A Man of Science and Engineering in Troubled Times Wandering in the Late Qing Dynasty

Chapter 200 Michelson

Li Yu is now regarded as a top-notch figure in the scientific circle. This issue of "Science" has two articles, and his influence continues to rise.

Although the importance of the tidal locking of the moon is not that great, the public is very concerned about it. After all, this is the closest planet to the earth.

It even triggered a lot of discussion among the people.

Like later generations, everyone is guessing what is on the far side of the moon.

Many people guess that there will be a mysterious world, because the front can already be seen through a telescope, but they don't know what the back looks like.

It is also said that there are gods living there, which is a bit like Chang'e in Chinese myths.

Many pastors even say that the back of the moon is the place of the Lord.

All in all.

There have always been mystics in history, who like to fabricate some stories out of context and purely based on imagination.

Even in 2007, an American who claimed to have participated in the Apollo program also claimed that there were alien spacecraft on the back of the moon, and said some details in a serious manner:
During the Apollo 17 moon landing, American astronauts lost contact with the ground command for a period of time.He said that at this stage, the astronauts actually went to the back of the moon.

They discovered the remains of an alien spacecraft on the back of the moon. According to the detection, the alien spacecraft was 4000 meters long and 500 meters high. When they entered the interior of the spacecraft, something even more shocking happened.The entire interior of the spacecraft was covered with a layer of yellow viscous liquid. In the cockpit, the astronauts found two humanoid corpses, one of which had suffered some kind of impact and was already disfigured; but the other corpse was well preserved and had long hair. , the astronauts judged that she should be a woman.

The mouth, nose, and eyes of this female corpse are connected by mysterious substances, and based on the thickness of the moon dust on her body, this female corpse has existed on the back of the moon for at least hundreds of millions of years.

He also said that after the astronauts took a closer look, they were surprised to find that the appearance of the female corpse was similar to that of a human on Earth, but there was an eye between her eyebrows.What's more, what's creepy is that the female corpse still has a behavior similar to "breathing", as if she is not completely dead.He guessed that this three-eyed female corpse might be in a dormant state, between life and death, and it needs a certain degree or some kind of power to wake it up.

The astronauts planned to transport the female corpse back to the earth, but after the astronauts moved the female corpse out of the spaceship, the female corpse "withered" at a speed visible to the naked eye. The "breathing" action is also gone.

The American even posted a video on the Internet, the content is that in the lunar module, the astronauts dissected the three-eyed female corpse.Looks like Mayans or Mongols.

Since then, there have been many comments on the Internet about this video.

But soon, everyone discovered that the female corpse was made by a prop master, and it cost more than 60 US dollars, so it could be lifelike.Originally, it was intended to be used for marketing to swindle money, but instead of being too popular, it was quickly exposed mercilessly.

At this time, people's imagination is not as good as 100 years later, but it is estimated that in a short time, some science fiction writers will start to create science fiction through the mysterious back of the moon.

In fact, there are also some later, for example, some movies also set that the back of the moon is actually Hitler's counterattack base.

Li Yu just smiled and refused to comment on this, let's discuss it.

The influence of this article on radio and triode is extraordinary. This thing is truly epoch-making.

Not only the scientific community, but even the political and business circles attach great importance to this.

Needless to say, the most important thing is that Li Yu received an invitation from President Theodore Roosevelt to attend the White House dinner.

The dinner held by Theodore Roosevelt was a dinner about science, with Li Yu as the core figure, and many other scientific celebrities were also invited.

This is a very honorable thing.

The White House dinner is known as the top dinner in the United States, and it is also the dinner that people want to attend the most, and it is the dinner that the least people have the opportunity to attend.

The etiquette chief of the White House once said: "If you want to refuse an invitation to the White House dinner, there can only be four reasons: one is a death in the family; Other than that, you are not allowed to miss the dinner for any reason whatsoever."

Before 1902, the White House dinner was basically only a place for a very small number of high-level politicians to communicate.

But Theodore Roosevelt set a precedent. From now on, the White House dinner can also receive celebrities.

Jackie Chan was invited to the White House dinner.

However, the number of people who can be invited is still very small.

Li Yu has no reason to refuse such an honor, and it can also improve his social status outside the scientific community.The key is to hear that the president will announce something very friendly to them.

Tesla was also invited, but when he heard that Edison would also participate, Tesla refused...

With no other choice, Li Yu had no choice but to leave for Washington by himself.

Li Yu didn't know much about Western etiquette, and of course, neither did Qing court etiquette.

Fortunately, Sierra has received relevant training and explained it to Li Yu.

"I really didn't expect that you would be invited to the most grand dinner in the United States." Sierra said rather surprised.

Li Yu said with a smile: "Many scientific celebrities are going, and I happen to know each other."

"I heard that the president of Harvard University and the director of the observatory will also be present," Sierra said. "It depends on the astronomical data you use from Harvard University."

Not every university president can be invited to participate, otherwise the White House will have a dinner every day.

Sierra was born at Harvard, which is quite proud to say.

This is the second time for Li Yu to enter the White House, but the treatment is obviously much better than the last time.

When he arrived on the lawn in front of the White House, Li Yu found not only Edison, President of Harvard University Eliot, Director of the Observatory Pickering, but also a heavyweight - Michelson.

His name is often associated with the Michelson-Morley experiment, and he is definitely a well-known figure.

What's more, this experiment proved that the speed of light is constant and denied the ether, thus shaking classical physics and becoming one of the "two dark clouds" in physics at the beginning of the [-]th century.

——This is the foundation of the theory of relativity.

In a few years, Michelson would win the Nobel Prize in Physics, becoming the first American to do so.

Li Yu respected him very much, stepped forward to shake hands with him, and said, "Mr. Michelson, I've seen you for a long time!"

Michelson was at this time the chair of the Department of Physics at the University of Chicago and its first director; he was also the president of the American Physical Society.

Michelson said: "Young man, I have also heard your name for a long time. Lord Kelvin has a very high opinion of you."

Lord Kelvin was very supportive of Michelson and Morley's experiments at the time.This kind of experiment is quite rebellious. After all, it cannot be explained by classical physics, so the encouragement from the authority is very meaningful.

Li Yu's thesis on the correct derivation of the black body radiation formula is also aimed at "two dark clouds". He and Michelson have a peculiar style of painting together.

Li Yu also said hello to President Eliot of Harvard University and Pickering, Director of the Observatory.

Elliott, President of Harvard University, said: "Your astronomy papers are very wonderful, and the data of the observatory were cited several times in the papers, which really made our school famous."

Speaking of it, it was Eliot who made Harvard University a research university in the modern sense, and his contribution to Harvard was very great.

Li Yu said: "I don't need to bless your school's reputation. It should be said that the data from the Harvard University Observatory is indispensable for my thesis."

Pickering, director of the observatory, said: "No wonder the Chinese are said to be humble. But without you, these observations would be like the data in the hands of Tycho, useless. Only the birth of Kepler gave them Life. You are to the Harvard Observatory data what Kepler is to you."

Li Yu said, "Director Pickering is really overrated."

Edison, on the other hand, was more interested in Li Yu's several patents. He said with a little pride: "If I hadn't discovered the 'Edison Effect', I'm afraid your electronic tube patent would not have been completed."

Li Yu said with a smile: "That's true, science, it's always improving little by little."

After all the personnel arrived, President Theodore Roosevelt and his wife invited several people to the oval yellow hall upstairs to have a family cocktail reception before the dinner.

Theodore Roosevelt raised his glass and said: "Anyone with knowledge understands that the development of the world today is inseparable from the progress of science. It is the progress of science that promotes industry, navigation, commerce, and medical care. I I know that it is your efforts that make this world a better place, so your presence will also add color to the White House. Please also taste the cocktails that I personally participated in brewing to show my respect."

A cocktail party is not as solemn as a formal dinner for a while.

Michelson walked up to Li Yu and said, "Based on my understanding of physics, I don't know what to think of the speed of light experiment I did. Some people always say that there are some loopholes."

Li Yu said: "I think the loophole is definitely not in the professor's experiment, but in theory."

Michelson asked: "So you also think that there are incompleteness in the existing physical theory?"

Li Yu nodded: "It's quite incomplete, or in other words, physics will have a new beginning."

Eliot, president of Harvard University, said: "You say that, but it is shocking."

"In fact, I think the development of physics will continue to shock the world, even though many people don't even believe in atoms." Li Yu said.

Dean Pickering said: "You're astonishing physics right now."

"That's right," said Principal Elliott. "Your writings and papers have been circulated on campuses across the United States, and almost every one of them is outstanding."

Pickering added: "The astronomy article you published in "Science" made my assistants in the observatory extremely excited, and their enthusiasm for work is now much higher. Especially Ms. LeWitt, who has always been unknown before, I put my heart and soul into the data analysis.”

Principal Elliot joked: "I really envy your observatory, which has so many female researchers."

(End of this chapter)