LGHTNOVELBOOK Chapter 464 - 461 It must be because of Lorenz!
Chapter 464: Chapter 461 It must be because of Lorenz!
“How, how can you tell?”
Leonardo watched in amazement as Bi Fang removed the second hand from the watch, rubbed it a few times on his hair, placed it on a leaf, and floated it on water, then pointed to the stationary direction that indicated north and south.
What north and south?
What’s that?
[I know, this is Lorenz’s theorem!]
[To the one mentioning Lorenz’s theorem, I slowly type out a question mark.]
[Isn’t this magnetization? Didn’t you go to school? It should work on the same principle as a compass, though it’s temporary.]
“The principle is actually quite simple, it’s the same as how a compass is made, though one is permanent and the other is temporary,” Bi Fang explained as he lifted the leaf out of the puddle, drained off the water, and reattached the second hand back onto the watch, securing the dial.
“Continuously rubbing a small piece of iron or a sewing needle in the same direction against silk or hair—did you play with the game in school where you rubbed a plastic ruler on your hair and then picked up bits of paper with it?
It’s the same principle; the iron wire will become magnetized and when suspended, it can point to the Arctic.
This is akin to placing a bar magnet at the Earth’s center, with the magnetic north pole near the geographic South Pole, and the magnetic south pole near the geographic North Pole. The magnetic poles and geographic poles don’t coincide perfectly—there’s a magnetic declination—but for determining direction, it is already completely sufficient.
The magnetism this method creates won’t be very strong, so after a while, you will need to rub it again to enhance its magnetism.
If you have a battery with a voltage of 2 volts or more, using electicity, you can magnetize metal. You’ll also need a short length of metal wire, preferably insulated on the outside.”
[I know the game with the bits of paper, I used to play it a lot, dog’s head.jpg]
[No way, no way, there can’t actually be people who’ve never played with a plastic ruler to pick up paper scraps, right?]
[But what if you don’t have a watch? Not everyone can be expected to carry around a piece of iron wire, can they?]
Leonardo raised the same concern. Indeed, what if one doesn’t have a watch? Or what if it’s a digital watch?
Such methods do have their limitations.
He wished to learn a more universal, more common method from Bi Fang.
“If you don’t have a watch’s second hand, you can also use a thin and flat razor blade as a substitute for direction indication because it’s made by bonding two types of metal together. By carefully rubbing the blade in your palm, you can make it magnetic. Then, by suspending it, you can achieve the same effect.”
“If you don’t have any of these and you are genuinely lost, and you can’t get through on your phone, then you can dismantle your phone, there will definitely be something in there you can use. I assume everyone carries a cell phone, right? Or a flashlight, any electronic device will do.”
Just as Leonardo was about to ask, Bi Fang cut him off, “Forget it, under what circumstances does a person end up without any equipment at all, unable to see plants, the sun, or even the terrain?”
The audience smiled knowingly.
“Besides, sewing needles or paper clips are essentials for outdoor exploration, don’t you have any?”
Leonardo scratched his head, “I’ve brought a water bottle, flashlight, knife, water purification tablets, and a first aid kit, that’s about it… Is there something else?”
Bi Fang didn’t bother to respond further; after all, the other party was an amateur, perhaps having prepared these items on a hunch, having water purification tablets already demonstrated a decent awareness for outdoor activities.
“Among the basic tools for wilderness survival, cutting tools are the most commonly used in critical situations.”
“Besides that, you also need a small knife, waterproof matches, candles, fishing line, various sizes of fish hooks, two small pieces of bait, wire for making traps, water purification tablets, a whistle, rope, paper clips or sewing needles, medical tape, adhesive bandages, dental floss (sturdy thread), a compass, tweezers, acetaminophen (pain reliever), and isopropyl alcohol.”
“Put all these items into a small container. This container can also serve as a small pot to boil water in an emergency. Seal it and keep it dry. Before each departure, make sure to put your wilderness survival kit in your backpack or clothing pocket.”
[Got it, got it, I’m placing the order now, will keep it in my bag for everyday carry.]
[You don’t think you’ll ever need to use it, do you?]
[What if I get lost in the forest someday, dog’s head.jpg]
[Other people go on expeditions with full gear, x, Master Fang goes on an adventure with just a pair of shorts, √]
This was the first time Bi Fang had ever spoken in so much detail in front of everyone about what to prepare for an expedition, and they all promptly took note.
“Basically, I have mentioned all methods of determining direction except for a few with very limited applicability. For instance, ant’s nests always have a north-south orientation. You already have all you need,” Bi Fang didn’t dwell too much on this and continued on.
While walking, he also said, “Having a rough direction isn’t enough. Many times, you could already be lost after a single turn because the surroundings are too similar. Therefore, before you advance any distance, you need to mark your path with some geographic feature along the way.”
“That is, you must find a geographic feature on the ground, like a tree, line it up with your direction of travel, and walk towards it, then repeat this process over and over until you reach your destination.”
“Ant’s nests are oriented north-south?” Leonardo caught up quickly, asking incredulously.
“Yes, this is the structural intelligence of creatures. Both ants and termites build nests that are ‘mound-shaped’ or ‘thin blade-shaped’. And they are always oriented north-south with entrances facing south, so they can get sunlight in winter and avoid direct exposure in summer.”
Leondardo’s eyes revealed his shock, “You know so much!”
“How could I dare to wander if I knew nothing? When you understand the purpose and names of every plant, the habits and vulnerabilities of every animal, the creation and use of every tool, the formation and trends of every terrain, then you won’t be afraid of the wilderness.”
“Have you reached that level now?”
“Me? I’m still far from it.”
Bi Fang crossed the dense forest and stepped onto a rock, the sound of flowing water suddenly became loud.
A stream no more than two or three meters wide appeared in front of everyone.
Leonardo’s face lit up with joy, his pale complexion regaining color—he had found it!
He hastily approached the stream, scooping up the water. The source of the stream was unknown, but having filtered through rocks and silt, it showed no impurities and was crystal clear.
However, learning from previous experiences, Leonardo did not dare drink it directly from his hands. He took out his canteen, filled it with water, and dropped in two water purification tablets.
[Even though I’ve said it many times, I still have to shout out right now, Master Fang is awesome!]
[Indeed, impressive!]
Every step was made with great care; if he said he would find a water source, he would surely find it.
And if he said he could find a direction, he would certainly find it.
How could such a person not inspire confidence?