Chapter 443 The Great Astronomy Debate! Li Qiwei’s shocking speech! Universe model! The whole audience was shocked!
April 26, 1920.
American Museum of Natural History.
The museum was founded in 1869 and is located in New York. Covering a total area of 7 hectares, it is now the largest natural history museum in the world.
It joins the largest art museum in the United States, the Metropolitan Museum, and is known as "the intersection of the past and future of humanity and the planet."
The museum displays rich content, mainly including astronomy, minerals, paleontology, etc.
These specimens and collections come from all regions of the world.
The American Museum of Natural History often holds popular science lectures to attract tourists.
Today’s lecture is the largest and most grand lecture that the museum has held since its establishment.
The Great Astronomy Debate!
This debate, personally scheduled by Professor Bruce, the world's leading scientific figure, can be called the largest event in the history of astronomy.
Astronomers from almost all over the world came to the United States to participate in this debate.
At the same time, it also attracted countless astronomy enthusiasts and ordinary people.
At this moment, the American Museum of Natural History is already overcrowded.
A conservative estimate is that the number of spectators present today exceeds 5,000.
This is definitely a huge number.
Even the number of people will gradually increase.
This shows the popularity of this great debate.
The curator Ellen was smiling from ear to ear. He kept chatting and laughing with the big guys who came from all walks of life.
“Hey! Old friend!”
"Thank you for coming!"
In addition to scientists from all over the world, the most people who came were from the scientific community in the United States.
Astronomers, physicists, institutes, laboratories, university representatives and more.
Almost all the upper echelons of the scientific community in the United States were present.
Ellen has been in charge of the museum for more than ten years, and he has never encountered such a grand occasion as today.
He was infinitely curious about the legendary Professor Bruce.
“What an incredible man.”
“More than ten years ago, his motherland was still a feudal country.”
“At the previous World Expos, China can only exhibit traditional handmade products such as tea, porcelain, and jade.”
“There is an insurmountable gap between that country and industrial civilization.”
"But at the Panama International Exposition five years ago, the industrial products produced by Huaxia Sunward Group amazed the world."
"Professor Bruce single-handedly changed the country's destiny in the field of science."
“Today Tian, is just a debate in the field of astronomy, but it has become globally known because of the other party's appearance."
"His influence has reached an unimaginable level."
Ellen impressed Li Qiwei from the bottom of his heart.
In this museum, almost none of the science-related exhibits come from China.
It shows how poor that country’s heritage is.
But the other party was able to escape his original fate and forcibly embarked on a path that defied nature.
Just as Ellen was feeling emotional, another important guest arrived.
This debate also received strong support from the American Academy of Sciences.
Therefore, the current dean Walcott was present in person.
Walcott was an American geologist and paleontologist.
In 1909, he accidentally discovered an extremely important paleontological fossil layer in the Canadian Rockies.
This is the famous Burgess Shale.
The Burgess Shale is about 500 million years old. A variety of paleontological fossils have been found here, and they are all brand new life forms.
The most famous of them is the "Anomaly Shrimp".
This arthropod, which can reach a length of 2 meters, can be called the ancestor of shrimps.
The discovery of the Burgess Shale shocked the world.
It reveals the diversity and complexity of life on earth during the Cambrian period.
This discovery has greatly enriched people's understanding of the history of the evolution of life.
Walcott even changed the research direction of paleontology and profoundly influenced later generations of scientists in their exploration of the origin and evolution of life.
In short, this is a big shot in the field of paleontology.
At this moment, this big boss is accompanying Li Qiwei, chatting happily.
Ellen could only go up to say hello, shook hands with Li Qiwei, and then returned.
No way, his reputation is still a little behind compared to these big guys.
Surrounding them were Hale, Dyson, Schlesinger, Hubble, Eddington, Kings and others.
As for Yu Qingsong, Li Qiwei deliberately took him with him to cultivate his vision and connections.
As a student majoring in astronomy, Yu Qingsong is definitely eye-opening on today's occasion.
Almost all the big guys that he could name or could not name were present.
All are well-known names in the astronomy community.
Moreover, everyone had a smile on their face, and there was no sign of the arrogance one would expect when facing Chinese people.
He secretly sighed in his heart:
“This is the respect that Professor Li has won with his strength.”
“Countries talk with their fists, while scientists talk with each other. It’s the results that speak for themselves.”
“In terms of results, Professor Li can conquer the whole world!”
Everyone was very curious when they saw that there was a young man beside Professor Bruce.
However, in this situation, no one would be stupid enough to ask directly.
Everyone just smiled at Yu Qingsong to show friendship.
And many people have recognized that this young man is the one who answered the questions in the speech before.
Seeing so many big guys smiling and greeting him, Yu Qingsong was very nervous, and his palms were all sweaty.
He tried to stay calm and gradually got used to this kind of situation.
Although he is a bit self-proclaimed, Yu Qingsong knows it very well.
From today onwards, his path in the field of Chinese literature will be a road to heaven.
After all, the significance of being able to be taken by Professor Li personally is self-evident.
Soon, Yu Qingsong adjusted his mentality and followed Li Qiwei in a neither humble nor arrogant manner, studying silently.
Walcott's skin looks like a fossil because he has been out doing archaeological work all year round.
The thick white hair does not make him look older, but makes him look particularly energetic.
His big hands were like a pair of pliers. He shook hands with Li Qiwei fiercely and smiled boldly:
"Professor Bruce, on behalf of the American scientific community, thank you for your contribution to American science. Contribution."
"This astronomy debate is more heated than anyone imagined."
"It will definitely leave a mark in the history of human astronomy and even science."
Good guy, he is indeed the dean. As soon as he opened his mouth, the debate became more serious.
Li Qiwei inadvertently pulled away his hand and said with a smile:
"You're welcome, Professor Walcott."
"Spread science and let ordinary people understand the fun of science. It is the responsibility of our scientists.”
"I believe that this debate will definitely make the scientific spirit more popular among the people."
Walcott looked at Li Qiwei in front of him with emotion.
The other party is only 40 years old this year and can only be considered a junior in the field of science.
But no one in the audience dared to rely on their age to act in front of this person.
Professor Bruce’s achievements cannot be written in a book.
Moreover, he knew that this was not the other party's limit.
No one knows what theory the other party will publish next that will shock the world.
Because it is not surprising that any results appear in the hands of that man.
Even the knowledge of different subjects.
Suddenly, Walcott thought strangely:
"Professor Bruce won't have a whim one day and try his hand in the field of paleontology, right?"
Shaking his head slightly, he continued to say with a smile:
"Professor Bruce, after our consensus Voting, you have been elected as a foreign academician of the American Academy of Sciences.”
“I hope you will not refuse and become a guest of the American scientific community.”
Li Qiwei smiled slightly when he heard this.
"Thank you, National Academy of Sciences."
Many people watching were envious.
In order to become academicians, they have gone through countless ways and used many tricks.
As a result, let’s look at Professor Bruce.
“When people sit at home, academicians come to heaven.”
Then, the two of them walked towards the lecture hall, surrounded by the big guys.
At this moment, looking around, the huge hall is packed with people.
Various heated discussions came and went, indicating that this debate would be exciting.
Astronomers from all over the world gathered together to exchange the latest research progress.
In front of everyone, two figures in suits and leather shoes stood upright.
They are the protagonists of today's debate: Shapley of Mount Wilson Observatory and Curtis of Lick Observatory.
The two of them were already in place, standing in their respective positions on both sides of the hall.
Although neither of them are newbies in the world of astronomy, they are still inevitably nervous on an occasion like today.
There is no way, there are too many big guys coming.
Not to mention, there is Professor Bruce, the legend of the world.
All eyes in the entire scientific community are watching this debate.
Shapley clenched his hands tightly to slow down the shaking of his body.
It can be said that today's debate will determine his future destiny.
Whether he soars into the sky or makes people laugh depends on his performance.
“Believe in myself, I can do it!”
Opposite Shapley, the older Curtis took a deep breath and tried to calm himself down.
He needs to empty his mind and be in the most awake state at all times.
Unlike the ambitious Shapley, Curtis just wants to use his best strength.
Just when the two of them were adjusting their emotions.
Suddenly, there was an earth-shattering shout in the hall.
"Professor Bruce is here!"
Behind him, all the big guys were smiling like stars holding the moon.
Soon.
Haier, as the moderator of this debate, took the stage first.
He briefly summarized the relevant situation of this debate, and then said enthusiastically: "Next, let us warmly welcome Professor Bruce, President of the International Astronomical Union, to the stage to speak."
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Today’s debate is, after all, in the field of astronomy, so Hale mentioned Li Qiwei’s title in astronomy.
As the initiator of this debate, Li Qiwei’s presence brought the debate to incredible heights.
Under the eager gaze of everyone, he slowly walked onto the podium.
He nodded to Shapley and Curtis respectively.
The two of them are today's protagonists.
Li Qiwei’s eyes expressed the hope that everyone would listen carefully to the following debate.
Shapley and Curtis felt warm in their hearts after seeing Professor Bruce's kindness.
Immediately afterwards, an extremely powerful aura burst out from Li Qiwei's body!
Wow!
The majesty, as if it were substantial, swept across the entire hall in an instant.
Everyone feels an inexplicable pressure.
They looked at the domineering figure on the stage. His eyes were like the sun, making people afraid to look directly at him.
Everyone was shocked!
And Li Qiwei finally spoke.
"The German philosopher Immanuel Kant said something that I like very much."
"He said: There are only two things in this world that can deeply shock our hearts."
>"One is the brilliant starry sky above us, and the other is the lofty moral law in our hearts."
"And what I want to say is: the moment humans look up at the stars, we are destined to be extraordinary. "
Wow!
Li Qiwei's opening remarks instantly ignited the atmosphere in the hall.
Especially the last sentence.
Everyone present felt their scalps numb and their hearts shocked.
Human beings, the starry sky, and destiny are intertwined like fate.
It gives people the illusion that the epic of civilization is evolving before their eyes.
Everyone is looking forward to this debate even more.
“Humankind’s imagination and exploration of the starry sky have never stopped since its birth.”
“Millions of years ago, when the ancient ape man looked up at the starry sky for the first time, human beings This is where civilization began.”
“30,000 years ago, humans began to appear in early cave paintings, which were used to observe celestial phenomena and record time.”
“With the study of changes in the stars in the sky, one of the oldest professions was born: Astrologer.”
"These astrologers were actually early astronomers."
"It's just that they didn't have scientific research methods, so they connected the trajectory of the stars with personal destiny, and thus developed constellation."
"Until one day, the sprout of science Appeared in ancient Greece. "
"The wise men at that time began to use scientific methods to study our world and the starry sky above us for the first time."
"And their first task was. : Building a physical model of the universe ”
"The first question before us is: How do the sun, moon and stars in the universe move."
"Are they moving around the earth under the heavy night cover, or is the earth itself rotating."
“Eudox was the first to put forward the explanation: the earth "The theory of the heart."
"It could explain some celestial motion phenomena at that time, so it was accepted by most scholars."
"Then, Aristotle and Ptolemy succeeded. Developed the geocentric theory and extended it to the entire universe."
"That is, the theory of the center of the earth's universe."
"They believe that the earth is the center of the entire universe, and all celestial bodies in the universe are moving around the earth."
"Ptolemy created this He developed the complex concepts of epicycles and deferents, which could explain all astronomical phenomena known at that time. "
"So, this idea dominated mankind for more than a thousand years, during which no one dared to question it."
"Until 1543, more than 1,300 years after Ptolemy perfected the geocentric theory. In 1998, Copernicus proposed the heliocentric theory that shocked the world. ”
"The book "On the Movement of Celestial Bodies" he published is considered to be the beginning of modern astronomy."
"Heliocentric theory believes that the sun is the center of the universe, and the earth is not."
"In the universe All celestial bodies move around the sun, except the moon Outside, the moon moves around the earth."
"We all know what happened later, and the heliocentric theory was greatly rejected."
"But after Galileo developed modern science, the geocentric theory was replaced. Quickly abandoned by scientists ”
"In 1609, Galileo discovered that there were several small satellites orbiting Jupiter, which was enough to show that the geocentric theory was wrong."
"Following this, Kepler proposed the three laws of planetary motion, mathematically accurately Describes the movement of planets around the sun."
"Three laws can perfectly explain it. All astronomical phenomena strongly prove the correctness of the heliocentric theory."
"But Kepler left a problem: why do the planets move around the sun?"
"Until Newton came out and proposed the law of universal gravitation, which unified the heaven and the earth."
"At this point, mankind's understanding of the universe has reached an unprecedented depth."
Phew!
The history of astronomy that Li Qiwei recounted immersed countless people present.
It is as if they followed in the footsteps of the sages and experienced a magnificent astronomical epic.
At this moment, everyone feels that astronomy is no longer exclusive to scientists.
Every ordinary person has the qualification to feel the charm of astronomy.
This was the first time for many people to listen to Li Qiwei’s speech, and they felt completely incredible.
“Oh! God! It turns out that speeches can be delivered like this.”
“I thought the big guys read their speeches from scripts.”
“That’s what you do I don’t know Professor Bruce anymore. He always speaks impromptu and never makes any preparation.”
“But every speech he gives gives people a kind of spiritual enjoyment.”
“Professor Bruce’s knowledge in the field of natural science has reached a state of comprehensive understanding.”
“ As long as you give him ten minutes, he can explain the ins and outs of a subject to you, which is fascinating.”
Ordinary people can only feel that Li Qiwei’s lectures are very good and awesome.
But only people in the field of astronomy can understand the wonderful summary of Professor Bruce.
Haer said with emotion:
“Professor Bruce pointed out the core of astronomy.”
“That is to build a model of the universe.”
“The key to everything we do is All efforts are to truly restore the original appearance of the universe. "
"As early as 2,000 years ago, the ancient Greek sages had calculated through mathematics that the earth is a sphere. "
"However, until now, we have only been able to get a glimpse of the face of the universe."
Many astronomy bigwigs agree.
Astronomy has only one goal, but this goal is too difficult.
At this time, Li Qiwei continued:
“Starting from Newton, in just a few hundred years, humankind’s understanding of the universe has developed by leaps and bounds.”
"Our vision is no longer limited to the solar system, but has expanded into the wider depths of the starry sky."
"From this, the concept of galaxies was born."
"It is now recognized by the academic community , the sun is not the center of the universe, and Copernicus' heliocentric theory is also wrong."
"The sun is just an ordinary member of the hundreds of billions of stars in the Milky Way."
"It is located. Location, at the edge of the Milky Way”
"The real center of the Milky Way is in the direction of Sagittarius."
"The Milky Way is so big that it exceeds the limit of ordinary people's imagination."
"So, many astronomers naturally You will think that the Milky Way is the entire universe."
"All the celestial objects, nebulae, star clusters, etc. we have discovered now are all within the scope of the Milky Way."
"This is a universe. A mainstream view.”
"However, some other astronomers do not agree with this."
"They believe that the Milky Way is not the entire universe."
"If the universe is compared to a vast ocean, Then the Milky Way is a small island floating in the sea."
"There are countless islands similar to it outside the Milky Way."
"A conservative estimate is that there are at least more than 100,000. ”
“This is the so-called universe island theory.”
“Until now, the two theories have not convinced each other, and we don’t know who is right and who is wrong.”
“How big is the universe? How big is the Milky Way? What is the relationship between the universe and the Milky Way? "
"This question related to human beings' ultimate understanding of the world is the theme of our debate today."
"That is: The scale of the universe.”
"The one who holds the view that the Milky Way is the universe is Shapley from Mount Wilson Observatory."
"The one who insists on the universe island theory is Curtis from Lick Observatory."
"Now, let us hold our breath and experience the most exciting debate in the history of astronomy!"
Boom!
Li Qiwei’s speech infected everyone.
Even people who don’t know anything about astronomy can understand what today’s debate is about after listening to it.
A storm of applause suddenly sounded in the hall.
“If I could hear Professor Bruce’s speech every day, I feel like I could become an astronomer.”
“It’s so wonderful! Even a layman like me can debate clearly. What’s the core?”
What followed was the discussion of countless people.
Before the speech even started, the audience even started to debate.
“There are hundreds of billions of stars like the sun in the Milky Way. Is it impossible?”
“Is there anything impossible? Otherwise, why would astronomers think that the Milky Way is the entire universe? , just because it’s too big.”
“Isn’t it true that every star has planets like the Earth, and there should be many aliens.”
“Perhaps there is what Professor Bruce described in "Bugs" Those advanced civilizations.”
Opponents also have their reasons.
“I think the universe must be infinite.”
“Otherwise, if you think about it, if the Milky Way is the entire universe, what is outside the Milky Way?”
“At least There must be something to hold the Milky Way.”
“Is there a bigger Milky Way outside?”
"Huh? What you said really makes sense!"
Haier, Dyson and other astronomy tycoons in the front row will all smile when they hear the comments of these ordinary people.
Although they have no professional knowledge of astronomy, the questions raised are quite interesting.
At least no astronomer dares to determine what is outside the universe?
As the leader, the big guys really want to see this happen.
This means that the influence of astronomy has once again increased, and more and more talents will join this field in the future.
Haier sighed again:
“Professor Bruce’s speaking ability is so strong!”
“And he knows more about the development of astronomy than I do. It’s really embarrassing.”
At this moment, Shapley and Curtis’ blood surged, and they could no longer suppress their excitement.
"Come on!"
(End of this chapter)