Go back to the past and be a schoolboy

Chapter 226, you don't understand romance

Hearing Cheng Nuo's words, it seemed that they had a high degree of agreement with his point of view. Plank was very happy about this, and stepped forward to hold Cheng Nuo's hand, saying seriously: "Actually, I didn't mean to bring Everyone fights to the end, that would be a waste of the few resources of our Prussian Academy of Sciences."

Einstein was a little puzzled, tilted his head and said, "You said such a long paragraph on the podium just now, and you obviously wanted us to contribute to reverse this terrible situation."

Planck categorically denied: "You misunderstood. My meaning is very clear and easy to understand. It is just a matter of one sentence."

Cheng Nuo asked curiously, "I've dedicated myself to the country and died?"

"There is such a meaning, but your words are a bit too heavy." Plank was a little embarrassed, and quickly explained: "Actually, it means 'preserve your strength and continue to work', which is what you say inside and outside. "

Looking at Einstein, who was also his apprentice and friend, Planck sincerely sighed: "I think I am an upright patriotic person first, then a scientist, and finally a scientific policy maker. Positions, thoughts and opinions, it's impossible not to get tainted by politics."

Cheng Nuo deeply believed in this point of view, just like he always believed that science has no borders, but scientists have borders.

This is also why Cheng Nuo can accept the father of chemical warfare - Haber, even though he is seen as unpardonable crime by Britain, France and other countries, he still dares to accept it.

In Cheng Nuo's view, World War I was originally a matter of uneven distribution of spoils among these powers, and friction eventually turned into war. As a German, Haber helped his motherland research weapons, which is understandable.

Not to mention anything else, for example, one of Germany's opponents, England, Henry Moseley, as a chemist, not only invented the first nuclear battery before World War I, but also revealed how many elements in the periodic table have not yet been discovered. The vacant position and various achievements will allow this young man under 30 years old to win the Nobel Prize in Chemistry.

But it is such a genius who voluntarily gave up his scientific research work and signed up for the British Royal Engineers, which is consistent with the purpose of Haber's research on chemical weapons, both to serve his motherland.

It's just that this guy was unlucky. He was sent back to God's arms by a Turkish sniper after he had just been on the battlefield for a year. He was only 27 years old.

Thinking carefully about Planck beside him, Cheng Nuo couldn't help but sigh in his heart: "When God opens a door for you, he will close a window for you. When it comes to academic achievements, Planck really has nothing to say, but politics It's too naive to be fooled, and you can continue to be fooled after suffering."

His personal activities mainly revolve around science, but because of his leadership in science, his frequent exposure to the public has made him a public figure in the political field.

Conservative political views and self-image, rooted in the era of the German Empire.

Even if his second son Erwin became a prisoner of the French, and his eldest son Karl died in the Battle of Verdun two years later, for him who grew up under the Prussian tradition, he still had hope for the German rulers and had great hopes for the country. Unconditional loyalty is a given.

Even after Mustache came to power, Planck still had a good impression of him, thinking that the new regime might bring hope to German science, but it was a pity that it was not realized until the end, and the second son who recovered his life during World War I was eventually killed. Mustache was sentenced to hang, which must be called tragic.

But after thinking about it, Cheng Nuo, a patriotic person like Planck, obviously has no possibility of taking him away. China earns profits.

"Professor Planck, I know that the main task of almost all scientific research institutions in Germany is armament research. Except for the expected development of some research institutes converted to military institutions, the number of new research institutes and research The growth of the field was not inferior to that before the war.

Now it is a bit too passive to directly transform from radical expansion to conservative defense. "Cheng Nuo asked knowingly, wanting to insinuate and see if what the other person said was the same as what he thought in his heart.

Unexpectedly, before Planck could answer, Einstein spoke first: "The condition that this kind of development depends on is the prosperity of the wartime economy. Just like soap bubbles, they are now inflated to the limit and are about to explode. After the boom came the Great Depression."

Planck nodded, expressing his approval of this point of view: "Although I don't want to admit it, the chances of Germany's defeat are getting higher and higher. If we don't accumulate strength at this time, our life will be very sad when the real winter comes. Wartime The economy is a thing of the past."

Cheng Nuo smiled, and said mysteriously from the side: "About the wartime economy, there is an angle, I wonder if everyone has paid attention to it?"

Einstein turned his head and asked curiously, "What angle?"

Cheng Nuo raised his eyebrows and said as it should: "Of course it's basic research. The prosperity of the wartime economy made the industry more generous to scientists, and the academy can also take the opportunity to support some basic research that has nothing to do with the interests of the industry. Research was planned before the war but stalled for lack of funding.

That is, the wartime economy can not only help military science, but also help basic science research. "

Let’s not talk about it, let’s discuss it in depth. As the president of the Prussian Academy of Sciences and one of the most influential scientists in Germany, Planck directly or indirectly manages many projects. Now it is possible that with the economic downturn during the war, The experiment had to be aborted.

Thinking of the painstaking efforts put in, Planck's heart really hurts.

Not only that, during Planck's tenure, the University of Berlin gathered the best scientists in the world, and the University of Berlin became the place where scientists most wanted to work.

In order to attract talents to join, Planck spent a lot of money, and rushed forward with various preferential conditions.

Einstein, for example, was attracted to Berlin by another very attractive condition: to be a professor at the University of Berlin, with the right to attend classes, but not the obligation to attend classes.This was quite tempting for Einstein, who didn't like class.

But right now, the experiment process may be interrupted at any time due to funding problems. After a long time, these hard-working talent teams fell apart, which made Planck very uncomfortable.

After capturing the subtle expression on Planck's face, Cheng Nuo already had an idea in his mind, but he didn't say anything directly right now.

"I thought that since the state's funds can't be counted on, why not think more about it in private?"

"This is a good idea, but this matter doesn't seem to be so easy to solve." Plank hesitated.

"I quite agree with this. However, the wartime economy is not only used in academics, but also enjoys a lot of benefits in its supporting industries. But as you said, once the war fails, many companies will go bankrupt. Research Funding is also not easy to get." Einstein thought for a while, and added: "It's not easy."

Looking at Planck's frowning face opposite, Cheng Nuo's mouth slightly curved upwards, saying to himself that you are troubled, and it will be much smoother if I come forward to solve the problem later.

But right now, the German economy at least looks okay, and it's not time to clear up the confusion.

In the next half month, Cheng Nuo tried his best to build a good relationship with Planck.

Regardless of the fact that he did not lead a school of thought, the number of people who have obtained doctorates under his name is limited.

But the small number does not mean that the quality is low. Among the students are two Nobel Prize winners: von Laue and Walter Pott and the famous philosopher and founder of the Vienna School Moritz Schlick.

After several visits, Cheng Nuo gradually became acquainted with these students, and the topics became more extensive.

Slowly, Cheng Nuo began to joke with them: "Professor Laue, in order to stay and work with Professor Planck, you voluntarily gave up the full professorship offered by other universities and was willing to be an associate professor at the University of Berlin. It's been so long, don't you regret it?"

Laue shook his head: "There is nothing to regret. Not only me, the great mathematicians and great physicists in the Academy of Sciences all respect their teachers, and I just stand out a little among them."

Cheng Nuo nodded with admiration, and then said: "Respect is all respect, but people still have to eat, and scientific research also needs funds. If so many people grab so few resources, Professor Planck will be very happy." Is it difficult?"

Laue's face was full of confusion: "It's okay, as long as the teacher needs it, I don't need any funds, and I can study the theory by myself, and try not to delay the teacher's arrangement."

Cheng Nuo asked: "But even if this is the case, the funds are not enough?"

Laue hesitated: "This... I don't know what to do about this for the time being."

Cheng Nuo smiled and patted Laue on the shoulder: "But what if I tell you that I am willing to provide enough research funding for the best of you?"

Laue was taken aback and couldn't believe it with joy: "What you said is true? If it is true, I will tell the teacher immediately so that the teacher can sleep well at night."

Cheng Nuo stood up and quickly stopped him, and said seriously, "I haven't finished my sentence yet, but I don't provide funding for all research."

Laue was puzzled: "What kind of research can you provide funding for?"

Cheng Nuo smiled and said, "For example, institutions like the Coal Institute."

The so-called Institute of Coal is a newly established research institute in Germany. The research is directly related to production, mainly involving the extraction of petroleum product substitutes such as lubricating oil, gasoline, propellant, tar, etc. Substitutes for saltpeter, etc., to solve the problem of energy shortage in Germany.

The specific establishment time is less than half a year, and it has already achieved a small amount.

Laue reacted somewhat: "That is to say, are you willing to provide scientific research funding for the transformation from basic research to applied technology research?"

Cheng Nuo shook his head and said, "I'm afraid it's not enough to just apply technology research. What I want is "industry type", which means that scientific research should represent the needs of the industry and serve the interests of the industry."

In fact, although Germany was defeated in World War I, monopoly capital groups benefited a lot from the war.The profits it brings far exceed the imagination of the capital group, and it can be said that it is the beginning of capital's huge profits through large-scale modern warfare.

What Cheng Nuo had to do was to obtain more technology through limited investment, thereby bringing more benefits.

The so-called is just a model, and there will be iron research institutes, coal research institutes, non-ferrous metal research institutes, etc., all within Cheng Nuo's investment scope.

Compared with the United Kingdom, although China and Germany are now belligerent countries, the relationship between the two countries has improved a lot after the war.

The unequal treatment encountered by China and Germany at the Paris Peace Conference after the war made the two countries, which had a good relationship before the war, quickly abandon their previous differences.

By signing a separate peace treaty with China, Germany became the first major Western country to abandon all unequal treaties in China. From then on, Sino-German relations began to normalize on the basis of equality, friendship, and mutual benefit, and ushered in a special " Golden 20s".

The Weimar Republic rebuilt after the war became an important country for the new generation of Chinese scholars, including great men, bosses, Zhang Junmai, Chen Yinke, etc., to study and investigate with the revolutionary army, thinkers, and artists.

Just sending students to study in France was not enough to satisfy Cheng Nuo's appetite.

Staying in Germany, and letting students go to the research institute invested by him to study, so as to obtain more advanced technology, is also in Cheng Nuo's industrial plan.

However, Laue did not dare to make up his mind on such a big matter as investing in industry.

After thinking for a long time, he finally said: "I have to ask the teacher's opinion."

Fortunately, it wasn't too far from Planck's house. Cheng Nuo calculated the time carefully and felt that the fire was almost ready.

After all, a few months had passed, and on the battlefields of World War I, the Allies had successfully shifted from positional warfare to mobile warfare, something they had failed to do on the Western Front since the fall of 1914.

Correspondingly, Germany was constantly being repulsed, and even Kaiser Wilhelm II began to secretly discuss with his subordinates to see how to deal with it, so as to hope to obtain an armistice condition that was not too harsh.

In other words, at present, the whole of Germany, the upper and lower monarchs, and the people no longer have the arrogance of being invincible in the past.

If you don't contact Planck again, I'm afraid the other party will really break the can, and it will not end well if you come forward at that time.

Coincidentally, Einstein was also at Planck's home, but seeing that he was still carrying a bulging bag, which he hadn't had time to take off, it was obvious that he had just arrived.

Seeing Cheng Nuo coming in, Einstein stood up to greet him, and said mysteriously, "I guess today is a special day, so I specially prepared two things, Cheng, before you take them out, can you guess what they are? "

Frowning and thinking for a moment, Cheng Nuo replied, "Is it a surprise for Professor Planck?"

Einstein smiled and nodded: "Of course."

Cheng Nuo blurted out: "That must be a basic physics research paper. After all, Planck hopes that you can solve the basic problems of physics with him after you arrive in Berlin, especially the integration of physics and chemistry. A whole new theory of matter."

"Although you are right, I regret to tell you that if you put it here, you are wrong." Einstein shrugged, took out the things and put them on the table, and said seriously: "Not only is it wrong , and you don't understand romance yet.

"As a scientific researcher, and you are still younger than me, you should know how to be romantic and enjoy life. Scientific research is not a brain-dead thing."

Following the direction, what appeared in front of Cheng Nuo was a bouquet of roses and a violin.

(End of this chapter)