Reborn and become a Great Scientist

Chapter 332 71 Go to the United States to find a teaching position

On the night after the doctoral thesis defense, the Eagle Bar in Free School Lane, not far from the Cavendish Laboratory, was once again bustling with people and every seat was packed.

Oppenheimer is a wealthy man from New York, USA. All the expenses tonight will be paid for by Mr. Oppenheimer.

Even Old Thomson, the old director of the laboratory, joined in the fun and came over to have a beer before leisurely returning home.

It was not until Old Thomson left that the atmosphere in the bar gradually became more intense without the respected elders, and it became a place for these young people to indulge themselves.

Chen Muwu was the only person in the Eagle Bar who didn't drink beer. He just looked at the madness in front of him and felt completely different from the year he first came to Cambridge.

Perhaps a few years have allowed Kapitsa to mature a little. Even in his 30s, he finally came to the center of the venue to sing and dance, becoming the brightest star in the entire bar.

The groom-to-be, Guan'er, who is about to get married, is under a lot of pressure, and today is just an opportunity to vent.While someone was treating him, Kapitsa drank beer one glass after another, nourishing the alcohol bug in his stomach that had been dormant for a long time.

Even Chadwick, who was regarded by Oppenheimer as a follower of his biggest enemy in the Cavendish Laboratory, unusually came to the Eagle Bar today.

Everyone here is a customer, and today is an important day for Oppenheimer, so he will definitely not make things unpleasant in the Eagle Bar.

Of course, Chadwick did not come here specifically to celebrate Oppenheimer's graduation. He still had something to talk to Chen Muwu.

"Director Chen, I received an invitation from Professor Lorenz today. I have to sign up for the new Solvay Conference again."

As he spoke, Chadwick took out a telegraph newspaper from his suit pocket and spread it flat on the stained wine table.

With the dim light in the bar, Chen Muwu read the contents of the telegram.

The telegram came from Leiden, the Netherlands, and was addressed to the Cavendish Laboratory and the director of the laboratory, Rutherford.

The position of acting director Chen Muwu is only known to those within the laboratory.

Even though he led a team to Italy to attend the Como Conference at the beginning of this year, in the minds of physicists elsewhere in the world, the director of this world's number one physics laboratory is still the tall and bearded director. Rutherford.

Chen Muwu didn't care about this approach on the telegram.

His current situation is like the emperor in ancient times who went on tours in all directions, while he, the prince, just sat in the capital to supervise the country.

Chen Muwu did not really regard himself as the unequivocal master in the laboratory. He was just looking after his teacher.

According to the latest news from Chadwick not long ago, Rutherford will start his return journey from New Zealand in August. Even if the current steamships move slowly, two months will be enough for him to return to Europe from Australia. , heading to Brussels, the capital of Belgium.

Rutherford's participation in this year's Solvay meeting is a certainty. Chadwick came this time to discuss with Chen Muwu and determine other candidates in the laboratory to participate in the meeting.

They were to lead the team from England to Belgium, where they would meet up with Rutherford, whom they had not seen for nearly a year.

Chen Muwu suddenly thought that the diligent laboratory deputy in front of him had never participated in a single meeting so far.

And I had just met them in Italy at the beginning of the year with the world’s physics experts, otherwise I wouldn’t have gone this time?
"James, how about you go this time?..."

He said what he thought exactly.

Chadwick was not interested in the suggestions put forward by Chen Muwu. He shook his head: "Chen, I think this matter should be forgotten. I have been busy with things in the laboratory in the past few years, although I have been constantly working on it." They were all doing experiments, but no results were achieved.

"I guess physicists from other countries in the world want to see you again, so it's better for you to go. In addition, my children at home are just born and are still young, and I also want to stay in the UK to spend more time with them. You should also cherish this single time before getting married. If you imagine being so leisurely now after getting married, it would be a complete daydream."

Chadwick warned Chen Muwu as a veteran, and the reasons he gave were reasonable.

"Then, will the old director go to Belgium?"

"Sir Thomson is still the same. He is not interested in leaving Cambridge and London and going anywhere other than these two places, so he will not attend the Solvay Conference either.

“But Professor Eddington should attend this meeting, because it is said that this year’s Solvay Conference will be open to German physicists, and Professor Einstein will also come to this meeting.

"..."

Chen Muwu now extremely hopes that Rutherford can return to Cambridge University as soon as possible and save him from this busy position of acting director.

It was already time to get off work, and I wanted to have a few drinks in the Eagle Bar to relax. Although the drink was not beer, I still had endless things waiting for me.

Chadwick was very dedicated, making it difficult for Chen Muwu to say anything more about this matter.

The two of them gathered around the wine table, discussing and writing on paper. It took them more than half an hour to finally draw up a first draft of the list of people attending this year's Solvay conference.

Before Chadwick left, Chen Muwu did not forget to remind him: "Also, there is Professor Wilson. You can find time tomorrow to ask him if he is willing to go to Belgium."

"Professor Wilson? Okay, then I'll ask him tomorrow."

"Even if he doesn't want to go, I think he might not be able to help it."

Chen Muwu pretended to be mysterious.

"Can't you help him?" Chadwick's face looked puzzled for a moment, and then he suddenly reacted, "You mean, the Nobel Prize? After attending the Solvay Conference, you stopped by Stockholm, Sweden?"

Director Chen smiled and nodded: "Yes, that's what I mean."

After discussing the specific list, Chadwick got up and left the Eagle Bar.

He is a man with a family, and he can no longer be like these young people who can party unscrupulously until late at night.After the people around Chen Muwu left, Oppenheimer, one of the protagonists of tonight's reception, came to the person he respected most in the Cavendish Laboratory.

Because he drank too much wine tonight, Oppenheimer was already a little unconscious and the tongue in his mouth was a little stiff.

But he still raised his glass towards Chen Muwu: "Dr. Chen, thank you for taking care of me at Cambridge University over the past few years. Although there is an old saying in China, 'Because the kindness is too great, there is no need to say thank you.' , but I still want to say thank you.”

After that, Oppenheimer raised his head and drank the glass full of beer in one gulp.

"It sounds like you are leaving the UK after graduation?"

Chen Muwu said with a smile.

"Of course not, how could I leave the UK! Where to go after leaving the UK, to the United States? How can those universities in the United States compare with Cambridge? What a joke! - Unless Dr. Chen is not at Cambridge University one day, I will follow you. leave."

Hearing this answer, Chen Muwu smiled and said nothing, but waved his hand to signal Benheimer to sit down.

The latter continued: "Dr. Chen, I have long wanted to come and toast you with the first glass of wine today, but the deputy in the laboratory has been beside you and talked endlessly, so I can only wait for him to leave. Come later."

"Robert, don't be like this. Mr. Chadwick is not a bad person, and neither is Sir Rutherford."

"But, but, when I wanted to enter the Cavendish Laboratory, they rejected me."

"It's all over, Robert, it's all over. Look, haven't you successfully graduated from Cambridge University and put on your doctorate? Sir Rutherford and Mr. Chadwick are definitely not bad people. They are It’s just that I didn’t see the shining point in you at first.”

"Dr. Chen, thank you so much, Dr. Chen." Oppenheimer, who had drunk too much, was a little incoherent. "Then what were you doing here just now? Do you still need to work after work?"

"No, we are just confirming the list of people who will go to Belgium to attend the Solvay conference this fall."

"I should be on the list, right? After all, this spring, I stayed in Cambridge because I had to write a thesis and couldn't go to Italy."

Oppenheimer was still very confident that Chen Muwu would add him to the list. After all, he was Chen Muwu's first direct descendant after he came to Cambridge University.

"Well, Robert, I didn't actually add your name."

Seeing that Oppenheimer's expression immediately changed after hearing these words, Chen Muwu quickly continued: "I know you are in a hurry, please don't be anxious yet and listen to what I have to say.

"I originally planned to wait a few days before telling you about this matter, but since you asked about it today, let's just make it clear now.

"Robert, what are your plans after graduation?"

"Of course I will stay at Cambridge University and continue to do research with Dr. Chen! Otherwise, where else can I go?"

Realizing that Oppenheimer's voice was getting louder and louder, almost drowning out the background noise in the bar, Chen Muwu quickly put his raised index finger in front of his mouth and made a "shh" gesture.

"Keep your voice down, Robert, that's not what I meant. But have you ever thought that it has been three years since I graduated from Cambridge University, and I am still wearing the title of a doctor. I have not even become a professor after working for several years." .

"If you want to stay in Cambridge after graduation, I definitely don't have the right to arrange a teaching position for you, and you prefer theoretical research. I don't think the Cavendish Laboratory will do that.

"——Please believe me that this is not discrimination against you by Sir Rutherford and others, but because you are really not suitable for here.

"It is estimated that after graduation, you will no longer be able to live in the student dormitory at Christ's College. So by then, you will have to work but not have a job, and you will have to live without an address. Do you still want to stay at Cambridge University?"

Seeing that Oppenheimer wanted to speak again, Chen Muwu didn't even have time to swallow, but continued before him: "So what I mean is, otherwise you can temporarily return to the United States and take advantage of the Ph.D. A diploma is still valuable, and you don't have to worry about finding a good job at one of the best universities in the United States, such as Chicago, Harvard, and Yale.

“My letters of recommendation, and those of Sir Rutherford and Sir Thomson, those are not a problem.

"This should be the best solution at the moment. As for the future, we will talk about it later."

The fact that Chen Muwu wanted to expel him from the Cavendish Laboratory made the already drunk Oppenheimer half sober.

He carefully stared at the expression on Chen Muwu's face and found that the other party did not seem to be joking with him, and the other half of the wine had also sobered up.

He held the empty cup without saying a word at first, and after a long while he slowly said: "Dr. Chen, since you have been at Cambridge University for three years without a professorship, then I think this shabby school doesn't want you. Otherwise, How about we go to the United States to teach together? With your academic research level, let alone a professor in the United States, even if you want to be the chairman of the physics department, or even the president of a university, there will be no problem. At that time, we can work together at the same level. We work together in the same school, America... America is actually not that bad."

Oppenheimer had just scolded American universities for not doing this or that, and now he quickly went back and made some urgent remarks.

To the United States?It is impossible to go to the United States.

"Robert, I said it was only temporary. This is an optimal solution under the current situation. When I become a professor at Cambridge University, or when the school in Stockholm is finally put into use and starts running steadily, we will still There is a chance to meet again.”

"Well, Dr. Chen, why don't we just go to Sweden? Isn't it said that the school will be completed soon? Or I can go to China to find a school, such as the Northeastern University owned by the warlord?"

"I think you have been in the UK for more than three years and have only stayed home for more than two months. Taking advantage of the time after graduation, it is better to stay at home for a while. I remember your family is from New York, so What do you think of Columbia University in New York? It is said that this school is full of aristocratic children from wealthy families, and their academic level is also very good. It is ranked among the best in the United States. In every aspect, it is very suitable for you to go. Although I don’t know anyone in major universities, this does not prevent me from writing a letter of recommendation for you.”

Oppenheimer was extremely reluctant to leave Cambridge University and leave Chen Muwu.

But for Chen Muwu, he still had to leave.

On the one hand, as a top student in the Cavendish Laboratory, he was allowed to return to the United States to build up his reputation and pave the way for his future participation in the Manhattan Project.

On the other hand, after 1928 it was 1929, and the stock market crash that triggered the Great Depression was about to come.

Chen Muwu still has tens of thousands of pounds still in the U.S. stock market. He doesn't know how many times it has doubled now. He must have a trustworthy person at the helm during that storm.

(End of this chapter)