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

Switzerland's ski resorts have not yet reached their peak period, and there are not many people.

Skiing in later generations is not cheap, and it is even more expensive at this time.

After all, Einstein is still very young, and because he is close to the water, he has such a good ski resort right in front of him, so he can't help but want to come to ski from time to time.

If you don't play difficult movements, it is not difficult to learn skiing. In addition, Li Yu has played skateboarding several times when he was young, so he can get started quickly.

They were skating well, and suddenly they saw an acquaintance—Ven.It is the one who proposed the Wien formula of black body radiation, and then Planck added "-1" to the denominator on the basis of his formula, and made up the correct black body radiation.

"Mr. Wayne, I actually saw you here." Li Yu greeted him.

"It turned out to be Mr. Li Yu," Wei En explained, "I have land in Bavaria and I often ski. I heard that the snow in Switzerland is better this year, so I came here specially."

Good guy, it turned out to be a big landlord.

Wien is well-known in the German technology circle, has a wide range of friends, and the most important thing is money. He often invites friends to go skiing in Bavaria or Switzerland.

At this time, there was a Dutchman accompanying him.

The Netherlands borders Germany, and the Netherlands is by the sea, so it is impossible to have skiing conditions, so it can only go inland.

In fact, before the First World War, it was the era of real scientific globalization. European scientists did not have much national concept at all. At most, there was a dispute between the United Kingdom and the European continent.

Later, the First World War was fought too badly, and the countries suffered too much loss, so they gradually forged enmity.

As for the world map of later generations, it was basically created through World War II. Since then, science, especially scientists, has really begun to have national boundaries.

At least at this time, Dutch scientists and German scientists are still playing very well.

Wayne introduced Li Yu: "This is Peter Zeeman from Amsterdam, the Netherlands, the Nobel Prize winner of the year before last."

Li Yu shook hands with him and said, "It's an honor to meet you!"

Peter Zeeman replied: "I am also very honored to meet you, because in a few months at most, I think you will become the next winner of the physics prize."

Peter Zeeman is Lorenz's assistant, and Lorenz's nomination of Li Yu is already a certainty in everyone's opinion.

Li Yu said with a smile, "Who can say what will happen in the future."

In fact, due to the short creation time of the early Nobel Prizes, there were indeed many "small problems" in the awarding. Sometimes it was awarded too early, and later there were more deserving awards; The reasons are obviously not enough; the most troublesome thing is to consider political factors and engage in checks and balances among major powers.

The typical example of being wrong about people is Einstein. He won the Nobel Prize because of the photoelectric effect, but what everyone knows is the theory of relativity. Few people know what the photoelectric effect is. Most people preconceived that he was based on the theory of relativity won the Nobel Prize.

The 1902 Nobel Prize in Physics was similar, because the explanation of the "Zeman effect" was awarded to Lorentz and Peter Zeeman.

In fact, the explanation of the so-called Zeeman effect is just a pretext, because it is nothing in Lorenz's research.

In 1896, Peter Zeemann was studying the effect of magnetic fields on the spectrum of matter at Leiden University.It's not a new subject either. Faraday studied it more than 30 years ago, but he didn't draw any conclusions.

Now that the experimental equipment has improved, Peter Zeeman wanted to try again. As a result, he really discovered the phenomenon that the spectrum of sodium element split into two in the magnetic field.

On a Saturday of that year, the discovery of this experiment was reported at the Royal Netherlands Academy of Sciences.

It turned out that only two days later, on Monday, Lorenz called Peter Zeeman over and explained to him theoretically why the spectrum of sodium element would split in the magnetic field.

Therefore, Lorenz only spent two days on this matter, and it was a weekend.

As for Lorentz's explanation, it is still based on classical mechanics, and can only explain the phenomenon of dividing into two.If the number of divisions increases, it is still unexplainable.

Because this is the limitation of classical physics, the situation of more splitting numbers of the spectrum needs to be explained by the quantization of electron orbital angular momentum. For Lorentz in 1896, it was undoubtedly a difficult task.

In other words, although the 1902 Nobel Prize in Physics was awarded for this, it did not solve the Zeeman effect at all.

However, Lorentz is a great god after all, because of the study of Zeeman phenomenon, he obtained the charge-to-mass ratio of electrons earlier than Thomson, and made a prediction that there is a very small particle.

Later, after Thomson discovered electrons, it really matched his calculations.

It can also be seen that Peter Zeeman was actually completely in the light of Lorenz-as an assistant, he won the award together.

Lorenz has done much better than some people later on in this point, and his realm is really high!
Although Peter Zeeman's physical intuition is much worse than that of the great gods, he is still very humble. He said to Li Yu: "Professor Lorenz often mentioned you. Last weekend he invited Professor Onnes to talk with you. Van der Waals had a meal with Professor, during which we almost kept discussing your various theoretical achievements. Of course, including the Star Wars novel."

Lorenz, Onnes, and van der Waals are the famous three Musketeers of the Dutch Nobel Prize.

"It's a great honor to keep the three professors in mind," Li Yu said.

Peter Zeeman immediately sent out an invitation: "After reading some of your experimental reports, Professor Onnes and Professor Van der Waals also deeply appreciate your experimental ability beyond theory. If you can go to They will be very happy to go to Amsterdam."

The distance from Berlin to Amsterdam is not far away, Li Yu readily accepted: "Thanks to the invitation, I will attend the appointment."

Peter Zeeman was very happy: "After you win the Nobel Prize, it may not be so easy to invite again."

Li Yu said with a smile: "Then I dare not reject your request."

On the opposite side there are at least four Nobel Prizes, and the lineup is too gorgeous.

Peter Saiman immediately said: "I will notify several professors after returning to China and send you a formal invitation letter!"

-

After a day of skiing, Li Yu and Einstein set off home in the evening.

Looking at the backs of them leaving, Wayne asked Peter Saiman: "Who is that young man with Academician Li Yu?"

Peter Saiman shook his head: "I don't know each other. They look about the same age, maybe they are friends."

Wien said: "When I was in Berlin, I heard from Professor Planck that there was a very outstanding young man recently. At that time, I thought it was Laue, a student of the University of Berlin (the winner of the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1914), but we I often meet him, and Professor Planck will definitely tell me if it is really him. Could it be, could it be this person in front of me?"

"Excellent?" Peter Zeeman asked. "What has he accomplished, and what university did he go to?"

Wien said: "I just heard Professor Planck briefly mention, and the specific details are not very clear. But Professor Planck said that the young man, like Li Yu, put forward a theory that is subversive and almost shakes the entire world. Physics."

"Oh!" Peter Zeeman also became interested. In recent years, physics has indeed been a little quiet, or it would not be said by the bosses to be a subject that "knows everything you need to know" and is "on the verge of death". Li Yu also brought some freshness.

But Peter Zeeman thought about it carefully for a long time, and he didn't know where else he could play tricks. "It can't explain the problem that the ether is stationary relative to the earth, which my tutor Professor Lorentz doubted, and then discovered and proved that ether?"

This is a super result.

Wayne spread his hands: "I don't know, I can only wait quietly."

-

After skiing, Einstein must still have to go to work. Li Yu is going to take this paper "On the Electrodynamics of Objects" to Berlin.

Since Einstein added Li Yu's name as the second creator in the paper, Li Yu must not be able to sign it again, and if he wants to publish it in a top physics journal, he still has to get Planck to sign it.

University of Berlin.

Li Yu entered the physics department to look for Planck, and found that he was in class, and it seemed that it had just begun. Li Yu was afraid of being watched again, so he ran to his office and waited.

Planck is a very conscientious person, whether it is preparing or attending classes, he is extremely serious.

He has rich teaching experience, beautiful writing on the blackboard, and clear articulation. It is said that his class is relatively easy.But it was Planck's habit to leave after class without giving students any time to ask questions.

In his opinion, what he said is clear enough, if you don't understand this, then go back and think about it slowly!

The course span of Planck is also very large, including theoretical optics, theoretical mechanics, electromagnetism, black body radiation theory, thermodynamics, and even the kinetic energy theory of ether.

It takes six semesters to complete all these courses, which means that it takes at least three years for a student to take his class.Except for geniuses.

Today Planck's electromagnetism course is very difficult, involving Maxwell's theory, and using many differential equations to derive.

Dare to talk about Maxwell's theory in class, it is enough to show that Planck's mathematical foundation is very deep.

Because Maxwell was a rare theoretical physicist in the early days, his theory was really difficult.

As a physicist, Mai Dashen has a terrible mathematical foundation. His papers or books often contain various calculations, and they are very complicated integrals.

Even his slightly "simple" theory of gas dynamics is full of appalling quadruple integrals, integrals within integrals, variables connected to variables, densely packed, very scary, and impossible to calculate down.

After such deeds are completed, it will be very difficult for students to digest and absorb.

But after the big boss Planck finished the class, he picked up his lecture and left as usual.

The students below looked at each other in blank dismay, dumbfounded.

It's very similar to some bible courses such as "Methods of Mathematical Physics" or "Functional Analysis" in the later world.

What the hell!

There are mathematical formulas on the blackboard in front of them, and the students don't have textbooks that fit them well, let alone mobile phones to take pictures, so they can only bite the bullet and copy a little bit.

Laue, as Planck's teaching assistant, picked up the blackboard eraser and erased a piece, then wrote down his homework: "Remember everything, hand it in next week at the latest!"

The students wept bitterly:
"You wiped it too fast, I haven't had time to copy it down!"

"How homework is also about Maxwell, God, he's dead and still torturing poor me!"

Haha, it seems that the students at this time will also send out the soul torture of future college students when they study advanced mathematics:

Some people live, but he is dead;
When some people die, they don't want others to live! ! !Such as Newton, Leibniz, Lagrange, Gauss...

Planck didn't care about this. As students of the most excellent university in the empire, if they didn't understand it, it could only mean that they were not qualified to graduate.

After leisurely returning to the office, Plank suddenly found Li Yu sitting on a chair reading a book.

"You came pretty fast," Plank said.

"Actually, I have already arrived, but you have been in class, so I can only wait here." Li Yu closed the book in his hand and praised, "Professor is really a hard-working gardener."

Planck put the lesson plans on the desk, poured a sip of red wine and said, "I'm not as laid-back as you are. Now the mark in Germany is terrible. If you don't work a few more jobs, you can't cope with life problems at all. I pay 4400 yuan a month. Mark’s salary and 900 Mark’s housing allowance, if it’s in pounds, I’m afraid I’ll wake up from my dreams.”

The devaluation of the mark did bring many problems to the lives of ordinary people. Germany's financial problems were not completely resolved until World War II.

Li Yu said: "Professors can definitely study economic issues such as inflation."

Planck also poured red wine into another glass and handed it to Li Yu, "I don't have time to study economics at all, and this is something that politicians need to consider."

Li Yu said: "The professor can only wait for the depreciation to continue."

Planck clinked glasses with him: "There can't be a Dutch tulip bubble or a French Mississippi bubble again, right? If that happens, the whole of Germany will be doomed. I don't want this to happen!"

Li Yu said: "Although the stock market has nothing to do with mathematics, economics is full of mathematics. How many people who formulate economic strategies do you think understand the truth?"

"Oh!" Plank stroked his head, "I feel like my head is going to hurt, please don't talk anymore! Now I can only pass by, let's drink this drink first."

Li Yu can't say too much. Although economics has received great attention half a century later and has been included in the Nobel Prize, but from time to time, the kings still feel that it is more enjoyable to directly control the lifeline of the economy.

Li Yu drank the wine in his glass, then took out Einstein's paper, "Professor, I need to trouble you."

Planck glanced at the cover: "It's Einstein again!"

Then I flipped through it roughly, and couldn't help being surprised: "My God, what happened in the past two years, is it possible that besides you, another young genius will emerge?!"

Planck was not a radical person, but he did not object to young people being more radical. Historically, he was the one who reviewed Einstein's papers and submitted them to the top German physics journal "Physical Yearbook".

At this moment, Laue pushed the door open and entered: "Professor, I have finished my homework."

"You're doing great," Plank said.

Laue asked again: "Professor, is my doctoral dissertation defense about to be arranged?"

Plank replied: "It is true that it has been delayed for too long, but you can make preparations immediately. Professor Schwartz has just returned from Göttingen and can start his defense this afternoon, otherwise he may go to Munich again."

Laue was very happy: "I'll go back and get ready!"

Planck spread out his hands and said to Li Yu: "Look, I have something to do again. I am so busy. I can only put this paper here for the time being."