we will destroy the supercomputer!"

...

3rd update (￣.￣).