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

Chapter 37 New Papers

After finishing his troubles, Li Yu came to Tongwen Museum, planning to ask Weiliang Ding to buy some science books.He had already finished reading the books in the library of Tongwen Library, so there was really nothing new to eat.

Martin was happy to help: "What kind of books do you want?"

"Whatever, as long as it's the most cutting-edge. It's also best to buy some magazines about technology. British, American, German, the more the better."

"It's a simple matter. I'm also thinking about buying more books for the opening of the Imperial University. As an excellent university, how can the library have a small collection of books. I have already handed over a book list to the Minister of Management. , many are already on the way, just add some more.”

"Great!"

This time, Li Yu could save a lot of money. After all, buying foreign language books was really expensive for him at that time. An original English book would cost five or six taels of silver when it traveled across the ocean and came to China.If he bought twenty or thirty copies, he could declare bankruptcy.

"One more thing. The Royal Society of England sent a formal invitation letter today, and the name on the letterhead is looking for you."

Martin took out a telegram from the table, "The signature is President Huggins."

Li Yu looked at the telegram, and his language was quite polite, which was the most popular British gentleman style at that time.

In fact, in the past few days, Li Yu has been thinking about what kind of manuscript he should submit to them. After thinking about it, he feels that it is better to start with thermodynamics.

Thermodynamics is also a hot topic now. Lord Kelvin is most famous for his achievements in thermodynamics. After all, the unit of temperature in thermodynamics is Kelvin.

Planck also studied thermodynamics at the beginning, and even his doctoral dissertation was called "On the Second Law of Thermodynamics".

At that time, universities in Europe and the United States, as long as they taught physics courses, would definitely focus on thermodynamics, and the evaluation of the school and the level of professors would also focus on this field.

Moreover, during the upsurge of the second industrial revolution, the research on energy is in full swing, and various heat engines emerge in endlessly.

Back at his residence, Li Yu sat down at the table again.

Thermodynamics is a big topic. As usual, he listed several directions on the paper, and suddenly he had a flash of inspiration: Why don't he just write the second law of thermodynamics!
Although as early as half a century ago, the law was formulated by Lord Kelvin and Clausius respectively.And soon Clausius also creatively put forward a third expression, which is the famous principle of entropy increase, that is, everything will develop towards chaos. "Entropy" means chaos, and entropy increase means chaos increase.

But the theory at that time was still only in the macroscopic field, or in other words, it was only limited to the field of thermodynamics.

However, modern people have long understood that the principle of entropy increase can be called one of the ultimate laws of the universe.

He can fully expand the principle of entropy increase. Just five years ago (1897), John Thomson had discovered electrons, and the scientific community finally began to truly establish cognition of the microscopic field.

Li Yu intends to directly extend the principle of entropy increase to the microcosm. Not only that, he also boldly introduces the principle of entropy increase into the biological field, and even the information theory that has just emerged due to the telegraph and telephone.

In fact, this work was not started by Schrödinger until 40 years later, and Schrödinger only introduced the principle of entropy increase into biology.It was later development that slowly refreshed the greatness of the principle of entropy increase.

Li Yu not only gave the above theories, but also made mathematical derivations, which is his strong point.Anyway, scientists at the time had reached a consensus on the second law of thermodynamics, and what was missing was extension and development.

At this time, Li Yu also deeply felt the power of the calculator he inexplicably brought with him when he traveled through time: the calculation is really too fast!
Although it is just a small calculator, everyone has it nowadays, and the price is not expensive, but this thing is the real crystallization of modern technology!Because there is a chip in it, although it is only a very rudimentary chip.But what is a chip, it is an integrated circuit!A proper product of the third technological revolution.

Almost half a century later, the world's first computer, a behemoth that took up several rooms, was nothing more than a vacuum tube structure, and integrated circuits did not appear until the late 60s.

Of course, it can only do calculations to save time, but for scientific research, it is already a time-killer, not only fast, but also accurate.

It took Li Yu a whole day to write the first draft, check it in detail, and prepare to transcribe it and send it out the next day.

In fact, he could finish transcribing tonight, but it is really difficult for people who are used to electric lights to get used to the faint candlelight.

He has cherished his eyesight since he was a child. As a person who has studied for nearly 20 years, it is a small miracle that he is not short-sighted.

Fortunately, after there is no electric light network, I have the habit of going to bed early and getting up early every day, which is really healthy!

Li Yu was just about to go to bed, when there was a knock on the door, he wondered in his heart, after living in for two days, there are people stopping by?The neighbors are so hospitable!

Li Yu opened the door, and there was a middle-aged man standing outside, and a small sedan chair behind him.

"you are?"

The middle-aged man said: "Excuse me, we live next door. When the master returned home and saw that there were people living in this house, he was curious to ask."

——It's no wonder people are curious, who has the guts to live in a house where more than a dozen people died in this day and age!
"It's okay, it's okay, I'm next to Li Yu, and I need to take care of my neighbors in the future." Li Yu said politely.

"Li Yu?"

The person in the sedan chair exclaimed, opened the curtain and came down, "You are Li Yu, but Li Yu from Prince Qing's mansion?"

The middle-aged man who knocked on the door hastily added: "This is my master, a scholar of the Wenhua Palace, and the chief minister of military aircraft, Rong Zhongtang."

It turned out to be Rong Lu!I almost forgot that he lives in Dongchang Hutong.

Li Yu quickly replied: "I have seen Rong Zhongtang, and I am Li Yu who is in Prince Qing's residence."

Rong Lu laughed loudly: "Seeing is better than hearing a hundred times. Recently, Prince Qing has been pulling me to teach me Western learning. I'm not happy if I don't listen to him. I found out later that his family invited a man called I finally met Li Yu's expert in western learning today."

Li Yu also said with a smile: "Prince Qing is still very concerned about Western learning."

"Isn't it? He is imitating the example, and he still made the queen mother very angry today!"

"The queen mother?"

Rong Lu laughed a few more times: "It's interesting to think about it, but he insisted that the Queen Mother was transformed from a monkey, haha! Do you think it's funny?"

"Ah!?" Li Yu's jaw almost dropped from shock.

The butler next to him couldn't help laughing out, "Your Highness is joking, right?"

Rong Lu said: "It's not a joke. He argued hard there, and the Queen Mother was so angry that he kicked him out."

"This……"

Li Yu really didn't know what to say, this prince could be an old urchin!If you dare to say that the Empress Dowager was transformed from a monkey after learning a little bit, at least you should understand the theory of evolution first!
This is the end of the calf, if the queen mother knows that she said it, it will be a bad dish!

(End of this chapter)