▁the ▁equation ▁whose ▁meaning ▁he ▁has ▁been ▁seeking ▁refers ▁to ▁the ▁loss ▁of ▁un fixed ▁gen es ▁in ▁a ▁small ▁population , ▁which ▁explains ▁the ▁deg ener acy ▁of ▁the ▁plan ets ▁he ▁has ▁visited . ▁Dr . ▁Sam ▁Jones ▁lear ns ▁that ▁he ▁has ▁been ▁worship ing ▁an ▁equation ▁on ▁gen etic ▁dr ift , ▁and ▁joins ▁the ▁little ▁band . ▁ ▁They ▁sort ▁out ▁their ▁navig ational ▁problem ▁and ▁finally ▁make ▁it ▁to ▁Earth , ▁which ▁is ▁a ▁civil isation ▁of ▁mor ons ▁protected ▁by ▁a ▁small ▁minor ity ▁of ▁hidden ▁genius es , ▁like ▁the ▁situation ▁in ▁" The ▁March ing ▁Mor ons ". ▁Ross ▁real ises ▁that ▁the ▁problem ▁with ▁all ▁the ▁deg ener ate ▁world s ▁is ▁their ▁isol ation ; ▁luck ily ▁he ▁has ▁the ▁F TL ▁drive ▁and ▁so ▁sets ▁about ▁rect ifying ▁the ▁problem ▁by ▁bringing ▁them ▁together . ▁ ▁Re ception ▁Gro ff ▁Con k lin ▁review ed ▁the ▁novel , ▁pra ising ▁it ▁as ▁" a ▁color ful ▁and ▁pointed ▁mel od rama ," ▁but ▁a ▁less er ▁work ▁than ▁its ▁authors ' ▁The ▁Space ▁Mer ch ants . ▁B ouch er ▁and ▁Mc Com as ▁found ▁it ▁" grand ▁fun ▁on ▁a ▁variety ▁of ▁levels ," ▁although ▁they ▁noted ▁it ▁was ▁not ▁really ▁a ▁un ified ▁novel , ▁but ▁" a ▁series ▁of ▁Vo y ages ▁imag ina ires ▁in ▁the ▁E igh teenth ▁Century ▁tradition , ▁. ▁. ▁. ▁ca ution ary ▁ex agger ations ▁of ▁certain ▁soci opol it ical