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

Chapter 658 The never-ending quarrel

After spending nearly a year to develop and analyze the photos, Eddington held a scientific meeting at the Burlington Hall of the Royal Society.

This is only a small conference held in the UK, but its influence is not small.

There was only one item on the agenda of the meeting: to hear reports on solar eclipse observations.

The meeting was chaired by Thomson, the new president of the Royal Society. The attendees included not only members of the Royal Society and the Royal Astronomical Society, but also many philosophers who came specifically to listen to the reports and science-loving British aristocrats.

The atmosphere at the venue was very lively because people wanted to know whether Newton's physics system was really flawed.

Eddington and Dyson presented their findings, explaining in detail the equipment used to observe the solar eclipse, the photos taken and the complex calculation process. The final conclusion was simple. Eddington concluded: "After careful examination of the negatives, Studies, I solemnly declare, confirm Einstein's predictions beyond a reasonable doubt! The results obtained by the expedition to Sobra and Principe convincingly prove that light is indeed deflected near the sun. , and the amount of deflection is consistent with what Einstein’s general theory of relativity predicts!”

A few short words made the British scientific community cheer.

Einstein, who was in Berlin, could not share the excitement and only bought a new violin to celebrate after receiving the news.

Li Yu in China is responsible for giving a series of lectures to let more Chinese people understand the latest scientific progress. Only he can do this. He should be the only one in the country who understands the theory of relativity.

The public is also very eager to understand the theory of relativity.

Although it is more complicated to understand the theory of relativity in depth, there are many interesting phenomena that can be discussed further.

Li Yu first gave his first speech in the auditorium of Datong University.

What’s interesting is that not only students from the Faculty of Science, but also students from the Faculty of Arts and many celebrities came to listen to the lecture. Regardless of whether you understand physics and mathematics or not, the word "science" is simply a golden rule for the current Chinese people, and they must be supported.

Just like in the past, many ordinary people could not really understand Buddhist scriptures, but it did not prevent many people from burning incense and worshiping Buddha.

There was a portrait of Newton hanging in the auditorium. Li Yu pointed to the portrait and said: "For more than 200 years, the great scientific system created by Newton has finally been revised for the first time. And when we revise and improve his theory, don't forget that this Everything is due to his great contribution.”

Li Yu wanted to prevent the public from thinking that the theory of relativity had overturned everything, so he spoke very tactfully, but the media did not quite understand.

After seeking some common-sense answers, the Morning Post, which was popular during the May Fourth period, published an article, starting with three huge headlines:
"Revolution in Science

new universe theory
Newton's ideas were overturned"

Then he wrote ambiguously: "Scientific concepts about the structure of the universe must change. The new theory of relativity tells us to establish a new philosophy of the universe that will almost completely overthrow everything currently accepted!"

There must still be some people who express great incomprehension. For example, an editorial in Ta Kung Pao said:
"This news is so shocking that it may even shake our faith in our multiplication tables. The idea that 'space has boundaries' is foolish. Space by definition cannot have boundaries! For the general public, that's the end of it. No matter what the advanced mathematicians think about it."

After finishing his lecture in Shanghai, Li Yu continued to lecture on the theory of relativity at Peking University and Tsinghua University in Beijing as usual. The newspapers have carried several reports in the past few days, so more people came to listen. Peking University is very small and does not have such a big auditorium at all, so we can only choose the outdoor playground.

Many media and students have posted the question as a slogan, hoping that Li Yu will see it.

Li Yu took a quick look and said with a smile:

"Many questions are still about special relativity. I think some people want to know the question after the editorial of "Ta Kung Pao", that is, 'Scientists who claim that space has an end have an obligation to tell us what is beyond space.' This is a good question, But it is also a meaningless question. Just like someone asked whether Guan Gong could defeat Qin Qiong.

"As for the light deflection problem that you are worried about, in fact, not only you, but also scientists from the Royal Society were panicked when they first learned that the solar eclipse photos confirmed Einstein's theory. But as long as you see the sun rising from the east as usual , and if it continues like this, just live your life peacefully, because there is nothing to worry about.”

Although Li Yu explained this, someone still asked: "You didn't answer directly, what is outside the space?"

Li Yu said: "Do you want a more complex mathematical and physical answer, or an easy-to-understand answer?"

——"You can understand it."

Li Yu smiled slightly: "You can understand that there are many other universes, or vacuums, but how to understand vacuum is another very complicated issue, namely quantum mechanics, which is not within the scope of today's discussion."

——"A world that can never be reached?"

"Yes," Li Yu replied, "That's a distant place that you can never reach even if you fly close to the speed of light. By the way, if you can fly close to the speed of light, your lifespan may be greatly extended. In the eyes of others, your height Maybe not even the baby.”

“It’s so desirable!”

What Li Yu talked about were not very profound parts. If you want to achieve the effect of popularizing science, you can't talk too deeply, which is not conducive to dissemination.

After several explosive theories were revealed, a small craze arose. Various cultural groups and even teahouses were talking about these bizarre relativity settings. Even the coachman and the waiter wanted to argue whether the two sentences of relativity were correct.

A newspaper published a cartoon, which showed a rickety old scholar, a child on the street, people doing business on the street, and a carefree housewife. The accompanying text was a pretentious sentence: "People are slowly getting used to such a kind of... The idea, the physical state of space itself, is the ultimate physical reality.”

Although many of the views are not worth mentioning, it is enough to show that during the Republic of China, the Chinese people were very enthusiastic about science, but they suffered from the lack of ways and channels for learning, and the expression was not very accurate.

-

In the office of the president of Peking University.

Cai Yuanpei said to Li Yu: "I don't understand the theory of relativity, but I remember your words deeply, 'When revising and improving Newton's theory, don't forget that all this is actually due to his great contribution.' I am very happy. Fortunately, you did not introduce science into the dispute between old and new cultures, and you still acknowledge the contribution of Newton in the old era. "

Li Yu said: "After all, if you want to learn the theory of relativity, you cannot understand basic Newtonian mechanics."

Cai Yuanpei said: "The New Culture Movement over the years has produced a 'scientism' tendency in public opinion, which regards science as omnipotent. Therefore, everyone highly respects you. Even if you don't admit it, many people still think of you as omnipotent." Became a saint."

Li Yu said: "I am a little worried that many people do not fully understand science. If someone uses science as a cover to engage in 'scientific metaphysics,' it will be very troublesome."

"Perhaps it already exists!" Cai Yuanpei sighed. "Various new trends of thought are like a great flood, coming fiercely and breaking through old habits. Some people will feel pain because of it. And such a rapid flow of water will also make the old habits Some river channels cannot contain it and overflow their banks, sweeping away the fields and houses. The high-ranking warlords are like ferocious beasts. China's current situation can be regarded as a competition between floods and ferocious beasts. If someone can tame the ferocious beasts and help channel the floods, then China will be at peace immediately.”

Later, Cai Yuanpei wrote his thoughts in an article called "Floods and Wild Beasts". He used floods as a metaphor for new trends of thought and wild beasts as a metaphor for warlords, which is quite vivid.

Hu Shi came to the office at this time and happily showed Li Yu a new poem he had written: "To congratulate the theory of relativity as a powerful tool that overturned the old era, I was so excited that I couldn't sleep and wrote it."

Li Yu took it over and looked at it. The content was:

"Physics in the old days was like the Five Elements Mountain,

Unmoving for five hundred years,
When the light of relativity appears,

Winding around several towering hills,

Appear in front of you and me,
Suddenly tell the world,

Right and wrong, light and shadow,
The transformation has been completed quietly. Li Yu smiled and said: "What a poem, what a poem!" "

Hu Shi said proudly: "I am going to include it in my "Attempt Collection" as a tribute to the new scientific theory. Oh! I really like this kind of thing that overturns the old ideas! It turns out that foreigners are doing the same thing as us The same thing is happening, not only literature is revolutionizing, science is also revolutionizing.”

Zhang Shizhao was also in the office, shaking his head: "This new poem you made is completely inferior to one of mine."

Hu Shi was dissatisfied and said, "Take it out and have a look."

Zhang Shizhao took out a notebook and read:

“The physical world is full of mysteries, and exploring the unknown brings joy.

The five elements of force, heat, light, electromagnetism, interact with each other in a wonderful way.

Macro and micro are all one, and everything is connected without boundaries. "

Hu Shi said: "Yours is a seven-character ancient poem. Nowadays, everyone pays attention to vernacular writing and wants simplicity and ease of understanding. You should know that foreign poetry is very simple. The "Attempt Collection" I made is all new-style poetry."

Zhang Shizhao said: "It's just an attempt, it's not literature."

Hu Shi pointed at Lu Xun opposite him: "You can't be dissatisfied with Teacher Zhou's articles, right?"

Zhang Shizhao said: "Teacher Zhou's article is certainly very good."

Hu Shi said: "Even Teacher Zhou wrote several new poems. I named it "Try Collection" not only to try, but also to call on everyone to try new poems."

Zhang Shizhao said: "So, Dr. Hu is just trying to attract others?"

"Yes," Hu Shi said, "Teacher Zhou's songs are very good, better than mine."

"I actually don't like to write new poetry," Lu Xun said with a smile, "and I don't like to write ancient poetry either. I just feel that the poetry world is lonely now, so I just do it on the side and join in the fun. When a real poet appears, I will Wash your hands and stop doing it.”

Hu Shi admired: "Look at Teacher Zhou's consciousness! I also had this idea, and Teacher Zhou said it out! It's a pity that Teacher Zhou left Japan early, otherwise he would still be a doctor."

Lu Xun was said to be a little embarrassed: "It is indeed wrong to drop out of school."

Everyone may know that Lu Xun scolded Hu Shi for more than ten years, but at this time, Lu Xun and Hu Shi still had a very good relationship.

Lu Xun had a very high evaluation of Hu Shi in his early years. He said: During the "New Youth" period, the two people who attracted my attention and admiration the most were Chen and Hu.

More than a year later, Hu Shi wrote "Preface to Journey to the West". He was still unable to determine whether the author was Wu Cheng'en, so he turned to Lu Xun for help. Lu Xun taught a course on the history of Chinese novels at Peking University.

In order to help him conduct research, Lu Xun paid attention to the information about "Journey to the West" everywhere, and once he found it, he would immediately send it to Hu Shi.

When writing "A Brief History of Chinese Novels", Lu Xun also solicited Hu Shi's opinions many times.

Anyway, the two of them are still in the honeymoon stage.

The relationship between Zhang Shizhao and Hu Shi is just the opposite. It is not good now, but it will become good in the future.

The two people have been arguing about vernacular and classical Chinese.

It was not until a few years later that they reconciled. When the two took a photo together, they wrote a poem on the back of the photo.

Uncharacteristically, the two of them wrote a new poem:

"Your surname is Hu and my surname is Zhang.

What new literature are you talking about?

I still speak in my old accent.

If you don't attack, I won't refute. We both sit side by side, each with his own heart.

Thirty to fifty years from now, this photo will be a good literary souvenir.

Ha, ha, I wrote some crooked words in vernacular as a gift to you. Finally, I, Lao Zhang, surrendered. "

Hu Shi wrote an ancient poem:
"But it is not a teacher who can create a trend. I like Gong Sheng's words the most.

At the same time, Zeng opened the trend of people, wishing to be close to each other and not despise each other. "

At this time, Zhang Shizhao asked again: "Dr. Hu, do you mean that you can no longer do ancient poetry in the future?"

Hu Shi said: "Isn't it enough to have ancient poems from the Tang and Song Dynasties? Nowadays, people can't make decent ancient poems, so it is better to study new poems under the new culture."

"New poetry? Isn't that just vernacular!" Zhang Shizhao didn't like it at all.

Hu Shi is good at giving examples, saying: "Vernacular words can also have profound meanings. Have you forgotten that Academician Li Yu once wrote such a shocking poem as 'The night gave me black eyes, and I will use them to find light.'"

Zhang Shizhao gave Li Yu face: "Mr. Li Yu is a scientific scholar, and his poems are better than yours."

Li Yu laughed and said: "It's just such a short sentence, it can't be considered a poem. Like Teacher Zhou, I just have a whim, not a poem creation."

Zhang Shizhao took the opportunity to say: "I remember that this poem was written by Academician Li Yu when he met Liu Yazi of Nanshe. It was much earlier than Dr. Hu's "Anthology Collection"."

Hu Shi said disdainfully: "Nanshe's poems are not worth mentioning. They are not even comparable to Zheng Xiaoxu."

Zhang Shizhao said: "Maybe they also look down on Dr. Hu's "Anthology"."

Hu Shi and Liu Yazi and others in Nanshe were also quite difficult to deal with. Hu Shi once said, "I won't argue with you for the time being, and I will write the "Collection of Attempts", but it was just talk. Not arguing is not Hu Shi's style.

The two sides are now quarreling fiercely. Liu Yazi, Yang Xingfo and others have always looked down upon what Hu Shi wrote.

Hu Shi, not to be outdone, said to them: "Please don't laugh at vernacular poetry, which is better than a hundred collections of Nanshe."

Anyway, they are just literati arguing. The more they argue, the more lively they become. This is a good sign. Just let them let go.

Li Yu wanted to find someone to quarrel with in China, but he didn't have anyone yet, so he felt quite lonely...