Chapter 36 Theoretical Questioning (Thanks to [Black Maple Bison] for the reward)
In the next few days, Li Qiwei wrote textbooks and a paper on the photoelectric effect.
It is also time to thoroughly prove the correctness of [Quantum Mechanics] and establish its status.
As he wrote, he suddenly thought of the last time he sent a telegram and how he was worried about money.
Li Qiwei suddenly thought that since he was short of money, why not start his own company to make a lot of money.
As a time-traveler, it is not easy to make money by inventing random things, and the money you make is foreign devils' money.
Travelers who cannot make money are not worthy of being named in the organization.
The Spark Project will need to burn a lot of money in the future, and the wealth of one's own family alone may not be enough.
It seems that the plan to open a company to make money has to be put on the agenda.
As for what to sell, light industrial products? Heavy industrial products? Li Qiwei should think about it. Anyway, he can't sell things that improve foreign power.
Just when he was thinking wildly, Hong'er walked in with two letters in her hand.
"Master, someone just sent you two letters one after another. They said they were very important. Please read them as soon as possible."
"Oh?" Li Qiwei stopped writing and opened the envelope.
The first letter was written by Lockyer, editor-in-chief of Nature.
The letter stated that an article was recently published in a famous academic journal in London.
The author stated in the paper that [Quantum Mechanics] is a complete fraud, full of loopholes.
And the other party also gave a lot of so-called arguments and evidence.
Subsequently, other mainstream academic journals published articles criticizing [Quantum Mechanics], considering it to be whimsical.
Many well-known physicists have also declared in public that [quantum mechanics] has not been experimentally verified and should not receive such an honor.
Li Qiwei is very puzzled. I just published a paper, and I didn’t steal your money. I didn’t claim the honor by myself.
As a result, when he continued to read the letter, he understood what was going on.
Lockyer said that since the [Quantum Mechanics] paper was published, the University of Cambridge has spent a lot of energy on publicity.
The whole of Britain was bombarded with news of this theory.
And led by Vice-President Caldwell and a group of physics professors such as Thomson, the University of Cambridge successfully received a large amount of funding from the government.
As for the total number, Lockyer didn't say, and he probably doesn't know either.
However, according to relevant sources, during the funding discussion meeting, the vice-chancellor of Oxford University even made foul language on the spot.
Obviously he was very angry with the Cambridge harvest and believed that a brand-new theory should not be so respected.
Cadwell only replied with one sentence: This will be an opportunity for the British Empire to once again lead the world in the field of science after the first industrial revolution.
It was this sentence that impressed the members of the review committee and approved the funding.
Li Qiwei smiled helplessly after reading this. He didn't expect that so many things had happened after he had only been away for more than a month.
At the same time, he also let out a deep sigh and emotion.
Compared with China's attitude towards science at this time, Britain is undoubtedly much better.
Both ordinary people and the country respect science and technology very much.
Because they witnessed with their own eyes how the industrial revolution brought huge wealth.
The core of industry is scientific principles. Without the theoretical breakthroughs of scientists, there would be no invention of various industrial machines.
Moreover, another characteristic of Britain is that many nobles or wealthy businessmen like to engage in scientific research in their spare time.
So, if you study the history books of physics in later generations, you will find that those important scientists often did not do research for the sake of honor.
They are probably nobles themselves, with no shortage of wealth and status. It is because they are interested in physics that they are willing to study it, and even pay for it out of their own pockets.
This cultural atmosphere is completely different from other countries.
I have to say that the prosperity of the British Empire, apart from shitty luck, still has a certain connotation in it. Li Qiwei envied Britain in his heart and continued to read the letter.
The next thing will be clear. After the collapse of Oxford University, it mobilized a group of physicists who were skeptical of [quantum mechanics] to jointly question this theory from a scientific perspective, hoping that the author would give a reply.
Academic debate is different from military war.
Right is right and wrong is wrong. Both parties must prove their views through logic, experiments, mathematical formulas, etc.
I can't see you unhappy or think you're wrong, so I can kill you with one shot.
That’s why major journals in the UK have published papers questioning [quantum mechanics].
Magazines like to encounter this kind of thing the most. The popularity is high and the impact is great. The sales volume of the magazine keeps rising.
Therefore, Lockyer mentioned in his letter that he hopes Li Qiwei will publish a paper as soon as possible, preferably with blockbuster results.
Once this battle is won, the journal "Nature" will definitely become famous and become the number one physics journal in the UK.
Sir Lockyer, who has come into his old age, was very concerned about this matter, so he wrote to urge Li Qiwei.
After all, Li Qiwei still holds the title of honorary editor-in-chief of the journal Nature.
After reading the letter, Li Qiwei smiled and gave him a pillow because he was really sleepy.
The photoelectric effect paper I just wrote can now be published at the right time.
Then he opened the second letter and found that it was actually written by Lord Kelvin.
Li Qiwei was a little unbelievable. He thought that after the paper was published, Lord Kelvin would definitely be angry with him.
Unexpectedly, the other party took the initiative to write a letter to me, and also took the initiative to admit defeat and mistakes in the letter.
This made Li Qiwei feel that he was judging a gentleman with a villain's heart.
The dignified Lord Kelvin actually lowered his posture and admitted his fault, even for a Qing man like him.
I have to say that the other party is still very generous. No wonder he is respected by many people.
Historically, when Lord Kelvin passed away on December 17, 1907, almost the entire UK and scientists around the world expressed their condolences to him.
In the end, his body was buried next to Newton's tomb, and his influence is evident.
Li Qiwei sighed in his heart. Although Lord Kelvin was broad-minded, it was also because of his own strength.
If I hadn’t published [Quantum Mechanics] and caused such a big sensation, I’m afraid the other party wouldn’t look at me seriously.
Equality is always based on strength. You can be arrogant, but you cannot be a real person.
Withdrawing his thoughts, Li Qiwei continued to look down. The contents of Lord Kelvin's letter were also related to Lockyer's.
It turns out that several senior physicists in the UK believed that such a confrontation in an academic magazine would not lead to any answers.
It is better to organize a meeting directly, where everyone can speak freely, and it may become a good talk about physics.
So, Lord Kelvin took the lead and invited many well-known physicists in the UK and abroad to prepare for an academic conference in London.
The theme of the conference is only one: On the rights and wrongs of [Quantum Mechanics].
As a core figure, Li Qiwei is of course the most critical, so he was solemnly invited, and his attitude can even determine whether the meeting can be held.
After reading Lord Kelvin's letter, Ridgway stretched his body and felt a little happy.
Previously at the Berlin Society of Physics, the reason why Roentgen and other big guys did not embarrass themselves and question [Quantum Mechanics] was because of Professor Planck's sake.
They must have had intense discussions in private.
During his doctoral defense in his previous life, he felt a lot of pressure from several professors.
And now, he is about to independently debate many great gods and argue with the Confucian scholars. Li Qiwei is even a little trembling, which is a sign of excitement.
Although there are tens of thousands of bosses, I am going!
A big climax is coming, please collect it! Please read it!
(End of this chapter)