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

Chapter 614 Begins the Age of Discovery
There is no need for Li Yu to pay attention to what others are most concerned about now. No matter Liang Qichao, Cai E, Yuan Shikai in China, or Japan's Toyama Mitsuru, they are all staring at the imperial system and the war to protect the country.

But anyway, the outcome is doomed. Comrade Lao Yuan's dream of being emperor will not last long, so Li Yu doesn't need to worry about it.

Li Yu sent a telegram from Datong University and invited He Yujie from Peking University.

After years of planning, it’s almost time for him to come out.

The current scientific research facilities of Datong University are quite good, and the laboratories are definitely first-rate. Li Yu told He Yujie his research direction a few years ago, and now it's time to put the finishing touches on it.

Li Yu drove He Yujie from the train station to Datong University. After walking around the campus, He Yujie said depressedly: "It turns out that your place is so advanced, it has a bit of a European and American university feel, and the atmosphere is much better than that of Peking University. It's really impressive." People are envious.”

Li Yu smiled and said: "Of course I can't compare with the officials from Peking University."

He Yujie sighed: "Although Mr. Academician has warned many times and Principal Hu has made a lot of efforts, it is difficult to completely reform the sluggish student atmosphere. There are still many officials and officials who do not obey the rules in class."

Li Yu said: "Don't worry, it won't be long before Peking University will have a completely new look."

He Yujie said: "I really hope that she can remove the rancid blood like her metabolism. I don't want to be too good, but at least she can be like a normal university."

He still loves Peking University very much.

Li Yu took him to the laboratory and said to him: "I asked you to come here this time to prepare for a big project. If it is completed, you should be able to win the Nobel Prize in Physics."

"Nobel Prize?! The kind that Mr. Academician won?" He Yujie said in surprise. He didn't expect Li Yu's handiwork to be so big.

Li Yu nodded: "That's right."

"It's too far away! How is it possible!" He Yujie said, "That is the highest award in the scientific community."

"So this topic will take some effort, but I've made some estimates and I'm very hopeful." Li Yu said encouragingly.

"What topic?" He Yujie asked curiously.

"Discovered matter...a new particle." Li Yu said.

"New particles?" He Yujie said in shock, "Even scientists in the top laboratories don't have such a terrifying idea."

Li Yu said: "The right way to go is to take the wrong approach. I know that no one dares to claim to have discovered new particles, otherwise they will be reviled. But what we are pursuing is the truth, physics itself. If we can produce conclusive experimental data , what can they say?”

He Yujie said: "But how do you know there will be new particles?"

"This is a conjecture, or a conjecture based on theoretical physics and existing experiments," Li Yu explained. "Your tutor at Cambridge, Mr. Rutherford, used alpha particle scattering experiments to verify the atomic structure. The mass is concentrated in the nucleus, but its relative mass often cannot correspond to the atomic number, which is the charge number, so it can be guessed that the nucleus should have a subdivided structure. "

"Mr. Academician's thinking is clear, and there are no loopholes in the deliberation process. It is indeed very reasonable," He Yujie praised. He was originally engaged in physics, and of course he knew the importance of atomic physics. He continued to ask, "How is this topic you mentioned progressing? ?”

"First conduct a large number of bombardment experiments," Li Yuyan said concisely and comprehensively. "Use alpha particles to bombard various test objects and summarize the rules. If certain characteristics and corresponding commonalities are found, it will be successful."

Alpha particles can be derived from natural radioactivity, which is convenient and affordable. Nowadays, all major laboratories use them, but few laboratories can afford the expensive radium.

He Yujie rubbed his hands and was eager to try, "Listening to your words is worth ten years of reading! Mr. Academician, this path is very feasible!"

Li Yu said: "I have nothing to do during this period, let's do it together."

He Yujie said modestly: "How can I do this without your command?"

-

The experiment will take several months. The principle is not that complicated, or it is not complicated for a time traveler like Li Yu.

In the past, when watching suspense movies or crime-solving movies, I always wondered how the great detective came up with it; then after watching the whole story, I realized that it was not that complicated.

The reason why I couldn't understand it at first, but after reading it, I felt it was completely understandable is because of the huge difference between forward and reverse reasoning.

If the story is straightened out in a positive way, there are usually no complicated levels that are difficult to understand, and it can even be said to be as bland as water.

But if it were told in reverse, it would really make people scratch their heads and not be able to think about it.

The last big question in the college entrance examination mathematics is like this. When the teacher talks about it, most people can understand it. But in the examination room, you just can't figure it out.

There are many similar examples, countless.

Therefore, the most terrifying thing about Li Yu is his advanced scientific thinking. For this era, almost everything in his mind is positive. Even if he is asked to study an unknown field that he has never touched before, he can still be the best in the world. .

For example, in biology or medicine, even if he does not have any foundation, if he spends ten years studying hard and moving in the direction of antibiotics, macromolecules, double helices, etc., he will definitely win many Nobel Prizes.

-

Li Yu and He Yujie found many base materials, such as various metal elements, sodium, gold, potassium, etc., as well as non-metal atoms such as phosphorus, nitrogen, arsenic, etc. They would collide with alpha particles whenever they could find them.

The experimental data were recorded by He Yujie.

The older generation of scientists like them have an extremely serious attitude towards academic research and write down ordinary experimental notes very carefully.

Every day, He Yujie would record the day's experiments in a book in beautiful regular script.

He went to a private school and had a solid foundation in calligraphy. After studying abroad for a few years, he started using hard pen calligraphy. Now he can write hard pen calligraphy that far exceeds that of Li Yu. He really has the feeling that the pen can move quickly and penetrate the back of the paper.

Every time he saw his notes, Li Yu couldn't help but praise: "Elegance, unparalleled elegance!"

He Yujie replied: "Isn't this the most common basic skill?"

Li Yu said: "I just discovered now that writing well can really enhance your interest in learning."

He Yujie said: "I think Mr.'s calligraphy is... not bad."

Li Yu smiled and said: "My calligraphy is at least a few levels better than Einstein's." Thinking of this, Li Yu instantly felt much better.

After several months of experiments, they made a major discovery: the first thing to be broken through was nitrogen (N) atoms. When bombarding nitrogen with alpha particles, they obtained hydrogen nuclei (H).

After the nitrogen nucleus is broken by alpha particles, positively charged particles with an atomic weight of 1 are ejected, namely hydrogen nuclei; the broken nitrogen nuclei are combined with alpha particles to form another element, the oxygen nucleus.

After that, they conducted the same experiment on several other atomic nuclei and accumulated several thick volumes of experimental data. He Yujie is very serious and proofreads all experiments repeatedly.

Li Yu is good at analyzing experimental data, but the results are actually very obvious: after all particles are bombarded, a positively charged particle will be blasted out, its mass is exactly the same as that of a hydrogen atom, and its relative mass is 1.

He Yujie wondered: "It can't be a positively charged hydrogen atom?"

Li Yu said decisively: "It is what we are looking for. It is a basic particle that exists in all atomic nuclei."

He Yujie was much more cautious: "I think the nitrogen atoms were transformed under the bombardment, and the hydrogen atoms released were once components of the helium nucleus."

Li Yu said: "Your statement and mine have the same goal, just like the different expressions of the second law of thermodynamics, but the conclusion is that we have discovered a component particle of the atomic nucleus."

He Yujie was very excited: "The last time a major breakthrough was made in the structure of atomic physics, it was Director Thomson and Professor Rutherford of Cavendish. Our experiments can actually produce results comparable to those of first-class experimental physicists."

Li Yu said with a smile: "We are standing on the shoulders of giants."

He Yujie said: "I know, this is what Newton said."

Historically, it was probably in 1919 that Rutherford discovered the proton.

But this discovery was overshadowed by the dazzling light of his alpha particle scattering experiments.

To be fair, the discovery of protons is indeed not comparable to alpha particle scattering experiments. The significance of alpha particle scattering experiments is indeed much greater.

However, the discovery of the proton does meet the criteria for a Nobel Prize. The Nobel Prize-winning achievements can also be roughly divided into several levels, and some are too strong.

He Yujie compiled the experimental results and then wrote a paper with Li Yu.

As for the name, Li Yu followed custom and named it proton.

After the paper was written, He Yujie wanted Li Yu to be the first author, but Li Yu generously gave it to him.

Subsequently, Li Yu sent this paper to "SCIENCE" and "Nature".

There is no doubt that this is a very sensational scientific research result, especially in this era of frequent wars.

In Cambridge University, which has become half a military camp and has not many students, JJ Thomson, director of the Cavendish Laboratory, was the happiest after seeing the paper. He directly wrote in the article and praised it: "Many people once did not recognize atoms, but Jean... Perrin used experiments to prove the existence of atoms. Then Lord Kelvin said that atoms are eternal and indivisible units. The discovery of electrons and atomic nuclei once again overturned his conclusion. Now Li Yu and a newcomer in science, He Yujie, from the mysterious East, used experiments again. It shows that atomic nuclei are not inseparable! Oh my god, I love this feeling of infinite exploration!”

Rutherford had the idea of ​​​​this experiment before, but now that someone was the first to get there, there was really nothing he could do about it - almost all the people in his laboratory were conscripted to the front lines of the war.

At the end of last year, he also received the news that his favorite student Moseley died on the front line, which made him very sad.

Regarding the results of Li Yu and He Yujie, Rutherford showed great magnanimity and said publicly: "Facts have once again proved that the wisdom of Orientals is not inferior to that of Europeans. This experiment revealed rigorous science from the initial conception to the experimental process. thinking."

Later, when he learned that He Yujie had attended his class in Cambridge, he was even more happy: "I am honored that He was once my student; but his current progress is inseparable from the cooperation with Mr. Li Yu."

Rutherford still looks like a master.

The United States was more direct. President Michelson of the American Physical Society sent a message to Shanghai: "We now not only hope to invite Mr. Li Yu to give lectures in the United States, but also hope to invite another rising scientific star, Mr. He Yujie! We are willing to send its foreign membership status.”

Membership of the American Physical Society is obviously not as good as that of the Royal Society, but it is still a high honor.

Once you get the Nobel Prize, you will be overwhelmed with honors.

Anyway, Li Yu has already felt it.

In addition to them, Cai Yuanpei, who was in France, was also shocked that Li Yu led a newcomer to produce results that shocked the whole of Europe.

He got the news later than the British.

"It turns out that He Yujie is from Peking University," Cai Yuanpei said thoughtfully. "I have always thought that Peking University is too stale, but it turns out that there are such outstanding people in the faculty and staff. And Shucai not only has extraordinary talents, but also has a great eye. It’s rare, it’s really rare!”

He took out a letter sent to him by Fan Yuanlian asking him to return to China to rectify Peking University. After thinking about it, he put it down, "I don't know when the disaster of the imperial system will be eliminated. If the imperial system is really restored, I think Peking University will continue to be as it is now." The absurd situation of 'two colleges and one hall'. Students are still a bunch of bureaucrats who come to the university just to get promoted and make a fortune in the future. This is not what a university is like."

Cai Yuanpei's concerns are in line with the situation. If the imperial system is really restored, many things may be revived. Peking University students may still be like those in the late Qing Dynasty, playing mahjong, drinking wine, and being famous, but not studying.

-

A week later, domestic newspapers such as Shenbao and Ta Kung Pao began to report the scientific research results of Li Yu and He Yujie on their front pages.

In fact, most of their editors do not understand such advanced science, and they almost copy European and American reports and then translate them.

But in this way, the news effect is even better, and domestic readers are extremely excited, excited that another person who is well versed in science appears.

This was rare in the Hongxian monarchy era, because most newspapers reported on the situation of the monarchy and the National Guard Army.

After Peking University President Hu Renyuan saw the report, he quickly wrote a letter to Li Yu and He Yujie in Shanghai. The words were sincere and had only one central idea: requesting Li Yu not to recruit He Yujie to Datong University.

Li Yu didn't know whether to laugh or cry. He never said that he wanted to poach someone.

Li Yu was not satisfied with the current situation and issued another public statement in the newspaper:
"Since there are negatively charged electrons and positively charged protons in the atom, I can boldly predict that there is also a neutral particle in the atom. For example, in the element helium, the helium nucleus has two positive charges, and the atom with the helium nucleus The mass is 2. Considering the conservation of charge and energy, there are almost certainly neutral particles in the nucleus!”

Li Yu's words are basically equivalent to the last words spoken by Roger the Pirate King on the guillotine. They are enough to set off the "Age of Discovery" in physics. All capable laboratories and experimental physicists around the world will move towards this goal.

Because obviously this is a clearly marked Nobel Prize.