Chapter 272 Time is like a knife cutting down the genius! The inheritance of physics will never end!
Time entered 1911 quietly.
From the perspective of world history, this year was ordinary.
But for China, something groundbreaking is about to happen.
Li Qiwei was in London, looking out to the east, and his mood was like a stormy sea, with magnificent waves.
In the creation of China, he could only contribute his meager efforts, donate money and materials, and give away things to others.
But with the next breakthrough in physics, he will transform into a god, take charge of the universe, and overlook the world.
Unfortunately, Lord Newton is slightly less talented in literature; Maxwell is slightly less charming.
A genius of a generation, Einstein, only knew how to smile and bend down.
On January 22, 1911, as the holidays in major universities ended, teachers and students returned one after another.
Physics has also returned from a short period of calm to a lively scene.
Department of Physics, King's College London.
Recently the students discovered a strange thing.
Bo Shao, who used to like playing football and bragging the most, seems to have become a different person since he came back from vacation.
He spends time in the library every day, writing and writing as if there is no one else around.
Let the people around you feel the aura of great God permeating the air.
A girl who admired Bohr came up and asked sweetly: "Bohr, I am the only one in my house tonight. Can you teach me physics?"
Bohr I turned a deaf ear to it, ignored it, and kept drawing various circles on the paper.
The girl stamped her foot angrily, hugged the book and left.
Seeing this scene, the other brothers beat their chests and stamped their feet, crying like ghosts and howling like wolves.
Girls in universities these days are even rarer than radium, and Bohr was too wasteful.
But who wants the rich second generation to be good-looking, well-educated and in good health?
He has seen too many women, how can physics be fun?
Even Bohr’s fellow disciples, Qian Wushi and others, were very curious, and they felt the deepest.
Because Bohr doesn't even come to the group discussion now.
After asking, I found out that it was authorized by Bruce's mentor.
At this moment, everyone understood that Bohr's research had reached a critical period and he was holding back his big move.
When Master Qian was working on superconducting, he was also very crazy and had no time to eat.
Everyone suddenly remembered what Bohr said before the holiday. He wanted to rush for a seat at the second Bruce Conference.
“Oh, my God, Master Bo is not serious.”
"Even Tutor Bruce has taken special care of him. It is estimated that his research has indeed made a major breakthrough."
"Bohr's topic is the study of atomic structure. If there is a breakthrough, wouldn't it shock the physics world. "
"I felt very sad when Bohr didn't have a paper; I felt even more sad when Bohr was about to win the Nobel Prize."
"Let's break up, let's break up, I want it too. Work hard secretly, and then surprise everyone.”
Since then, the boys in the Physics Department of King’s College have started to do scientific research crazily.
I will never trust the smoke bombs of good brothers again.
Professors such as Li Qiwei and Bakla would smile heartily when they saw the influence brought by Bohr. This feeling is still good.
The competition inside King's College is fierce, and the outside is even more turbulent.
On January 25, Rutherford’s doctoral student, Charles Darwin, published an article in Nature.
He studied the loss of kinetic energy after alpha particles interact with gold foil.
By analyzing the experimental results, Charles believed that alpha particles interacted with electrons.
This triggered his thinking about electrons.
Almost all the papers are about to involve the issue of electronic discontinuity.
Bohr also secretly paid attention to this paper and was so frightened that he had to speed up.
On January 28, Li Qiwei published a review on physics in "Nature".
With Li Qiwei's current status, he will no longer publish professional papers easily.
Mainly focusing on comments and reviews, grasping the macro development trends of physics.
In this article, he summarizes and evaluates the achievements of modern physics in recent times.
It highlights a paper by Professor Case of Trinity College, Cambridge University.
Li Qiwei believes that the discovery of electron angular momentum is another proof of quantum theory and has great potential.
Wow!
The article immediately caused an uproar.
Countless people went out of their way to study Professor Case’s paper.
Because Professor Bruce never praises others easily.
After reading it carefully, many people discovered that this paper was indeed underestimated.
The angular momentum of the electron can only be an integer multiple of [h/2π], where h is [Lee Planck's constant].
This conclusion surprised everyone, and they always felt that there was some key information hidden behind it.
But no one can catch it.
"Professor Case is indeed the man closest to a physicist."
"Everyone who has a good relationship with Professor Bruce eventually takes off."
Some old professors were also moved and went crazy for Case.
"Kes is really a role model for us old guys."
"Who said modern physics is the world of young people, we older generation scholars do not agree!"
< br>"Professor Case made us understand that old trees can also have a second spring."
This was of course Li Qiwei's intention, in order to build momentum for Bohr.
He was not at all worried that Bohr's theory would be taken advantage of by others.
Because in the current atomic research in physics, the cutting-edge results are almost all from the Cavendish School, which is reserved.
Professor Thomson, director of the Cavendish Laboratory, discovered electrons, proposed the date cake model, and initiated the study of the interior of atoms.
Next, Li Qiwei discovered the atomic nucleus and proposed a planetary model, denying the theory of his mentor Thomson.
Then, Rutherford determined the nature of radioactivity, proposed the theory of elemental transformation, and guided his assistant Soddy to improve the periodic table of elements.
Now, Rutherford's student, Charles, has published a related paper.
People of this group are studying atoms in depth at every level.
Even Professor Case is strictly speaking a member of the Cavendish School. After all, he is from Cambridge.
Therefore, there is a consensus in the physics community that Cavendish is the authority in atomic research.
As Thomson's two most proud students, Li Qiwei and Rutherford have now established their own schools and branched out.
Cavendish's reputation continued to spread throughout the physics community.
At this moment, Li Qiwei received an invitation from Professor Case to visit Cambridge University. At Trinity College, Li Qiwei saw that Professor Case was older, but his face was full of energy.
It seems that the publication of the paper put him in a good mood.
Now the dean of Trinity College is no longer Sanders, but someone whom Li Qiwei does not know.
After the two parties greeted each other politely, Professor Keyes pulled Li Qiwei and talked non-stop.
"Bruce, I really want to thank you. Without you, no one would have cared about my paper."
"Those little guys don't dare to laugh at me now, haha."
Li Qiwei smiled and said: "Professor, with this paper, you are a physicist."
Professor Case laughed, "Really? Bruce, you are not kidding me. Be happy.”
"I'm going to retire soon. I didn't expect that I could be excited before retirement."
"I feel ten years younger in an instant."
"But, that's okay. It’s useless, the future of physics must belong to you young people.”
“You, Rutherford, Wilson, Richardson, and little Bragg will definitely carry forward modern physics.”
After listening to Professor Case’s words, Li Qiwei was suddenly touched in his heart.
Professor Case is really old.
He is no longer the righteous old man full of curiosity and curiosity.
Times have left deep marks on his body. Even if he wants to continue his research, he is unable to do so.
Actually, it’s not just Professor Case.
This is true for the older generation of physicists such as Lord Rayleigh, Roentgen, Lorentz, Thomson, and Planck.
In recent years, unless it is an important meeting, you can no longer see them.
And they hardly publish any papers anymore.
Because they are older and cannot continue to conduct ultra-intensive front-line research in person.
I can only guide my own graduate students and give them direction from a high level.
The power of time is ruthless and unstoppable.
No matter how amazing you are, you will eventually grow old one day.
After bidding farewell to Professor Case, Ridgway walked to the Cavendish Laboratory again.
He is going to visit Professor Thomson.
Although Thomson is still the director of Cavendish today, he has shifted his focus from academic research to academic construction.
In recent years, he has written several professional books on physics.
For example, "The Structure of Light", "Gas Conduction of Electricity", "Particle Theory of Matter", etc.
These books have very high research value.
Anyway, Li Qiwei immediately sent the books back to China and asked He Yujie and others to translate them and use them as teaching materials or popular science materials.
Thomson also made large-scale improvements to the laboratory to make it more in line with the requirements of modern laboratories.
Finally, what Thomson is most concerned about is the training of Wilson, Bragg Jr. and others.
Moreover, he has recently recruited several doctoral students. Li Qiwei met them, and they should all be talents in future niche fields.
In the office, Thomson, Wilson, and Li Qiwei were chatting freely as before.
Wilson asked: "Bruce, atomic research has been so hot recently, why haven't you done anything yet?"
"You are the one who proposed the planetary model."
Li Qiwei laughed. Said: "Come on, there has been a breakthrough in Bohr's research recently, and it should be published soon."
Wilson joked: "Oh? Is that the stupid Bohr?"
"Bruce, you can do it. In just a few years, you have turned Bohr into a talent."
Thomson smiled when he heard this. He still vividly remembered what happened when Bohr came to him.
However, the other party ended up becoming Bruce's student by accident.
But no matter what, it is still Cavendish system, which is really a twist of fate.
"Bruce, I heard that Bohr's research is preparing to overturn your planetary model."
"This is a major event in atomic research."
Li Qiwei smiled bitterly, "I overturned it at the beginning. Your model, mentor, is now being overthrown by my own students.”
“This will not form our Cavendish tradition.”
The three laughed.
But Li Qiwei was right. In essence, Bohr's theory was indeed overturned by his students.
Soon, Li Qiwei also said goodbye to Thomson and left Cambridge University.
On the train to London, Li Qiwei was filled with emotions, thoughts, and even a little lost.
In real history, Old Prague once commented on Thomson:
Thomson is a strange link between old and new physics. He has opened the door to new physics, but He himself had never been inside.
These older generation of physicists opened the door to modern physics, but unfortunately they are already in their twilight years.
Those great scientific figures in history all achieved earth-shattering achievements when they were young, and then spent their entire lives reflecting on them.
Physicists, mathematicians, especially.
This is because the human brain is the most active and imaginative when young.
When I get older and see more, I become constrained by rules and regulations and no longer have free will.
If you are more arrogant and always like to educate young people, you will become a proper old immortal.
But fortunately, physicists like Thomson only accumulate wisdom.
Perhaps looking at it from another angle, they are not retreating and ignoring worldly affairs.
Instead, he stood quietly out of sight of the young people and watched the breakthroughs they made.
The passion of youth was rekindled in my heart.
At this moment, Li Qiwei finally stopped being sentimental and regained his boundless vitality.
The years are like a knife cutting down a proud man.
But the genius cannot be killed.
Next, he will take Bohr with him to continue to overcome obstacles in physics.
At this moment, Li Qiwei suddenly understood the meaning of inheritance.
Although the human body is limited and fragile, the human spirit is eternal.
The research results of previous generations will be transformed into the wisdom of today’s people, and they will continue to climb towards the highest peak of science.
The achievements of today's people are the wisdom of future generations, and they are endless.
One day, the descendants of mankind will personally reveal the mysteries of the universe.
Then say: Creator, I finally found you.
(End of this chapter)