Chapter 350 Li Qiwei takes action! "A book to scientists all over the world"! The whole world is shocked!
The sudden outbreak of war in Europe shocked the whole world.
Military commentators from various countries are predicting the impact of this war in newspapers.
Some are optimistic, believing that it will end soon, and that conflicts will break out locally in Western and Eastern Europe at most.
There are also pessimists who think this will be a protracted war.
However, only Li Qiwei knew how big an impact this war would have on the world.
In real history, there were 33 participating countries in World War I, divided into two camps: the Allies and the Entente.
Although the main war was in Europe, it had varying degrees of impact on the world.
Even here in Borneo is no exception, but the impact is very small.
Li Qiwei also asked Li Bokai to be more vigilant to prevent anyone from fishing in troubled waters.
At this moment, the eyes of the whole world are focused on Europe.
War affects not just ordinary people, no one can avoid it, even scientists.
August 1, 1914, Germany, in a prison camp.
Eddington lost his former gentlemanly demeanor, his clothes were dirty and his hair was messy.
At this moment, he was protesting loudly:
"I'm not a spy, I'm a British astronomer."
"I'm going to the Crimea Peninsula to verify the general theory of relativity!"
"This is an act of banditry! It's in Trampling on science!”
“War should not coerce civilians!”
“I want to apply for protection!”
However, the guarding German soldiers did not move at all, as if they did not hear his voice at all.
Eddington was also unlucky.
He took a group of people and set off from the UK at the end of July, preparing to go to the Crimea region of Russia.
He had already calculated the best observation location in advance.
And the entire observation process was divided into two groups by him to ensure that errors were eliminated.
Therefore, the number of people in the experimental group was slightly larger, a total of more than a dozen people.
While passing through Germany, he thought he had enough time anyway, so he went to meet some friends.
The result was tragic.
The war broke out without warning.
Britain and Germany declared war directly, and the two sides instantly became hostile countries.
Eddington was arrested as a spy.
The German military soon found out his identity and did not take any violent measures against him.
Just lock them in a prisoner camp, maybe they will come in handy one day.
This prison camp is mainly used to detain civilians, so the security force is not particularly strong.
The military believes that these scientists are weak chickens and can be watched by just sending a few soldiers.
Eddington knew that his protest was futile, so he hammered the iron fence hard to express his anger.
Then he sat down and conserved his energy, knowing that things would definitely turn around.
At this time, a young man stepped forward and asked: "Professor Eddington, do you think the Germans will let us go?"
Eddington looked at the young man and his mood suddenly changed. Better, he forced a smile.
"Chadwick, don't worry, one of my team was out at the time and was not caught."
"He will definitely find a way to expose this matter."
"Your mentor, Professor Rutherford, will soon know about your situation."
The young man is Chadwick. Grams, he was still arrested, but this time he was no longer alone, but with Eddington.
"Oh, that's great, I have no way to do experiments here."
Eddington showed a smile. The optimism of young people is the most powerful thing.
Eddington admired Chadwick for being so calm under such circumstances and still thinking about doing experiments.
This kid will definitely become a great player in the future!
And his own heart was a little confused.
The main reason is that this experiment is so important and related to the verification of general relativity.
That was a result that shocked the world.
How could Eddington not be in a hurry.
The best experimental observation time is August 21, which means there are 20 days left.
He must arrive in Crimea within 18 days, leaving 2 days to install the instruments and adjust the angle and orientation.
If there is another accident along the way, it will be all over.
Although Eddington was very anxious, he was the backbone after all and needed to cheer up.
"Well, don't worry, the Germans can't be so crazy as to take action against innocent scientists."
"Otherwise, it will arouse opposition from all over the world."
"We can wait with peace of mind. ”
After listening to his words, everyone gradually became quiet.
Chadwick was writing and drawing on the ground with a branch.
——
The Royal Society.
An enlarged meeting was held urgently.
The people who came included not only academicians of the Royal Society, but also members of the Royal Astronomical Society, staff of the Greenwich Observatory, and professors of the University of Cambridge.
At this moment, many big guys gathered together with only one goal:
Communicate with the German authorities and rescue the captured Eddington, Chadwick and others.
The director of the Greenwich Observatory, Sir Dyson, said excitedly:
"The Germans have gone too far!"
"This is an unforgivable thing!"
"Eddington is fighting for the cause of science and should not be treated like this!"
When Eddington was a researcher at the Greenwich Observatory, he was highly regarded by Sir Dyson.
He thinks this is a very smart young man who will definitely achieve great achievements in the future.
As expected, Eddington had already begun to prove the general theory of relativity.
This may be the biggest thing in science these days.
And now, because of the war, the entire experimental team has been arrested.
Sir Dyson's anger and anxiety can be imagined.
However, he was not the only one who was anxious, there was also Rutherford.
“Chadwick was just invited to Berlin as a visiting scholar, and this happened.”
“He was only a 23-year-old boy, and when he suffered such a blow, I I am very worried about whether he will continue to pursue physics in the future."
"Chadwick is a rare genius."
"War should not extend its tentacles to such young people."
With Sir Dyson and Rutherford's accusations, the crowd in the venue suddenly became excited.
The scientists present share the same hatred.
Because it was Eddington and Chadwick who were arrested today, it is very likely that it will be them tomorrow.
If you don’t speak up for others today, no one will speak up for you tomorrow.
Everyone blamed the Germans for their actions.
At this time, Crooks, president of the Royal Society, cleared his throat and waved.
"Gentlemen, be silent!"
"This is something that no one wants to see."
"The focus of our discussion now should not be to accuse Germany , but to find a way to rescue those children.”
Crooks still had authority. As soon as he spoke, the venue began to quiet down.
But most people's faces are still full of anger.
Crooks continued: "Today Britain and Germany are hostile countries."
"Many of the scientists on both sides are fighting for their own countries."
< br>“In today’s venue, many people should be consultants to the military.”
"Even I was invited to participate in high-level meetings."
"First of all, we have to admit that if I am caught, it is a matter of course."
" Because I am fighting for the country, and I am just like those soldiers with guns. "
Wow!
The older generation of scientists is indeed full of courage.
Crooks's powerful words made the big guys present tremble.
However, there are also many people who are confused.
Why President Crooks is speaking for the Germans.
“Of course, some people may accuse me of trying to defend Germany’s actions?”
“Of course not!”
"I'm just reasoning."
"If our scientists participated in the war, the enemy country would certainly have reason to detain prisoners."
"But now, Eddington did not participate in the war. What he is doing is for the entire scientific community.”
“Chadwick is just a student, let alone a spy.”
“So, we have good reasons. , let Germany realize their mistake and must let him go.”
Crooks' mature and steady words made everyone nod.
His analysis is well-founded and impeccable.
However, Crooks suddenly shook his head and said helplessly:
"I have communicated with the Prime Minister, but it is a pity that the current military can no longer take care of this matter. ”
“All resources are invested in the war, and everything is focused on the war.”
"In other words, we can only rely on ourselves."
"But there is good news. I found out that Eddington and the others are being held in a civilian prison camp."
" This shows that the German military does not pay special attention to them."
"They even know that Eddington and others are not spies, so they keep them there and ignore them."
"If we. We can contact friends in the scientific community in Germany and ask them to jointly form a group to lobby the top military officials.”
"I think the military will definitely release him."
Wow!
Crooks' words gave everyone hope.
On the one hand, the German military did not treat Eddington and others as secret agents on the spot, indicating that there was a possibility of rescue.
On the other hand, Crooks’ method is very practical.
No country dares to offend the group of scientists, or even the entire scientific community.
Because the war will inevitably end, and the development of the country by then will be inseparable from the scientific community.
So, as long as there are sufficient reasons to prove that Eddington and others are innocent, and at the same time give the military a step down, the matter is probably about the same.
After all, the Eddington incident, compared to the current war in Europe, is just a trivial matter and cannot affect anything.
But now, the problem comes.
Who will contact the German scientists?
Who has the authority to impress the other party and make them unite? For a while, the venue fell into discussion again.
Thomson said solemnly: "Today, the German scientific community should be led by Planck, Roentgen, Wien, Nernst and others."
"I My relationship with Professor Planck is very good, but my relationship with other people is just a normal friendship.”
"To be honest, I don't think I can convince most people."
"Especially in this special situation, this favor is really too big."
Thomson's words seemed like Pour a basin of cold water on everyone.
In peacetime, it is indeed very simple.
But now is a time of war, the situation is changing rapidly, and no one can guarantee what will happen.
The venue suddenly became silent and filled with smoke.
This seems to be the most feasible method, but I can’t find a suitable person to implement it.
At this time, Rutherford suddenly interrupted the silence and said:
“There is someone who can definitely do it.”
“As long as he is willing to speak, the German scientific community and even the military , I will definitely consider his face.”
Everyone was shocked, "Who?"
Rutherford took a deep breath and said firmly: "Bruce Lee."
Boom!
The venue was shocked!
All the big guys slapped their foreheads and suddenly realized.
Yes, why did you forget that man?
Although he went to Asia, his influence has not faded at all.
As long as he opens his mouth, things will definitely turn around.
The relationship between Professor Planck and Bruce is known to all the big guys present.
After hearing this, Thomson sighed in his heart. In fact, he had thought of it, but he did not take the initiative to propose it.
Because those are his students, even the best students.
If this thing doesn't succeed in the end, the blow to Bruce's reputation will be huge.
Thomson didn't want to gamble.
However, now that Rutherford has brought it up, there is no need to worry anymore.
In this situation, only Bruce can take action.
So, he said in a deep voice: "I'm here to contact Bruce and ask for his help."
——
When Li Qiwei read the telegram in his hand, he sighed softly .
From between the lines, he could feel Professor Thomson's helplessness.
Professor Thomson is such a defensive and strong person.
He would never trouble his students unless it was absolutely necessary.
Li Qiwei will always remember that the other party was extremely domineering and angrily scolded everyone at the management meeting of Cambridge University in order to protect himself from being expelled.
“Cavendish is not the turn of outsiders to judge!”
Now, it is Li Qiwei who is supporting the Cavendish lineage.
After all, Chadwick can be considered his nephew and disciple.
Ridgway hardly hesitated; he immediately began writing and sending it by telegram.
Two of them were written to Planck and Roentgen.
The prestige of these two men in the German scientific community is unmatched.
He knew that as long as he spoke, the two old men would never stand idly by.
Professor Planck, in particular, will definitely do his best to help him.
In addition, Nernst, Wien, Laue, Einstein and others, and Li Qiwei also requested individually one by one.
He has almost all the big guys he knows.
It is almost equivalent to mobilizing the entire German physics community.
In addition, all the big guys in other fields that he could know sent letters to each other.
Then he wrote another article called "A Letter to Scientists Around the World."
In this article, Li Qiwei uses sonorous and powerful language, full of sincere emotions, to describe the relationship between scientists and war.
His eyes are firm and he writes with spirit.
“From ancient bows and arrows to today’s machine guns and cannons, the weapons of war have undergone earth-shaking changes.”
“A significant trend is that as long as one side uses scientific knowledge, the other side No, then the result would be crushing.”
“More than twenty years ago, the British killed 5,000 people from a certain African tribe with a few hundred troops using machine guns. Cavalry.”
"This was completely unimaginable in the Middle Ages."
"It is not a war on the same level at all."
"I don't want to discuss who is right and who is wrong in the war."< br>
“Because in the eyes of our own people, it is always the enemy that is wrong.”
“What I want to discuss is, what role do scientists play in the evolution of this kind of war? ”
"There is no doubt that with the development of the times, the role of science and technology in war is decisive."
"Therefore, the role of scientists in supporting war cannot be ignored."
>"Their clever brains can improve weapons, increase power and accuracy, and even create more powerful weapons."
"Physicists can create more sophisticated long-range weapons."
"Chemistry Home can make more powerful explosives.”
“Biologists can even create weird and unpredictable virus weapons.”
“In my opinion, if a scientist wants to go crazy, then he has a high probability of causing a devastating blow to mankind. "
"I'm not being alarmist, but this is the truth."
"If I want, I can destroy the whole world."
"But from ancient times to the present, why. Have we ever seen such a mad scientist?”
"I think there is only one reason."
"That is that the development of science is not enough."
"In the 18th century, the power generated by steam was the greatest power that humans could control."
“But compared with the current new gunpowder, its power is not worth mentioning.”
“Similarly, the new gunpowder may be viewed in the future just like how we view bows and arrows now. The power is the same.”
"Now that the war in Europe has begun, I know that many scientists are secretly developing new weapons."
"I understand this. After all, scientists have their own homeland."
" From a certain perspective, scientists are just another type of soldier. "It is natural for soldiers to fight for their country. No one can blame them."
"But!"
"Everything scientists create in war is meaningless to science itself."
"No matter how powerful the explosive is, its principle is chemical reaction."
"No matter how accurate the firearm is, its essence is the calculation of the trajectory."
"The scientific principles used in these weapons are at the simplest level in the scientific field."
" It’s like asking a doctor to calculate a problem for middle school students.”
"So, there are many scientists who are disgusted with war, and they are unwilling to get involved."
"They would rather study real science and truth."
"But this is not It means they are not patriotic."
"Such scientists cannot be treated as soldiers or hostile forces."
"It cannot be because they are scientists and have potential. Threaten them and imprison them.”
"If neutrality is not even allowed, then the probability of mad scientists appearing will be greatly increased."
"This is a consequence that no one or country can bear."
"Therefore, I I would like to call on governments around the world to treat neutral scientists with kindness and respect.”
“The truth they pursue is beneficial to the whole world and is equivalent to all countries.”
"Professor Eddington, during the war, he still risked his life to verify the general theory of relativity."
"This is such a pure spirit for science."
"The theory of relativity cannot create a single gun or a cannon, but it can create a bright future for physics and even affect the future of all mankind."< br>
“Finally, I would like to say something to my fellow scientists around the world.”
“Let us unite and make a common appeal.”
“War should be fought for pure truth Give in!”
"Finally, I sincerely invite all anti-war scientists around the world to welcome you to the City of Science."
"This is the pure land I created for science."
Boom!
On August 4, 1914, when Li Qiwei's "A Letter to Scientists Around the World" was published in "Nature", it instantly caused a global sensation.
Countless mainstream newspapers rushed to reprint it.
The haze brought about by the war made everyone breathless.
In this article, Li Qiwei is eloquent and every word is exquisite.
Although he did not explicitly oppose war, everyone can read the implicit thoughts in it.
As a scientist, he viewed the relationship between science and war rationally.
He did not sensationalize, encourage, or foolishly believe that scientists should not participate in war.
Instead, he elaborated on his views on the responsibilities of scientists in war from a unique perspective.
Especially the arguments about neutral scientists and war making concessions for truth have moved countless scientists.
It simply spoke to their hearts.
Although many people fight for their motherland, they really don't want to participate in the war.
This contradiction makes them very painful.
Li Qiwei's status as the first scientific person in the world, and the impact of his articles can be imagined.
Especially one of the lines: If I want, I can destroy the whole world.
It made countless people crazy.
Everyone seemed to see a domineering figure, overlooking the war on this planet from above.
The cold eyes of the huge figure are emotionless, but if you are careful, you can see the fleeting brilliance of humanity.
Almost as soon as they received Li Qiwei's letter for help, German scientists saw this article.
Everyone was shocked.
Planck stared at the article for ten minutes, his face flushed with excitement.
He murmured to himself:
"Bruce, the article is so well written."
"This time, even I will follow in your footsteps."
Then Planck made up his mind without hesitation.
He immediately organized and called on scientists in Germany to gather at the German Academy of Sciences.
He joined forces with Roentgen, Wien, Nernst and other big figures to jointly appeal to everyone to provide help to Eddington and others.
Soon, with the efforts of the German Academy of Sciences, a rescue work officially began.
This not only redeems Eddington, but also redeems general relativity.
The most important thing is, this is the salvation of truth!
(End of this chapter)