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

Chapter 646 Li Yuzi

Li Yu and others did not have the right to nominate for the Chemistry Prize. The 1918 Nobel Prize in Chemistry was awarded to Haber. This award was very controversial among the Nobel Prizes in Natural Sciences.

Haber's contribution to science cannot be overemphasized. Synthetic ammonia has solved the food problem for a long time.

However, most scientists despised Hubble's reputation, and almost no one applauded his speech during the award ceremony.

Because strictly speaking, Harper committed serious war crimes. During the war, he converted an ammonia plant to produce ammonium nitrate to make explosives; and most crucially, he pioneered chemical warfare, which is no small stain.

The University of Munich was going to hold a physics conference. Li Yu and Einstein wanted to invite Planck to come with them, but he was unable to come because he was involved in affairs at the Academy of Sciences.

The newly established "Mathematics-Physics Research Class" at the University of Munich solemnly received Li Yu and Einstein.

There are four main professors in the Mathematics-Physics Research Class: Wien, Lindemann, Foss, and Sommerfeld.

Among them, Wien and Sommerfeld were engaged in physics, and Lindemann and Foss were engaged in mathematics.

In fact, Bavaria was not very stable at this time. There were some minor turmoils, but there were still a lot of people in the university. Einstein and Li Yu gave speeches respectively, which happened to be in two fields. Einstein Stein talked about the theory of relativity, and Li Yu talked about quantum theory.

"But in the microscopic realm, due to the characteristics of quantum, there must be exactly the same particles, and their intrinsic properties, such as mass, charge, etc., are exactly the same. It is impossible to find any traces that can distinguish them. In other words, They are exactly the same."

The student stood up and said: "Thank you, Mr. Academician. My name is Pauli and I am a graduate student. I would like to ask, do identical particles refer to photons and electrons?"

Pauli said to him: "Heisenberg, you have not officially entered the university, so you cannot ask questions."

Many years later, academic circles confirmed that electrons and photons are identical particles, and composite particles such as protons and neutrons are also identical (although they still have a quark structure).

Foss said: "I think I have seen that student named Heisenberg."

"Thank you, Mr. Academician!" Heisenberg said, then stood up and asked, "Since photons can be identical particles, where are the electrons and protons? And the neutrons you predicted?"

Well, it turned out to be Pauli, the super "god-defying" in physics. No wonder he would raise his hand and ask questions regardless of the rules.

Lindemann said: "Yes, his father brought him to the University of Munich a few days ago to sign him up to study mathematics for my students, so that he can stay away from those aggressive groups and organizations."

Suddenly a student below raised his hand: "Mr. Academician, can I ask a question?"

"You are very smart." Li Yu said.

Li Yu gave a partial speech in advance on the paper he was going to publish next:
"Quantum mechanics has been developed for many years. Based on the research in recent years, especially the study of Planck's formula, I think it is time to propose a new concept.

Heisenberg?
Li Yu coughed: "It's okay, classmate Pauli, let him ask."

A student next to Pauli also raised his hand: "Mr. Academician, I also have a question."

"Is this the theoretical basis of the single-photon experiment?" Pauli asked.

According to the procedure, it was not the students' turn to ask questions at this time, but Li Yu still said: "Okay."

"Yes," Li Yu said, "From the summary of the experiment, the microscopic particles are completely indistinguishable. They are exactly the same. Exchanging two identical particle systems will not change anything."

“We know that in the macroscopic world, no two leaves are the same, and no two eggs are the same.

After the speech, everyone came to the conference room.

This question is very sharp and essential. Li Yu said: "I think they are also identical particles. Otherwise, the properties of atoms would be slightly different, and the whole world composed of them would be in chaos."

After they finished asking, Sommerfeld and others conducted the next round of questioning, but Wien was not very interested in this theory.

"In the microscopic realm, I think there are 'identical particles' and it should be a basic rule.

He was still referring to the turmoil in Bavaria at this time, and Heisenberg was quite restless.

Foss asked: "You didn't agree?"

Lindemann nodded: "He doesn't look like a math major."

Lindemann himself is engaged in number theory. His more famous achievement is to prove the transcendence of π, and to solve the problem of "square the circle" among the three rulers and compasses in ancient Greece (that is, the transcendence of π leads to It is impossible to square a circle).

Li Yu asked curiously: "Why does the professor comment so much on Heisenberg?"

Lindemann said: "He was a little arrogant. He didn't want to study for an undergraduate degree and wanted to become a graduate student directly, and he was just a young man who had just graduated from high school. During the interview, I asked him what books he had read. Heisenberg replied, "Number Theory" ", and Weyl's "Space-Time-Matter". I prefer this book "Space-Time-Matter"."

"Space-Time-Matter" tells you from the name that it talks about the theory of relativity.

Lindemann continued: "I agree with Mr. Hilbert's statement that physics is incomplete. The current situation is obvious to all, and it can be said that it is riddled with holes. So I don't like Weyl's use of physics to taint pure mathematics. So I said to Heisenberg, 'You no longer belong to mathematics.'"

It is estimated that many years later Heisenberg would have to thank him for his refusal, and even say sincerely, "You are a good judge of people!"

Li Yu said: "If you like physics, you can introduce him to Professor Sommerfeld."

Lindemann had no objection and said to Sommerfeld: "If you agree, you can interview him."

From the questions asked in the speech just now, Sommerfeld could tell that this young man named Heisenberg had a lot of talent, and he himself also started out in mathematics. At that time, he admired Thomson's "mathematical physics" and switched to theoretical physics research. .

Heisenberg was originally interested in mathematics, but Sommerfeld could see that his physical intuition was also very good, so he said: "Fortunately, he did not leave Munich."

Mathematics later helped Heisenberg in his research, and in a big way.

For example, the matrix mechanics he proposed, for most physicists at the same time, had no idea what he was talking about!
Because at this time matrices (or simply called linear algebra) were only done by a small number of mathematicians, and no physicist would study inexplicable matrices.

It was a head-on collision for Heisenberg at that time, because he also studied for a long time before he realized that what he had worked so hard to come up with had already been done by someone in the mathematics world (only in the mathematics part).

Although it was a detour, this incident fully demonstrated his huge talent in mathematics and physics.

Later, Sommerfeld called Heisenberg to his office, where Li Yu was with him. After Sommerfeld asked a few casual questions, he decided to accept him.

"I am willing to accept you, but my institute is not as good as Professor Wien's laboratory." Sommerfeld said.

Heisenberg thought it didn't matter: "I'm not good at doing experiments. It doesn't matter if the laboratory is smaller."

Sommerfeld said: "Do you still want to ask your father's permission? Regarding your going to university to study theoretical physics."

"I don't think it's necessary, otherwise he would be very worried," Heisenberg said. "But I really admire Mr. Li Yu and Mr. Einstein who gave a speech today, and I am willing to switch to theoretical physics."

Li Yu said: "Did you know that Mr. Einstein couldn't find a job after graduating from university? He even worked as a patent clerk in a patent office for several years before he found a university teaching position. Theoretical Physics The employment opportunities are very narrow and are almost limited to university professors. Mathematics and experimental physics have been developed for many years, and you can easily find jobs in industry and middle schools. "Heisenberg said confidently: "I can definitely become a university professor. Even now most of the university professors are full because I am better than them all.”

Li Yu smiled and said, "I wish you good luck."

He was lucky enough to enter Sommerfeld's research institute. Currently, there are not many universities offering research institutes that study quantum issues such as atomic spectroscopy.

Of course, according to requirements, students studying theoretical physics must take Wien's experimental physics course.

In the next few days in Munich, Li Yu wrote a paper on "Identical Particles" and prepared to submit it to "SCIENCE". This is the beginning. The experimental confirmation of "identical particles" will have to wait until the 1980s.

Theoretical research relies on the work of Dirac, another great master of quantum mechanics who has not yet emerged, and some other physicists, such as Fermi and others.

It's just that in this time and space, the word "boson" in the future is likely to be changed to "Li Yuzi", because these names were originally given by Dirac (according to his contribution to the standard particle model, they are called Dirac Actually more appropriate).

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There is still little theoretical research environment in Europe today. After staying with Einstein and the others for one more week, Li Yu returned to Paris.

The delegation only knew that Li Yu had attended many university lectures, but they did not know that he was about to take a big step in particle physics, because they were overwhelmed by the decisions of the "Supreme Conference" of the Paris Peace Conference.

The Supreme Council composed of the heads of state of the United States, Britain and France had just met with the Chinese delegation. Wilson, who had a better attitude toward China, conveyed their final plan: "Japan will obtain the Jiaozhou lease and all the rights stipulated in the Sino-German treaty. Japan returned the leased land to China, but will still enjoy all economic rights after the return, including the Jiaoji Railway.”

To put it simply, Germany's relevant rights and interests in Shandong were transferred to Japan.

Wilson specifically explained to Gu Weijun and Lu Zhengxiang: "The Supreme Council hopes that the solution proposed now will be accepted by China. It may not satisfy China, but under the current circumstances, it is the best solution that can be sought."

But the Chinese delegation definitely cannot accept it. Isn’t this equivalent to losing power and humiliating the country?
When meeting with Gu Weijun, he said disappointedly to Li Yu: "We still failed completely. Although we tried our best to argue and demanded that Germany directly return the rights it had taken away from China, it had no effect. The Supreme Council decided to list the plan in Paris. The peace treaty with Germany at the peace conference will no longer discuss the China issue.”

Li Yu said helplessly: "It's really so bad."

Gu Weijun said: "It's too powerless! A weak country has no diplomacy! I can only hope that the Beiyang government will not let me sign, because this is tantamount to a death sentence for me."

Li Yu sighed: "Dignity is only on the edge of the sword, and truth is only within the range of the cannon."

Gu Weijun also said: "Great powers are still great powers. Even if we are the victorious country, it is of no use."

Although the Paris Peace Conference will not officially hold a signing ceremony until a month later, for the Chinese delegation, the outcome is already determined.

Gu Weijun's performance can be called an artist in the diplomatic field, but the troubles laid by the Beiyang government cannot be eliminated.

It's like playing King of Kings, where a boss leads four rookies. If they win, these people will call this person awesome; if they lose, these four people will blame the boss severely, saying that they lost because of him. .

Fortunately, Gu Weijun was tough enough and did not take the blame for this. Instead, he became a highlight of his life.

Lu Zhengxiang and others were somewhat soft in their behavior, but the Beiyang government behind them was the fundamental reason.

Living in modern history, Li Yu completely understood why history textbooks wrote: The bourgeois revolution failed because of their weakness.

In this world, the law of the jungle is really the law of the jungle, and interests come first. How can there be so-called fairness and morality between countries? Not only will others not sit back and watch you become powerful, they will even try their best to stop you.

Not to mention World War I, after the even more brutal World War II, the world structure still did not change much, and it took tens of millions of lives to determine countries and borders.

Developed countries are still the great powers they were back then. How many countries have broken through class barriers?
There are very few, and the only ones that can be mentioned are Singapore and South Korea in Asia.

But they are all small countries. Singapore has the natural advantages of Malacca, which is enough to make Singapore strong. If it had not become independent from Malaysia, Singapore might just be the next Cairo or Mumbai.

South Korea is larger in size, with a population, land, and economy almost equivalent to that of Jiangsu Province. After the war, it became the younger brother of the United States. The nationalist intervention in the economy by Park Chung-hee and others played a great role in supporting several super enterprises. Although the cost was that these companies were strongly controlled by Wall Street, it still made South Korea a rare exception that rose from poverty before the war to a developed country.

Unlike them, the great progress China has made is too difficult. It is completely self-reliant and follows a rare right path.

The great powers developed their industries by sucking the blood of the colonies and plundering them like crazy.

China, on the other hand, has a scissor gap between industry and agriculture. It has sacrificed agriculture for many years to support industry. It was not until industry rose that it supported agriculture in return. In terms of courage and determination, China ranks second, but no other country dares to rank first.

The elites of the bourgeoisie may also have such a vision and be able to see this correct path, but unfortunately they do not have the courage, let alone the conditions, to take action.

There was no need for Li Yu to stay longer in Paris and he was about to leave for home via the United States.

He already knew what happened next.

On May 5, Lu Zhengxiang, China’s chief negotiator, telegraphed the Beiyang government on the progress of the peace conference. In a confidential telegram to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, he proposed three solutions:
First, all representatives leave the meeting and return home;
Second, do not sign;

Third, sign, but indicate that China does not recognize the provisions on the Shandong issue.

Lu Zhengxiang added his own opinion: He believes that the first and second options are unrealistic, and the third option can only be adopted.

In other words, Lu Zhengxiang advocated conditional signing.

But history took a huge turn at this time.

Neither Lu Zhengxiang nor the Beiyang government expected that when he sent the telegram to discuss the final solution with the Beiyang government, Liang Qichao, who was also in Paris, had already sent the situation to the country a few hours earlier, thus uncontrollably triggering a massive student uprising sports.

It is difficult to judge what Liang Qichao's motives were. His original intention must have been to issue a warning to the government and citizens, asking them to put pressure on the peace negotiators so that they would never sign the peace treaty. His patriotism was clearly visible.

However, Liang Qichao announced the news in advance before the Beiyang government made a final decision, which seemed to exceed the procedures.

Therefore, some people think that this is an attack by the research department on the ruling Anfu clique.

The Morning Post on May 5 sold out instantly. Just two days later, the May 2th Movement, which shocked China and the rest of the world, broke out, marking the dividing point between modern history and modern history.

Liang Qichao never expected that his telegram would have such a big impact.

Cao Rulin, who was later ousted, and important members of the Anfu Department blamed Liang Qichao and the Research Department for the May 4th Movement. In their view, the National Diplomacy Association, which published many articles about the peace conference, and the Morning Post were both affiliated with the research department.

No matter how the political circles argued, the Chinese people who had originally hoped to win the European War and had great hopes at the Paris Peace Conference to take back Shandong were completely shocked.

On the Beiyang government side, the House of Representatives immediately held a meeting to prepare to put pressure on the cabinet.

The National Association of Foreign Affairs also made several decisions: on May 5, the anniversary of national humiliation (from the 7st Day), the National Assembly was convened. If the Paris Peace Conference could not agree with China's proposition, it would ask the government to withdraw the envoy.

More telegrams were sent to the Chinese delegation in Paris, warning the delegation not to sign at the Paris Peace Conference.

He even directly warned Lu Zhengxiang: "If you dare to sign, please don't let me live!"