But Lin Ke did not react as Laplace had imagined, with disbelief, then collapse, then existential doubt, and finally insane admiration.
On the contrary, Lin Ke gently shook his head, full of disappointment: "You have two hundred eighty thousand, we have one hundred sixty thousand."
Mathematics is the cornerstone of all modern science. Everything in the world can deceive or be deceived, but numbers do not.
When you look at an empty spot, your eyes, ears, nose, and skin all tell you there's nothing there.
But through mathematical calculations, it's discovered that there is indeed something there; you just cannot observe it.
Back in the day, Pluto was hypothesized by scientists using gravity, celestial mechanics, astronomy, and several physical and mathematical methods.
It couldn't be observed back then, but when it could be observed later, it indeed proved the existence of Pluto.
This is the charm of mathematics.
