"Robert A. Heinlein - The Man who sold the Moon (collected sto" - читать интересную книгу автора (Heinlein Robert A)

He grinned at her. тАЬIn the fleshтАФand~ I can prove it. How about you? I still
think this is some kind of a badger game.тАЭ
She froze up again. тАЬWhat do you wantтАФmy birth certificate?тАЭ
тАЬYou probably murdered Dr. Martin in the elevator, and stuffed the old boyтАЩs
body down the shaftтАЭ

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She arose, gathered up her gloves and purse, and prepared to leave. тАЬI
caine fifteen hundred miles for this meeting. I am sorry I bothered. Good
evening, Doctor Douglas.тАЭ
He was instantly soothing. тАЬAw, donтАЩt get soreтАФI was just needling you. It
just tickled me that the distinguished Doctor Martin should look so much like
Betty Grable. Now sit back downтАЭтАФhe gently disengaged her hands from
her glovesтАФтАЭand let me buy you that drink you turned down earlier.тАЭ
She hesitated, still determined to be angry, then her natural good nature
came to his aid, and she relaxed.
тАЬO.K., Butch.тАЭ
тАЬThatтАЩs better. WhatтАЩll it be; Scotch or Bourbon?тАЭ
тАЬMake mine BourbonтАФand not too much water.тАЭ~
By the time the drinks were fixed and cigarets lighted the tension was lifted.
тАЬTell me,тАЭ he began, тАЬto what do I owe this visit? I donтАЩt know a damn thing
about biology.тАЭ
She blew a smoke ring тАШand poked a carmine finger nail through it. тАЬYou
remember that article you had in the April Physical Review? The one about
cold light, and possible ways~of achieving it?тАЭ
He nodded. тАЬElectroluminescence vs. Chemiluminescence: not much in that
to interest a biologist.тАЭ
тАЬNevertheless IтАЩve been working on the same problem.тАЭ
тАШFrom what angle?тАЭ

тАЬIтАЩve been trying to find out how a lightning bug does the trick. I saw some
gaudy ones down in South America, and it got me to thinking.тАЭ
тАЬ11mmтАФ Maybe you got something. What have you found out?тАЭ
тАЬNot much that wasnтАЩt already known. As you probably know, the firefly is
an almost incredibly efficient source of lightтАФat least 96% efficient Now
how efficient would you say the ordinary commercial tungsten-filament
incandescent lamp is?тАЭ
тАЬNot over two percent at the best.тАЭ
тАЬThatтАЩs fair enough. And a stupid little beetle does fifty times as well without
turning a hair. We donтАЩt look so hot, do we?тАЭ
тАЬNot very,тАЭ he acknowledged. тАЬGo on about the bug.тАЭ
тАЬWell, the firefly has in his tummy an active organic compoundтАФvery
complexтАФcalled luciferin. When this oxydizes in the presence of a catalyst,
luciferase, the entire energy of oxydation is converted into green lightтАФ no
heat. Reduce it with hydrogen and itтАЩs ready to go again. IтАЩve learned how
to do it in the laboratory.тАЭ
тАЬThe hell you have! Congratulations! You donтАЩt need mc. I can close up
shop.тАЭ
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тАЬNot so fast. It isnтАЩt commercially feasible; it takes too much gear to make it