Chapter 262 There is no physics in the United States now!
November 15, 1910, New York, Manhattan.
In the future, this will be the center of New York and the economic and cultural center of the United States.
Manhattan can be roughly divided into three main areas: Uptown, Midtown, and Downtown from north to south.
Uptown is home to famous attractions such as Central Park, the Metropolitan Museum, and Lincoln Center.
Midtown has large companies and commercial centers such as the Empire State Building, Rockefeller Center, Times Square, and Broadway.
Downtown is centered on finance, and Wall Street, the financial center of the future world, will be located here.
On Liberty Island in downtown, there is also the famous Statue of Liberty, watching countless immigrants with the American dream set foot on this land.
However, Manhattan at this time was far from the prosperity of later generations.
The Empire State Building has not yet started construction, and Times Square is still under construction.
It would take until the 1920s and 1930s for this place to truly become the center of the world.
But in 1910, Manhattan and even New York were still well-deserved super metropolises.
The population of New York has exceeded 4.5 million people.
In uptown Manhattan, there is the fifth oldest university in the United States, Columbia University.
Columbia University was founded in 1754, and many famous figures were born here.
Including 3 US presidents, 9 justices, and many business giants, etc.
Of course there are several Nobel Prize winners in physics.
The Manhattan Project to create the atomic bomb was born here.
The American Physical Society was established at Columbia University.
Here witnessed the birth of American academic physics.
So in order to show the importance of this meeting and respect for Li Qiwei.
Michelson specially arranged the exchange meeting at Columbia University.
In addition, Columbia University also has a very legendary Department of Sinology.
Famous figures such as Xu Zhimo, Wen Yiduo and Tao Xingzhi from China have all studied here.
The establishment of the Department of Sinology is rumored to be closely related to a Chinese worker named Ding Long.
Ridgway and his team came to New York from Princeton together with teachers and students Richardson and Davidson.
Leaving Davidson with Ridgway, Richardson left.
Li Qiwei let Bohr and others make free arrangements.
Accompanied by Li San, he walked to Columbia University.
Li Qiwei’s arrival was warmly welcomed by Columbia University senior officials.
Although it was not like at Princeton University, the flowers were blooming and students flocked to it.
But the leaders, headed by the principal, still gave Li Qiwei the most solemn welcome etiquette.
And Li Qiwei also saw many students with Chinese faces.
They must be students from the Chinese Studies Department of Columbia University.
Li Qiwei greeted them with a smile and received warm applause.
After the greetings, Michelson led Li Qiwei toward the Columbia University conference room.
That is the location of this academic conference.
Similar to the annual physics conferences in European countries, the annual physics conferences in the United States hold four academic conferences every year.
The time and place are not fixed.
The flow of the meeting is that in order, physicists take the stage to report their latest research results.
However, if the American physics community at this time strictly follows Ridgway's definition and classification criteria for physicists.
It is estimated that there are no more than 10 people who can claim the title of physicist.
The Physics Society has more than 100 members, and most of them are actually professors from various universities, not physicists at all.
Professing to others is just to put money on your face.
Therefore, Li Qiwei's arrival made all members of the Physical Society feel very prosperous.
It is difficult to find top physicists like Li Qiwei and ordinary physics professors.
The gap between Li Qiwei and them is wider than the gap between them and the students.
Therefore, everyone came to pay homage to this top figure in physics with a learning attitude.
When Michelson entered the conference room with Li Qiwei, thunderous applause immediately broke out.
Li Qiwei took a quick look and saw that the conference room was full of people.
He guessed that almost all members of the American Physical Society were here.
Millikan, Carr, Bridgman, etc.
It’s a pity that Hubble and Compton at this time are just small figures, and the more powerful bosses are just brats.
Otherwise, the meeting would definitely be more exciting.
Suddenly, Li Qiwei saw Edison in the crowd at a glance.
Not because he had seen photos of Edison in later generations, but he was the only one who didn't applaud.
Isn’t the joke of later generations like this: When the leader comes, if you applaud, he may not remember you; but if you don’t applaud, he will definitely remember you.
This is the situation now for Li Qiwei.
This was the first time he met Edison. He was sitting in the front row and obviously regarded himself as a boss.
The look of disdain and disgust made Li Qiwei snort in his heart.
At this time, Michelson took Li Qiwei’s hand, walked to the podium, and said with a smile:
“Everyone, I don’t think I need to introduce more about Professor Bruce.”
"If I introduce Bruce's achievements in detail, today's meeting will probably last until late at night."
Everyone laughed, and there was another round of applause.
“If anyone here did not attend Bruce’s previous speech at Princeton, it would be a great loss.”
"Although that speech was mainly aimed at students, it also touched me a lot."
"Bruce's perspective on physics is unique and profound, and it is worthy of study and learning by all of us."< br>
“Today, I invited him here for only one purpose.”
“That is to let Bruce introduce us to the most cutting-edge physics today.” “Although the first Bruce Conference, and Bohr's notes were compiled later, recording the contents of the meeting in detail."
"But those are dead knowledge."
"Far inferior to Bruce's own thoughts."
"Although I also participated in the first meeting, I am not afraid of everyone. It’s a joke, I’m just here to make up the numbers.”
“Besides, it’s been more than a year since the first conference.”
“This year, the results of physics seem to be blowing out. It’s dizzying.”
"X-rays, γ-rays, crystal diffraction formulas, superconductivity, periodic table of elements, etc."
"Unfortunately, these results have nothing to do with us American physicists."
"So what is the reason for this?"
"I think it is not because we Americans are stupid, but because Bruce is hiding something."
"I will tell Bruce not to hide it today. Private.”
After saying that, Michelson turned to Li Qiwei and smiled: "Bruce, for the sake of my old bones, you can't bear to hide your secrets anymore."
Michelson's humor impressed everyone present. Smiling from ear to ear.
It seems that I have listened to a lot of useful information today.
Laue was able to discover a Nobel Prize-level result just because of Bruce's words.
Then if they listen to Bruce's speech today, wouldn't they be able to achieve several Nobel Prize-level results? This is reasonable, right?
Many people began to have wild imaginations.
Li Qiwei also couldn't laugh or cry. Michelson was putting him on the fire.
It seems that today is too much to handle.
However, since he wants to get the support of the United States, especially the support of the scientific education community, he cannot do it without showing something real.
Even, this may be a good opportunity to cheat.
"Professor Michelson, you are wronging me if you say this."
"At the first Bruce Conference, I have made all my thoughts public."
" If I wanted to hide my secret, it would be my turn to discover the nature of X-rays."
"I will probably win the Nobel Prize in Physics in the future."
" I might as well move to Sweden so that it will be easier for them to notify me of winning awards and present awards in the future.”
Wow!
Everyone was amused by Li Qiwei and laughed.
They didn't expect Bruce to have such a humorous side.
It was so rare and strange, after all, not many people present had heard Li Qiwei’s speech.
The West pays great attention to humor, and Li Qiwei has practiced it so well that he can pick it up easily.
Even before the meeting started, the atmosphere was already lively and the guests and hosts were enjoying themselves.
However, in Edison's eyes, all this turned into Li Qiwei's frivolous behavior and grandstanding.
At this moment, Edison was very unhappy with Li Qiwei.
When communicating with Marconi before, he was worried about Ridgway's filament patent.
Then Li Qiwei openly opposed what he said in his speech, which made him even more unhappy.
In the end, the invitation he sent through Langmuir was also rejected.
This made Edison completely hostile to Li Qiwei.
In this negative mood, any action or achievement by Li Qiwei was problematic in Edison's eyes.
He was disdainful of Li Qiwei in his heart.
“Huh, no matter how good your physics is, it’s just something on paper.”
"The theory of relativity and quantum theory are purely mathematical games in my opinion."
"It's just for your own amusement as academics."
"You get so much from the Ministry of Education every year. Funding, no output at all.”
Edison also secretly studied Li Qiwei’s theories, such as the theory of relativity and quantum theory.
Unfortunately, with his IQ, he couldn't understand it at all.
Li Qiwei's paper and Edison's inventions are completely different fields.
And since Edison established a huge laboratory, he rarely conducted experiments himself.
I have no interest in learning scientific knowledge.
He is now interested in how to make money from previous inventions.
This year, he just integrated all the factories and laboratories under his name to establish the Thomas Edison Company, with thousands of employees.
As chairman and president of the company, he wields great power.
Edison gradually handed over the day-to-day operations of the laboratory to others and reduced original experimental work to mainly improving existing products.
In other words, the King of Inventions is no longer keen on inventing.
Li Qiwei on the stage had already noticed Edison's expression, but he didn't care at all.
He is no longer the rookie Cambridge undergraduate he was.
Instead, he became a giant in the field of science.
Now he has the confidence to refuse and offend anyone.
If we really push him into a hurry, if Li Qiwei turns black, it will be a disaster for the whole world.
So, he no longer paid attention to Edison, but organized his thoughts and strode calmly to the center of the podium.
Looking at the more than 100 American physics elites in the audience, Li Qiwei suddenly felt that the old Americans at this time were pitifully weak.
There are not many people here who can be called by future generations. They are all passers-by.
At this moment, he is full of pride. In this life in the United States, his only destiny is to be the second brother.
Li Qiwei’s expression was serious, and his first words made everyone present break their guard.
“I think there is no real physics in America right now.”
Boom!
Everyone in the house was shocked!
(End of this chapter)