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

Chapter 266 Another Big Move
The sales of the Star Wars series in Europe are really good, and now there are traffic blessings from female authors, which is even more out of control.

In view of the slander of some newspapers and book reviewers, many supporters soon came out to support Li Yu.

Colette is soft-spoken, and she is not the author of several best-selling books, so not many people know her name at this time.But many celebrities in the literary circle resolutely stood up.

For example, the great writer Romain Rolland, although the masterpiece "John Christopher" has not yet come out at this time, but the first part of his celebrity trilogy has been published, and he can be said to be somewhat famous in the Paris literary circle.

Romain Rolland wrote in the newspaper: "It is a pity to see so many readers annoyed by the name of an author who is from the East and is a woman. People's memories are so short, they must have forgotten that hundreds of years ago Yearning for the East while holding Marco Polo's travel notes.

"If the quality of a novel is determined by the author's male or female identity, then you can immediately take out all the "Jane Eyre" in the bookstore and throw them away, because it is written by a British female author under the guise of a man's name. Come out. That way the Brits across the channel can just laugh at us more freely.

"I think you must appreciate the British jeers very much.

"As for the grotesque imagination, especially the part involving science, I wonder if some people should really learn about mathematics and physics while enjoying the convenience of science, and don't throw out your ignorance confidently. "

Romain Rolland said it quite sharply. After all, he himself is a critical realist writer, and his writing style is absolutely top-notch.

Not only him, but another writer named Jose Echegaray also came out to support Li Yu.

He happened to be living in Paris at this time, and he would win the Nobel Prize for Literature next year.

This person is very interesting. He was a professor of mathematics and civil engineering in the first half of his life. Later, he switched careers and started writing, and won a prize. He can be regarded as a successful cross-border writer.

Jose wrote: "As a senior who has been a mathematics professor for many years, although there are many advanced imaginations in the Star Wars series, his logic is not flawed at all, and there are even many inspiring plots. .

"And I would also like to say that it is because of the female author who signed it at the same time that I like it even more. As for those poor critics, they may criticize it with their mouths, and they may also like it in private."

Similar debates continued on the streets of Paris. The French Academy of Letters had no choice but to take back its promise, so it revised the letter to Li Yu again, expressing that both of them could accept the literary medal from the Academy of Letters.

Li Yu didn't value this, but for Lu Bicheng, it was a great encouragement.

When they returned to Berlin and saw the official letter, Lu Bicheng was so excited.

"My God! The medal of the French Academy! What an honor!"

Li Yu knew in his heart that it was no big deal. Art was not good at all, but when it came to literature alone, China was not bad at all.

And this award is not an orthodox literary award like the Goncourt Prize.

But he was still happy for Lu Bicheng: "Now the center of European literature is in France. It's really not easy for them to give awards happily."

Even if it is just a regular small award, given the infinite admiration for foreigners in China now, it would be a big deal to take it back with sincerity.

Moreover, at present, Chinese people are more capable of introducing literature. Few people know about the Nobel Prize when they go back.

Lu Bicheng immediately said: "It's a pity that I'm not good at translation, otherwise I really want to translate my poems and publish them."

Li Yu smiled and said, "Have you ever read European poetry? If you have, you will give up this idea."

Lu Bicheng asked, "Why?"

"Because in terms of the level of condensed language, they are far behind. Therefore, the beauty of classical Chinese can only be understood by Chinese people."

Lu Bicheng regretted: "It's a pity."

Li Yu said, "But I can take this opportunity to go to Paris."

Lu Bicheng has high expectations for Paris: "When will we leave?"

Li Yu said: "I still have some experiments and papers that need to be completed ahead of schedule."

Anyway, I'm not in a hurry, Lu Bicheng said, "Then I just need to continue to do more homework."

Since the last single-photon experiment did not attract enough attention, Karl Siemens very much hoped that Li Yu could continue to make an even more sensational experiment.

When he learned that Li Yu was going to do X-ray related experiments, Karl Siemens immediately expressed his support, which was a big trend.

What's more important is that the experiment directly points to the essence of X-rays. If it can be done successfully, it will be an instant hit. No, now it's the second shot, scoring twice?

Karl Siemens then published again in the "Physical Yearbook" the article that Li Yu was going to do X-ray diffraction experiment and wanted to prove the nature of X-ray electromagnetic waves.

At the University of Munich at this time, Roentgen had just finished his morning work, and when the students handed him the current issue of the magazine, they were also very surprised.

The student said: "Professor, this Li Yu seems to be going to do something terrible again. He claimed that X-rays are electromagnetic waves before, and now he wants to produce experimental evidence."

Roentgen washed his hands, took the magazine and looked at it, and then said: "There is nothing wrong with the train of thought, but the difficulty is really not small."

The student went on to say: "I remember the professor said in the class before that the X-rays are probably particles."

As the discoverer of X-rays, Roentgen's speech on this aspect is quite weighty.

Roentgen said: "It's just speculation. But I did find that when X-rays travel from air to water or glass, they are neither deflected nor reflected, but go straight through. The interaction between it and matter , like a bullet going straight through the object. That's why I thought they were a kind of particle, but I didn't have any real proof."

The student asked, "Do you think he will succeed?"

Rontgen thought for a while and said, "It's hard to say. Even if X-rays are really waves, I think they can only be longitudinal waves similar to sound waves. But electromagnetic waves are exactly transverse waves, so I can't imagine how he can prove it through experiments."

A longitudinal wave is a wave in which the direction of vibration is consistent with the direction of propagation, such as the spring wave introduced in junior high school physics.

On the other hand, Thomson, the discoverer of electrons and the current director of the Cavendish Laboratory at the University of Cambridge, also discussed Li Yu's experiments with Lord Kelvin.

"I remember you saying that X-rays are probably particles," said Lord Kelvin.

Thomson said with a smile: "Mr. Lord, I know you are on Li Yu's side, but I have to say that this experiment is very difficult to do."

Lord Kelvin said, "How can you be so sure?"

Thomson found a small blackboard, and said while drawing: "If X-rays have fluctuations like visible light, then when it is projected on very small objects, such as small holes and gratings, the shadow boundary at the image will be inside and outside. , it is possible to observe light and dark stripes."

Lord Kelvin said: "Isn't this just diffraction fringes, and isn't the volatility a perfect proof?"

"It's not that simple, because it's hard to find gratings that small," Thomson continued.

"I remember Li Yu said that crystals can be used." Lord Kelvin said.

"This is where the difficulty lies!" Thomson said, "There are not many people who understand crystallography, and most of those who understand crystallography are researchers in mathematics, and almost none of these people understand physics at the same time. Since we want to use When the crystal is diffracted, you have to face countless neat gaps in the crystal structure, and the superposition results of so many gaps cannot be calculated at all.”

Lord Kelvin suddenly said: "I didn't expect this experiment to have such high requirements for mathematical foundation."

Thomson is a master of experiments, nodded and said: "The most difficult thing is the mathematical derivation first, otherwise the experiment is meaningless."

Lord Kelvin took a puff on his cigar and said, "In this way, I am more confident. In terms of mathematics level, Li Yu is probably the best in today's physics world."

"Even so, the challenge was a bit too great, and he even skipped polarization and opted for a more straightforward experiment with diffraction," Thomson said.

Lord Kelvin shook his head: "Polarization tests are not direct evidence. To do it, you have to do something absolute."

Thomson spread his hands: "Then we can only wait and see. If it can be done, the most important physics prize among the Nobel Prizes will be in his pocket."

in the Berlin laboratory.

Li Yu is working hard on the experiment. Of course he is aware of these difficulties, but he happens to know the key equations and can deal with the diffraction relationship between crystal structure and X-rays.

This is the so-called Bragg equation. After that, the Bragg father and son will also win the Nobel Prize for their discovery of X-ray scattering.

——As I said before, X-rays are really popular in the physics world at this time. If you discover its properties and give experimental results, you can win the Nobel Prize.

With this equation, the difficulty of the test was instantly reduced, and it took more than a week to obtain the key diffraction pattern on the zinc sulfide test paper.

The earliest diffraction pattern in history was copper sulfide test paper, but the image was very blurry, so Li Yu directly used the most correct method.

When this image was sent out together with the paper, the entire European physics community exploded.

The biggest one is the Swedish Nobel Prize jury. When they saw this issue of "Physical Yearbook", they all looked at each other in blank dismay:

"If I knew it earlier, I would use this result to nominate the Nobel Prize."

"Forget it, there is just time for other laboratories to verify it. If it is correct, it doesn't matter if he is awarded another award later."

The crystal structure that bears the brunt of borrowing in the paper is still the atomic theory.

Boltzmann in Vienna admired it very much: "When the atomic theory collides with X-rays, what bursts out is the dazzling light that makes the entire physics community feel dazzling!"

Ma He and others who opposed the atomic theory were at a loss for words, so they could only hurry up and repeat the experiment with Li Yu's method to see if it was the same image.

But no matter what they do, it won't have any effect on the result.

Lord Kelvin was overjoyed, and immediately ran to Cambridge University, "I'll just say it!"

Thomson is fiddling with the instrument: "I can't believe it. I'm preparing to replicate an experiment in the laboratory. There is nothing more exciting than seeing such a beautiful image."

And Planck, who is also in Berlin, has been busy teaching students recently. When he returned to the laboratory, he found that Li Yu had made such a big move again.

"I said, little brother Li Yu, do you want the entire physics community to feel the earthquake?"

Li Yu smiled and said, "Not at all."

Planck took off his glasses, "This is not a trivial matter. Now everyone wants to know what X-rays are. I didn't expect you to do it first when you were young. The unknown will no longer be unknown in the future."

"It's just the beginning, and there's more to do in the future." Li Yu said.

"Of course there are more, but I feel that you will get more honors," Planck said, "At least it will be done in Berlin, and you will be given a medal from the Prussian Academy of Sciences. It is even possible that we will become Colleagues from the Academy of Sciences."

Li Yu said, "You mean?"

"Of course it is to become an academician of the Prussian Academy of Sciences!" Planck said, and then stretched out his fingers to continue to calculate, "As for the French Academy of Sciences and the St. Petersburg Academy of Sciences, I think it is also possible."

Sure enough, the status of X-rays is really high.

Carl Siemens came to the laboratory with great interest, and said to Li Yu: "Sure enough, I saw you right!" Then he asked Planck, "What are you doing?"

Planck stretched out his right hand: "I'm wondering how many awards and academicians Li Yu can get."

Honors did come like snowflakes. The Prussian Academy of Sciences quickly granted Li Yu the status of academician, and the St. Petersburg Academy of Sciences also decided to grant him an academician status after repeated proposals by Markov and others.

With so many famous names all of a sudden, Li Yu was a little confused.

As for France, Li Yu was directly invited to the Louvre in Paris, where he was to be awarded both a science medal and a literary medal.

The Prussian Academy of Sciences was the first to hold a ceremony to confer academician status on Li Yu, and held a grand dinner.

Unexpectedly, Hilbert, Minkowski, Roentgen and others all attended the dinner.

The face is really enough.

Together with Planck, it would be great if these people took a photo together.

Hilbert found Li Yu and said, "You've been in Germany for so long, and I've been waiting around in Göttingen, so I just came to congratulate you in person."

Li Yu smiled and said, "I'm really sorry, but I'm planning to visit you at the University of Göttingen in a while."

"It's a great honor to invite the most well-known mathematics, physics, and astronomers." Minkowski said.

Li Yu hurriedly said: "The professor is serious!"

Roentgen said: "Why not stay in Germany in the future? University of Berlin, University of Munich, University of Göttingen, you can choose any university to be a professor."

Li Yu said, "At present, I have no such plan."

"Then you still want to go back to China?" Hilbert asked.

"Yes," Li Yu said, "I'll be out for a long time, and I'll go to Paris and London to meet some old friends, and then I should go back to China."

Li Yu really had to hurry up, otherwise he would not be able to get on the Trans-Siberian Railway.

"We respect your decision and Germany will always welcome you," Hilbert said.

(End of this chapter)