Chapter 445 The peak showdown is hard to win! Li Qiwei’s shocking summary! "Because, they are both wrong!"
Inside the American Museum of Natural History.
The much-anticipated debate of the century in astronomy is currently underway.
The numerous spectators present were very enthusiastic and were all shocked by the excitement of the debate.
This has just begun, and both sides are already firing on all cylinders without any hidden clumsiness.
Each presented strong evidence.
This ultimate collision in the academic field made everyone excited.
"In comparison, ordinary people's debates are just like children playing house."
At this moment, faced with Curtis' two pieces of evidence, Shapley felt the pressure for the first time.
The other party did not directly point out the error in his measurement data.
Instead, additional self-confirming data are presented.
This is because it was very difficult for Curtis to find out why it was wrong to use globular star clusters as standard candles.
In turn, it was just as difficult for Shapley to point out that Nova was wrong to use as a standard candle.
That's why he didn't explain it in detail before.
In the field of astronomy, measurements are difficult to make accurately, and the errors are very large.
There is a joke about astronomy in later generations.
Mathematician: π is π.
Physics: π can be 3.14 or 3.1415.
Engineering: Depending on the situation, π can be 3, sometimes 4, and g is equal to π.
Astronomy: It is too troublesome to calculate π with other values. It is better to simply equal 1, as long as the order of magnitude is not bad.
This shows the tolerance and roughness of measurements in the field of astronomy.
Shapley measured the diameter of the Milky Way to be 300,000 light-years, and Curtis measured the diameter to be 30,000 light-years.
This is an order of magnitude difference, so it cannot be approximated.
But what if the data measured by Shapley is 170,000 light-years.
Well, there is no need to hold today’s debate.
Because there is no order of magnitude difference in the diameter of the Milky Way measured by the two.
Explanation is fine.
Then take an average.
Exactly 100,000 light years!
Hey, don't tell me, it's directly the same as the exact value in later generations.
This is the crudeness of astronomy.
In the face of the vast and endless universe, accuracy does not seem to be so important.
So, faced with two pieces of evidence for Curtis.
Shapley decided to break through to the second piece of evidence.
"Mr. Curtis, the phenomenon of different brightness of new stars you discovered only appears near the M31 nebula."
"This is not sufficiently convincing."
"Perhaps the light of the M31 nebula is blocked by cosmic dust, etc., and this dim situation may also occur."
"Unless you can find more evidence of the same."
Shapley's answer made many people nod.
This is indeed a logical possibility.
There are too many thin matter aggregates composed of gas and dust in the universe.
They float randomly in the starry sky and can easily block various celestial bodies behind them.
This also has precedent in astronomy.
Therefore, even astronomy experts agree with this answer.
After Shapley saw everyone's reaction, he felt even more confident.
He continued:
"And I can find a counterexample."
Snap!
"Please see, this is also a photo of the Whirlpool Nebula."
"Its number is M101, commonly known as the Windmill Nebula."
"According to the universe island theory, the M101 nebula should also be a galaxy."
"But over the years, we have discovered through observations of its internal rotation."
"If the M101 Nebula were a galaxy similar in size to the Milky Way."
"Then according to calculations, the moving speed of matter at its edge will exceed the speed of light."
"This is obviously inconsistent with the special theory of relativity."
"So, the M101 nebula cannot be a galaxy."
"It can be seen that the statement that nebulae are all galaxies is biased."
Wow!
Shapley's evidence shocked everyone present.
At this moment, everyone realized that he had been prepared for it.
This debate can be called a battle between dragons and tigers.
Haer, Dyson and other big guys kept nodding in approval.
By now, they no longer have differences in positions, but focus on the debate itself.
The wonderful performance of both parties allowed astronomy to show its glory.
The expressions and shouts of the audience in the audience are the best proof.
The big guys also chatted and laughed.
"This boy Shapley really has a hidden agenda."
"His understanding of the universe island theory is no weaker than those in the professional field."
"Obviously, he prepared too much for this debate."
"What a lively debate!"
Shapley felt the changes in everyone's expressions, and a slight smile appeared on his face.
He looked at Curtis, wondering how the other party should retort.
At this moment, everyone followed his gaze and looked at the latter.
Curtis was obviously a little surprised.
He didn't expect Shapley to know so much about the island theory.
The other party seemed to have collected various nebula problems.
However, he did not panic, but said:
"I think this is caused by an observational error in the M101 nebula."
"Because this situation has not been found in other spiral nebulae."
As soon as he finished speaking, there was a burst of boos from the audience.
Most of the audience though were not well versed in the jargon of astronomy.
But they at least have basic logical skills.
Clearly, Curtis made a fatal mistake.
He said the case of the M101 nebula was an exception.
So it also means that his M31 Nebula may be an exception.
In other words, when Curtis denied Shapley, he also denied himself.
This is an act of killing one thousand enemies and damaging one's own eight hundred.
One for one!
Curtis's second evidence was easily resolved by Shapley.
At this moment, the audience on the field was completely excited.
The excitement of this debate exceeded everyone's expectations.
In everyone's eyes, academic debates are generally boring.
However, today, it was an eye-opener for everyone.
"The strength of Shapley and Curtis is not much different."
"At present, neither of them should be able to end the battle with one blow."
"Of course, it is also possible that this problem is indeed unsolvable for astronomers for the time being."
"So, both sides can't convince each other."
"However, at present, Curtis still has a slight advantage."
"At least he used two methods to measure the diameter of the Milky Way. The accuracy is definitely higher than Shapley's one."
"I don't know how Shapley will deal with this disadvantage."
Sure enough, it's just like what the audience said.
At this moment, Shapley regained his composure.
He didn't feel proud because of the counterattack just now.
Because this is not enough!
Everyone's eyes returned to him again.
"Does Shapley still have a trump card?"
"Oh! Then he is so awesome!"
"You are so calm at this age."
Countless people present were strongly curious about Shapley.
Even Haer was moved emotionally.
He knew it, ever since the list for the Great Debate of the Century was confirmed.
Shapley rarely left the observatory.
He often waits beside the telescope, constantly observing various data.
Feeling tired, the way to rest was to read a paper on astronomy.
This level of hard work made Haer shocked.
Because, it is almost as good as Hubble.
Hubble is recognized as a scientific geek at the Mount Wilson Observatory.
He could even stay next to the telescope for a month in order to observe a piece of data, without even having time to take care of his hair and beard.
Just to find some key evidence.
Everyone at the observatory knows that Hubble is also studying the size of the Milky Way.
However, the method he chose was rather unique.
Moreover, Hubble is also burdened with the fifth prediction of the universe: the pressure of universe expansion.
Haer knew that Hubble had already achieved some results.
Therefore, his heart is full of hope:
"In a few years, a supernova will definitely appear in the field of astronomy."
"Hubble, he will definitely become the pride of American astronomy."
Of course, Shapley is more powerful than the current Hubble.
After all, the latter only has unlimited potential, not real success.
Therefore, Haer is also very optimistic about Shapley.
At this moment, under the gaze of everyone, Shapley actually smiled slightly.
He quickly glanced in a certain direction under the stage.
That's where the Harvard representatives sit.
Just last February, Pickering, director of the Harvard University Observatory, died of illness.
So Harvard University began to select the next director.
When Shapley learned from a friend that he was a popular candidate for the position.
He was so excited that he couldn't help it.
But Harvard University is still in the inspection period.
The outcome is fraught with uncertainty.
Therefore, Shapley was very afraid that he would lose today's debate and leave a bad impression on the representatives of Harvard University.
For this reason, he did everything he could to win today.
With an invincible attitude, he defeated all competitors so that Harvard University could only hire himself.
This led to his various preparations for today.
Now, he can finally bring out his final trump card.
Shapley knew that now that he could study Curtis.
Then the other party will definitely study him.
Therefore, he must think one more step.
That is to say: I predicted your prediction and you predicted my prediction.
He also has two methods of measuring the Milky Way!
Shapley said:
"Mr. Curtis, two methods were used to measure the diameter of the Milky Way."
"But fortunately, I also prepared another method."
"I chose to use blue giant stars, which are common among stars, as the standard candle."
"Then I re-measured the diameter of the Milky Way."
"Please see, this time the results show that the diameter of the Milky Way is 350,000 light-years."
“My two results were also close.”
"This is enough to prove my correctness."
"So, Mr. Curtis, your rebuttal just now." "Invalid!"
boom!
The hall suddenly erupted in exclamations.
Once again, everyone was stunned by Shapley's results.
I didn't expect he could hide so deeply.
"Oh! God! Shapley is too calm."
"He obviously had so much evidence, but he didn't show it at the beginning. He was waiting here for Curtis."
"How smart this guy is!"
Many people were impressed by Shapley's operation.
The other party simply took the form of debate to the extreme.
Haer and the other bosses were also shocked.
They didn't expect Shapley to have a trick up his sleeve.
"This kid, no wonder he stayed at the observatory every day during that time."
"It turns out that he wants to rush to measure the blue giant star's data."
"It seems he really wants to win this debate!"
Haer didn't know it yet, but Shapley had already set his sights on the position of director of the Harvard University Observatory.
At this moment, Curtis's eyes also showed emotion for the first time.
This evidence from the other party directly leveled the situation between the two parties.
Therefore, he could only start with measurement methods.
Curtis believed that the data measured by Shapley using globular star clusters and blue giant stars as candlelight were inaccurate.
Shapley believed that Curtis was wrong to use novae and yellow dwarfs as candles, and the measurement data also deviated greatly.
This time, the two sides were completely deadlocked.
The debate fell into a tug-of-war, and no one could convince anyone.
However, the audience enjoyed it very much.
If the strength gap between the two parties in the debate is too large, it will not be exciting.
Just like now, it's exciting when both sides talk to each other.
"I just like the feeling of this kind of knowledge flashing through my brain."
However, some people suddenly discovered a problem.
"Why is there such a big difference between Shapley's and Curtis' measurements?"
"Don't they all use standard candlelight?"
An hour has passed since Shapley and Curtis debated.
Until now, the two are still in a stalemate.
Shapley even blushed because of his excessive excitement.
Curtis, on the other hand, clearly felt tired and was panting.
Finally, with the prompts and intervention of the jury, the debate finally came to an end.
And the result was beyond everyone's initial expectations.
The two sides ended up in a tie!
There are no winners in this debate!
That means that how big the universe is is still an unsolved mystery.
There was intense discussion in the hall.
This debate aroused people's strong curiosity about astronomy.
In particular, the various methods of measuring distances between celestial bodies are even more dazzling.
And the extremely dramatic tie ending also added a touch of legend to this debate.
Shapley and Curtis both breathed a sigh of relief after hearing the end.
The two smiled, shook hands and hugged.
This result is undoubtedly the best result.
For Shapley, though, he didn't win.
But he has fully demonstrated his strength, and the representatives who want to come to Harvard University should take notice.
After today, his and Curtis's names will surely resound throughout the United States and become celebrities in the scientific community.
Therefore, both of them had smiles on their faces and bowed to the audience in a gentlemanly manner.
At this time, the boss in the front row.
Ridgway was rejecting Walcott and Hyer's pleas.
"Professor Bruce, please go on stage again and make a summary."
"It's better for you two to go."
"No, we can't convince the crowd if we go up there."
"Professor Bruce, please don't refuse."
After strong and passionate pleading from both men, Ridgway finally took the stage.
Originally, he was planning to make a scene.
Praise the debate performance of both parties, and brag about your awesomeness in astronomy.
Give this debate a happy ending.
However, just as he was about to finish speaking, several people in the audience suddenly shouted at the same time:
"Professor Bruce, tell us."
"Why are the results of Shapley and Curtis so different?"
"Could it be that if we choose different stars for reference, the results will be different?"
"Then why each of their two results are the same, but the two are different."
Wow!
The question resonated instantly.
Even a person who knows nothing about astronomy can still find contradictions in it.
"Yeah, I've wanted to ask this question for a long time."
"Why is the difference between the two people's measurements so big?"
"And neither man could point out the error in the other's measurements."
"This is strange. How should we verify it?"
Listening to the discussions of countless people, the big bosses such as Haer and Dyson all showed expressions of dumbfounding.
They were both happy and helpless.
It is great to see so many ordinary people discussing astronomy, which shows that this debate was very successful.
The charm of astronomy has been successfully demonstrated to the world.
By relying on telescopes, humans can explore the vast starry sky and analyze the secrets of the stars.
Is there anything more romantic and enjoyable than this?
The success of astronomy will inevitably improve the status of astronomers and attract more people to join.
This subject will usher in vigorous development.
Unfortunately, they couldn't answer this question either.
Yes, even a big shot in the field of astronomy, Haer doesn't know which method is correct.
Otherwise, the Milky Way issue would not be the subject of today's debate.
Li Qiwei was also startled when he heard this.
"Damn it, I obviously don't want to show off."
"Why are you forcing me?"
However, since the atmosphere today is so hot.
Then he might as well add more fire.
Anyway, he has officially been involved in astronomy, so it is reasonable for him to express some opinions.
Ridgway gave Hubble a somewhat thoughtful look.
This left the latter a bit confused.
Amid everyone's expectations, Li Qiwei slowly said:
"Everyone must first understand that the distance measurement method used by Shapley and Curtis is actually a conventional method recognized by the astronomical community."
"As early as the 18th century, the British astronomer Herschel invented a similar method."
As soon as Li Qiwei said this name, people in the audience who knew it started to popularize it.
Herschel is the founder of stellar astronomy and is known as the "Father of Stellar Astronomy".
He was the first President of the Royal Astronomical Society.
His representative achievement is: the discovery of Uranus and its two satellites.
In addition, Herschel also did some research on the structure of the Milky Way.
Li Qiwei continued:
"Herschel calculated the distances between celestial bodies in the universe."
"He invented a method."
"That is, he assumed that the brightness of all stars in the universe is the same."
"The reason why we see some stars dark and some bright is because they are at different distances from us."
"This should be easy to understand."
"Then he used the brightness of Sirius as the standard."
"Using the law that the intensity of light is inversely proportional to the square of the distance, we began to calculate the distances from other celestial bodies to the earth."
"Assume that the distance from celestial body A to the earth is twice the distance from Sirius to the earth."
"Then the brightness of celestial body A observed by observers on earth should be one-quarter of Sirius."
"This should be easy to calculate."
"But there is a problem, and that is the distance from Sirius to the Earth. Astronomers at the time did not know."
"So, Herschel simply used the distance from Sirius to the Earth as a standard unit."
"The units of other celestial bodies from the earth should be converted into multiples of standard units."
"Based on this theory, he measured the distances of many celestial bodies."
"In the end, he even roughly estimated that the diameter of the Milky Way is 8,000 standard units."
"Of course, we now know that this number is pitifully small and must not be correct."
"And the brightness of stars in the universe cannot be exactly the same."
"Herschel's results must therefore be wrong."
"However, the method he invented is of great reference significance."
"I believe you smart people have discovered it."
"Yes, the standard candlelight method used by Shapley and Curtis came from Herschel's method."
"It's just that astronomers have optimized it and greatly improved its accuracy."
"However, these methods still do not solve a fundamental problem."
"That's the problem with the brightness of the standard candle itself."
"Because astronomers know very little about stars now."
"We can't tell what a star's brightness is related to, or even whether it changes."
"For example, at certain times, the brightness of the sun will suddenly increase."
"Then stars such as blue giants and yellow dwarfs that are standard candles will definitely have this situation."
"So, this will bring huge errors to the measurement."
"If you choose different stars as standard candles, the measured distances will also be different."
"This is why the data of Shapley and Curtis have such large errors."
"Even the difference is an order of magnitude."
"Because, they are both wrong!"
"Of course, this does not mean that the results of the two are worthless."
"Because that's what astronomy is."
"On astronomical scales, precision is a luxury."
boom!
The audience fell into an eerie silence.
Soon, a burst of exclamations broke out.
Most people were stunned by this answer.
It’s like a fantasy!
"Oh! God! After a long time, both sides of the debate are wrong!"
"Is this Professor Bruce? The moment he made the move, it was earth-shattering!"
Everyone was shocked!
The various theories that excited them were actually wrong in the eyes of Professor Bruce?
Shapley and Curtis gave a wry smile.
Both of them actually knew this issue well.
The existing standard candlelight method does have such problems.
But the crux of the problem pointed out by Professor Bruce still benefited them a lot.
Perhaps one day, this method will be perfect if it can solve the mystery of the brightness of stars.
Haer and other astronomy experts took a deep breath.
They didn't expect Professor Bruce to understand the candlelight method so thoroughly.
Is there anything else in astronomy that the other party doesn’t know?
At this moment, the melon-eaters in the hall were discussing even more enthusiastically.
According to Professor Bruce, strictly speaking, this method cannot be wrong, but is too crude.
That's why measurements by different people can lead to such large errors.
Suddenly, everyone had an exciting idea.
"Can Professor Bruce give a better measurement method?"
(End of chapter)