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

The stage play was well done.

Kang Youwei in the audience was amazed: "Western drama and dance can be said to have sprouted (started) in China. The two also have many similarities in body language and customs. Therefore, I would like to appeal to domestic drama and dance to learn from Westerners."

Li Yu was a little irritated by this xenophobic remark, but before he could refute, Bernard Shaw actually objected first: "Mr. Kang, in fact, I would like to say that operas in your country are more expressive and have many merits. After all, dance comes from life and from the local. There can be exchanges between China and the West. If we talk about learning, we should talk about learning from each other."

After the performance, before leaving, Bruce, the vice-principal of Oxford, gave Kang Youwei and Li Yu a commemorative pocket watch each.

The pocket watch looked high-quality at first glance, and the price was much higher than what Li Yu bought in Sweden before.

The things made in Europe are indeed remarkable in terms of exquisiteness.

Kang Youwei exclaimed: "British utensils are exquisite, but domestic utensils are very humble. The days are not as good as the past, the days are not as good as the past!"

Bernard Shaw wondered: "Among the best luxury goods in Europe, many of them use porcelain, tea and silk from China. How can they not be exquisite?"

Kang Youwei said: "If it is Tang, Song and Ming utensils, there are many exquisite ones. But in the Qing Dynasty, it is hard to find. Just like actors on the stage, many literati in the late Ming Dynasty could keep actors and musicians, but now, how can you still see an actor in a family of literati? To use a word I learned recently, there is a huge gap between rich and poor."

Unexpectedly, he also read Marx, and the "gap between rich and poor" was mentioned. Li Yu thought that he could extend his thinking like Liang Qichao, but he didn't expect Kang Youwei to say: "Exquisite utensils must cost countless unnecessary resources to make. After they are completed, there must be rich people who love to play with good things. They will spare no expense to buy them, so that the manufacturers can benefit and continue to compete for production. But now that the country is so poor, how can we create exquisite things?"

Li Yu almost fell apart, this guy directly confuses luxury goods with industrial products.

Luxury goods are indeed the toys of the rich, but he may not have been in the palace a few times, and he does not know that any country actually has many exquisite artifacts.Later generations of African chiefs can drive Rolls Royce.There are countless good things in the Forbidden City.

Li Yu reminded: "Mr. Nanhai, you really should read some science and technology books, even if they are popular science articles, otherwise it is really not good to say the wrong thing on this occasion."

Kang Youwei snorted: "The eyes of a mouse don't understand the truth."

Luo Chang pulled Kang Youwei a little, and said in a low voice, "Nowadays, the whole of Europe and the United States respect Li Yu so much, Master, you should not say that about him."

Kang Youwei's face changed a little, but he quickly calmed down and said, "He just wants to suppress this old man in terms of reputation, so that he can secure his title of 'Emperor Master', and then use small businesses to earn ill-gotten gains. Have you forgotten the fight between Weng Tonghe and Li Zhongtang back then?"

Luo Chang opened his mouth, not daring to continue speaking.

However, Kang Youwei also knew that in Western universities, he would definitely not be able to argue with Li Yu, so he said to Luo Chang and his daughter Kang Tongbi: "Let's go, and we have to study and travel in various European countries."

Li Yu was quite speechless. Kang Youwei still looked down on industry and commerce in his words, but he didn't think there was anything wrong with his fundraising.

What brain circuit.

Li Yu needed to go back to Cambridge, and Rutherford had already completed the electroscope.

Then Li Yu and Owen Richardson took a hot air balloon for a test and recorded the changes at different heights.

The starting altitude is relatively low, within 1000 meters from the ground, the amount of radiation is indeed getting less and less.

Lu Bicheng was so enthusiastic that she even wanted to go to the sky to see it together. She also thought it was very interesting to ride a hot air balloon.

Li Yu looked at the preliminary experimental data, and found the director of the Cavendish Laboratory, Thomson, to ask again: "Mr. Director, may I ask Professor Wilson of your school to be free recently?"

Thomson said: "Dr. Wilson you are talking about? He is not a professor yet. He has been in my laboratory for a few years before and has a good relationship with Rutherford and the others. Do you have something to do with him?"

Li Yu said: "An invention of Dr. Wilson is very meaningful, and I want to borrow it from him."

Thomson said: "Yes, but he is not my subordinate now. Wilson became a physics lecturer a few years ago, and he should be in the physics department now, and he should be teaching at this time."

Li Yu said, "Thank you Director, I'll go find him now."

Nowadays, there are definitely not as many students in universities as later generations. Li Yu saw Wilson in class outside the classroom, and he was talking on stage:

"Energy transfer, through work, through heat, energy changes."

Wilson then wrote down several integral equations, and continued: "They come in and out of the systems that regulate our lives, and these systems interact to find a balance. An ice cube will melt in a hot room, and the energy transfer in this process increases the entropy. This process, like other natural processes, is irreversible."

However, the Cambridge students seemed to be difficult to deal with, and soon one student raised his hand.

Wilson said, "What do you want to say, Eddington?"

Li Yu was startled outside the house, well, Eddington, this man later became very famous in astronomy.But he is most famous for one of his famous quotes.

At that time, Einstein had already published a more complicated general theory of relativity, and Eddington was a die-hard fan, preaching relativity everywhere.

Once a reporter asked Eddington: "Listen to you, there are only three people in this world who really understand the theory of relativity?"

Eddington thought for a while and said, "I'm wondering who the third person is."

This joke has been widely circulated, and Li Yu heard it when he was a child, and it was also deeply influenced: a newborn calf is not afraid of tigers, so he wants to know if it is really so difficult!

It is one of the reasons why Li Yu chose physics back then.

Back in class now, Eddington said, "If heat is the result of molecular motion, and Newton's laws of motion are reversible, how do you explain what you just said about 'irreversibility'?"

Eddington's question was quite sharp at this time, and Li Yu took the time to watch Wilson's answer outside.

Wilson was unhurried: "Although there are already some obvious signs of the existence of molecules, I want to say that this is a classroom, and I can only teach you what you know. As for how to explore in the future, it is up to you."

Eddington said: "Then when will you allow us to do the experiments mentioned in Mr. Li Yu's paper?"

Wilson said: "This experiment has a premise, that is, it must be 100% confirmed that the molecule exists. This is the experimental idea to eliminate interference."

At this time, another student raised his hand.

Wilson said, "Mr. Barkla, what's your question?"

Hey guys, it's Charles Barkla again, winner of the 1917 Nobel Prize in Physics.

As mentioned earlier, Rutherford came to Cambridge with a scholarship, and Barkla was also the recipient of this scholarship.

He also went to study at the University of Liverpool two years ago, and now he is back at Cambridge.

This class is really a bit exciting.

Barkla said: "From a kinematic point of view, Newton's laws of motion are reversible, just like I spill a box of pencils from the pencil box to the ground, they will not spontaneously return to the box, but from a mathematical point of view, it can be done."

"Oh!" Wilson felt dizzy. These students' thinking was too jumpy. "If your question can be researched, I think it will be a good graduation thesis. But I don't know how to answer you now."

A few people were chatting and chatting, and it was time for get out of class to end.

Early European universities were sometimes very much like chat rooms.

Professors also like to sit with students to discuss issues. This is a tradition: in the past, paper and sheepskins were extremely scarce in Europe, so there were very few books. In a class, only the lecturer may have a book in his hand, so everyone can only listen and discuss around the lecturer.

Eddington and Baccarat were still pestering Wilson. When they walked out of the classroom, they suddenly saw Li Yu standing by the window.

Bakla was the first to recognize it: "You are Academician Li Yu?! My God!"

Wilson knew that Li Yu was in Cambridge, but he didn't expect him to come to the teaching area. "It's a great honor to meet Mr. Academician."

Li Yu said with a smile, "You take the liberty to interrupt me."

Wilson said: "It happens that you are here, and I have been unable to answer their questions. I wonder if Mr. Academician can help me with this."

Li Yu said to Barkla: "Mr. Barkla, you may be grateful for the development of these years, otherwise this method of introducing probability theory into physics will attract many people's opposition. Mr. Maxwell received a lot of criticism back then."

Barkla said: "I read your account of the second law of thermodynamics, entropy increase, isn't it true? I remember you used a lot of mathematical derivation, which is very wonderful."

Li Yu said: "According to the theory of probability, not only pencils can return to the pencil case by themselves, but even a pile of sand can automatically turn into a castle, steel can automatically turn into a train, ink spilled on paper can even finish homework automatically, but due to the principle of entropy increase, this is impossible.

Because this is from disorder to order, that is, entropy decreases.

Mathematics is closely related to physics, but the difference cannot be ignored. After all, for physics, physical meaning is very important. "

Bakla suddenly realized: "Thank you, Academician, for your clarification. I hope to study and work with you in the future."

Li Yu knew that Bakla was a person with great potential, so he said, "Of course. But you must get excellent in the academic examination."

Bakla immediately said: "I can definitely do it!"

Eddington was also shocked by Li Yu's achievements in astronomy: "Mr. Academician, I have also read almost all of your articles. I found that your articles not only indicate that mathematics and physics are closely related, but also imply that astronomy and physics are inseparable from each other."

Li Yu said with a smile: "Your insight is very in place, which is appreciated."

Wilson said on the side: "Mr. Academician is very good at teaching. With your comments, I think they will be very encouraged."

"Whatever it has to do with me is the result of their own efforts." Li Yu said.

"Mr. Academician is indeed as rumored, full of oriental virtues of humility," Wilson said, "By the way, are you going to find Director Thomson? The laboratory is not in this direction."

Li Yu said, "It's okay, I'm here to find you, about your experimental device."

Wilson asked, "The cloud chamber?"

Li Yu nodded: "That's right."

"Follow me, please," Wilson said.

In Wilson's office, there is an early form of the cloud chamber. Although it is a bit crude, it has been opened up in principle.

Li Yu looked at it and said, "If you can take pictures, it will be more useful."

Wilson said: "You mean, like those astronomical telescopes at the Greenwich Observatory, they can not only observe, but also take pictures?"

"Yes," Li Yu said, "microscopic things need more photos."

Wilson pondered for a while: "I have always regarded it as an instrument for exploring X-rays, and have not considered it too much."

Li Yu smiled and said, "Then you must think carefully about it."

Wilson agreed: "I can try it, but I need to discuss it with the principal and find someone to help you substitute."

Li Yu said: "I can't find anyone, I can help you!"

Wilson was also happy: "If the principal hears this sentence, he will definitely not be able to find someone else to take over."

As Wilson said, the dignified Cambridge University "suddenly" couldn't find anyone else to take a physics class.

No way, in order for Wilson to complete the improvement of the cloud room as soon as possible, Li Yu could only help him take the class.

Anyway, universities in this era, whether in Europe, America or China, are still relatively casual in class, without a special fixed teaching plan, and the professors and lecturers have a lot of room to play freely.

(At most, Germany may have introduced militarized management in some universities, which is quite special.)
Professors and lecturers sometimes even study their own topics in class and deduce very cutting-edge theories on the blackboard. As for whether anyone below can understand it, it doesn't matter...

Uh, it seems that this is also the case when Wei Shen teaches mathematics on the Internet?
In fact, in top universities, it is really not surprising, there is no need to ridicule others for their poor teaching skills.

So Li Yu can also talk casually at this time.

But this was great, and many students from other majors came over, so the classroom could only be turned into a seminar.

In the end, even the students of Eton College came to listen to Li Yu's speech.

Of the 250 graduates of Eton College each year, more than 70 can enter Oxford and Cambridge, and most of the others can also enter world famous universities.It is a typical "elite cradle" in the UK, and the prime minister alone has produced 20 schools.

Eton College has a long history, and its location is very impressive: the small town of Windsor.Windsor is the surname used by the British royal family since then.

Originally, the school hoped that children from poor families could also enter the school and serve as a preparatory school for Cambridge University.

Unexpectedly, because the noble children competed to enter Eton College as an honor, in the 17th century, Eton College became the most famous noble school in the UK, and the common people were once again out of reach.

In later generations, it directly became the best middle school recognized in the UK.

Li Yu thinks about future generations. It seems that no middle school in the country dares to stand up and say that it is the strongest in the country, and the most is the first.