1900: A physics genius wandering around Europe

Chapter 648 The Cosmic Ray Craze! A Genius Dimmed! Seeking Help from Professor Bruce! Restoring the Glory of Theoretical Physics!

1926 1 Month 20 Day.

Zhao Zhongyao will be taking a hot air balloon to an altitude of 8000 meters to conduct scientific experiments.

After receiving training and recognition from professionals, he was no longer satisfied with a height of 5000 meters and wanted to challenge the limits.

After all, the higher the altitude, the stronger the cosmic rays, which is more conducive to discovering new unknown phenomena.

Li Qiwei has not yet deliberately publicized the matter extensively, and plans to establish Zhao Zhongyao as a role model after Zhao achieves results.

However, rumors can never be kept secret forever.

The high-altitude experiment quickly caused a sensation in the small scientific community of Borneo.

For a moment, everyone was filled with admiration.

"Wow, Dr. Zhao is amazing!"

"I heard that his altitude broke the current world record for hot air balloons."

"It would be a disservice to Lao Zhao's courage if he didn't win the Nobel Prize!"

"A real man!"

"."

A large group of people stood densely packed on an open space on the outskirts of Kuching, discussing something animatedly.

Their faces were filled with a variety of expressions, including respect, anticipation, and excitement.

Ahead of the crowd, a small to medium-sized hot air balloon was ready, its flickering flames representing boundless hope.

Zhao Zhongyao and two others are conducting a final security check.

His good brothers, Zhou Peiyuan, Yan Jici, Ma Yucheng and others, were filled with pride and honor.

"Brother Zhongyao is truly a role model for us all!"

"Our China has never lacked true warriors!"

Li Qiwei even led Deng Huaining, Qian Huzhou, and others to the event in person.

At that moment, he stepped forward, patted Zhao Zhongyao on the shoulder, and said with a smile:

"all the best!"

Zhao Zhongyao nodded solemnly.

Finally, amidst the waving and blessings of the crowd, Zhao Zhongyao boarded the hot air balloon and slowly ascended into the sky, beginning his three-day high-altitude journey.

There are no secrets in the scientific community.

In just one morning, Zhao Zhongyao's story spread throughout the entire physics community.

Physicists who also study cosmic rays are particularly interested in them.

California Institute of Technology, USA.

Millikan called Anderson over and asked with a smile:

How have you been adjusting over the past six months?

Have you encountered any problems in your life or studies?

Anderson graduated with his bachelor's degree last year and immediately became a doctoral student at Millikan University.

His six-month research career has been very beneficial to him.

It also made him realize that real scientific research and problem-solving in Olympiads are completely different things.

Difficulty is not a single dimension.

Anderson gradually put away his pride in winning an individual gold medal in the Physics Olympiad and began a real research career with his feet firmly on the ground.

"Professor, I'm fine."

“Scientific research and learning are two different states, and I have already adjusted my mindset.”

Millikan nodded and said:
"You used to learn and apply knowledge, using the known to explain the unknown."

"And now, you need to discover and create new knowledge, using the unknown to explain the unknown."

"This is an inevitable path for any scientist!"

Anderson wholeheartedly agreed.

The former are just academic high-achievers or geniuses, and haven't yet shaken off the label of "study".

The latter are the scientists, researchers, and true creators of knowledge.

At this point, Millikan asked again:
"You should know about Zhao Zhongyao from China who went to high altitudes to study cosmic rays, right?"

Anderson replied:
"heard."

"He is very courageous."

"Moreover, he was a participant in the second Physics Olympiad."

Then he asked:
"Professor, cosmic rays have always been a niche research area."

"How did it suddenly become so popular?"

Even Professor Bruce is paying close attention.

"It is said that this research topic was given to Zhao Zhongyao by him."

"Shouldn't nuclear physics be the hottest field right now?"

Clearly, Anderson is very focused on his research field and has a thorough understanding of recent news.

Only by keeping abreast of the research progress of our peers can we know where we stand.

Millikan exclaimed:

"Nuclear physics is not something that just any laboratory can study."

"Major achievements have been almost monopolized by the French Radium Institute, the Cavendish Laboratory in the UK, and the Borneo Atomic Institute."

"Other laboratories that want to make a name for themselves will have to find another way."

"Cosmic rays are a very good direction."

"Because it is a relatively new invention, there are still many mysteries to be solved."

"Many laboratories have now joined the research effort."

Anderson nodded, then thought of that matter again.

It turns out that at the recent American Physical Society meeting, two of the biggest names in the American physics community, Millikan and Compton, engaged in a heated debate.

The topic of their debate was the compositional nature of cosmic rays.

Millikan believed that cosmic rays are primarily composed of photons, with particles playing a secondary role.

Compton, however, insisted on using particles as the primary source and photons as a secondary source.

The eloquent arguments of both sides at the meeting were an eye-opener for everyone.

Anderson, as an attendee, witnessed the meeting firsthand and was deeply moved.

Professor Compton was once a young man discovered and nurtured by Professor Millikan, but now he has grown to such a high level.

It holds a pivotal position in the American physics community.

Anderson's goal is to become like Professor Compton, competing with the big names in the highest academic field of physics.

His current research focuses on measuring the energy of cosmic rays and then using that energy to analyze their composition.

Clearly, Anderson knew his mentor hadn't been convinced and wanted to find more evidence to support his point of view.

At the same time, he also knew that Professor Compton was quietly accumulating data.

The other side organized six expeditions to conduct measurements in high mountains, rivers, and areas near the equator around the world.

Compton himself led the measurement of cosmic rays in the Rocky Mountains of the United States.

The actions of these two bigwigs sparked a surge of interest in cosmic ray research in the United States.

Even people in other places have heard about it.

Now, with the addition of Zhao Zhongyao from the Borneo Institute of Physics, it's like adding fuel to the fire.

Anderson suddenly mustered up his energy!

If we capitalize on this momentum and make any discoveries, they will definitely resonate throughout the academic community immediately.

At this moment, Millikan laughed:

"Anderson, you're not under any pressure, are you?"

"I don't have much time to assemble any expeditionary survey team right now."

"Besides, I don't think it's really necessary to send you to heaven."

Anderson quickly replied:

"No need for that, Professor."

"My research is progressing normally."

Millikan, as a leading figure in the American physics community, is extremely busy. Being able to spend some time talking to him alone is already a testament to his importance.

Anderson didn't want to make a big fuss either.

Moreover, he also had his own pride: "Poor students have a lot of stationery."

However, he soon lost his arrogance.

A poor student with lots of stationery may still be a poor student, but a genius with lots of stationery is a different story.
-
Cavendish Laboratory, UK.

Just a week ago, the laboratory published another groundbreaking achievement in the field of nuclear physics, causing a sensation in the academic community.

Blackett improved Wilson's cloud chamber photography technique and used it to study artificial nuclear fission.

He successfully captured the entire process of nuclear fission using a cloud chamber, providing a much more vivid picture than Cockraf's computational evidence.

This is definitely a major breakthrough in the field of nuclear physics.

In addition, he invented cloud chamber photography technology that could be controlled by an automatic counter.

The cloud chamber, which was originally invented by Wilson in a very simple way, has now been used in many creative ways.

Blackett did not stop there; he continued to study cosmic rays.

When Rutherford asked him why, he smiled and replied:

"Kokrauf and Chadwick are enough in the lab."

"I want to explore new directions."

Rutherford greatly admired him, calling him "ambitious".

When Blackett heard about Zhao Zhongyao's deeds, he was deeply moved.

At the same time, I am very satisfied with my choice of research direction.

"Even Professor Bruce is studying cosmic rays."

"This shows that my thoughts are aligned with those of the big boss."

However, he also realized the urgency of the situation.

Now that all the big names are researching cosmic rays, he has to get started quickly, or he won't even get a taste of the benefits.

Meanwhile, physicists in France, Germany, the Netherlands, Italy, and other countries are also studying cosmic rays.

A scientific research competition similar to that in nuclear physics is quietly beginning.

It remains to be seen who will seize the opportunity and publish groundbreaking findings that will shock the academic community.
-
Time flies.

Nearly two months have passed since Zhao Zhongyao went to heaven.

During this period, Li Qiwei spent an unforgettable New Year with his family.

Listening to the joyful laughter of his family, he felt incredibly fortunate to have chosen to return to Borneo.

What made him even happier was that Song Xianglan was pregnant, and he didn't even find out until she was more than three months along.

This will be his ninth child, and also his last.

Li Qiwei desperately wanted a daughter.

With this hope in mind, he even had more energy for his work.

March 15, inside the Institute of Physics.

Ridgway received more than a dozen letters from Europe.

The senders included Bohr, Schrödinger, Heisenberg, Pauli, and others.

Without exception, they were all theoretical physicists.

Li Qiwei smiled knowingly as he read the letter.

It turns out that theoretical physics seems to have declined since the fourth Bruce Conference two years ago.

More than a year has passed, and there hasn't been a single decent theoretical achievement.

By the time the fifth Bruce Conference arrives next year, there may be nothing left to discuss.

Today, the physics community is dominated by experimental physics.

These theoretical giants could only stare blankly, reminiscing about their past glory.

The previous quantum mechanics was so magnificent and unparalleled.

However, at major academic conferences now, the focus of discussion is on atoms, cosmic rays, and the like.

The once peerless geniuses can no longer get a word in edgewise.

Bohr even inquired in the letter:

"Teacher, how is your research on the relationship between quantum mechanics and fields going?"

Li Qiwei was deeply moved after reading it.

This is a remarkable characteristic of the development of physics.

If the 17th century was the era of mechanics, then the 18th and 19th centuries were dominated by electromagnetism and thermodynamics.

The 20th century saw an even more refined division.

The first 30 years were a golden age for relativity and quantum mechanics.

The middle 30 years saw the development of various high-energy particles and matter structures, while the framework of quantum field theory gradually took shape.

For the next 30 years, the Standard Model dominated everything, and from then on, theory and experiment became inseparable.

All particle experiments are aimed at proving and supplementing the predictions of the Standard Model.

However, at this moment, Li Qiwei has embarked on a completely different path to the top.

He no longer places as much importance on quantum field theory and the Standard Model.

In fact, some of the results were simply wrong and failed to describe the real universe.

His theory of everything has surpassed the Standard Model and exceeded the research limits reached by the physics community in the past.

In other words, the advanced knowledge he gained from his rebirth has no other use besides showing off.

To forge the future and explore the ultimate truth, he can only rely on his own wisdom.

Of course, this does not mean that the standard model is completely wrong.

With physics having progressed to this point, it's unlikely that such a major error would occur.

This is unlike the early stages of scientific development, where an entire theory might be overturned.

The Standard Model can explain almost 99% of the problems in particle physics, and the theory and experiments agree very well.

However, its overall direction was flawed.

This is why gravity has been unable to be compatible for so long.

Ridgway's theory of everything is based on a startling and unconventional direction, or rather, an assumption.

This hypothesis is infinitely more revolutionary than any conjecture throughout history!
However, despite his boundless ambition, he still held a sense of awe.

It's like Einstein knowing that unification was the inevitable path forward, and even creating a logically sound unified field theory, yet ultimately failing.

Li Qiwei's current situation is somewhat similar to Einstein's, except that his probability of success is much higher.

However, even if he fails, he is not afraid.

The tradition he left behind will inspire those who come after him.

There will always be a peerless genius who will inherit his mantle.

In the development of quantum field theory and the Standard Model, there has been no shortage of exceptional geniuses.

"In that case, let me offer my initial thoughts and officially usher in the era of quantum field theory!"

In real history, quantum field theory was first studied by Heisenberg, Pauli, Born, and others.

Finally, Dirac became the synthesizer, proposing the famous quantum electrodynamics, or QED.

He creatively quantized the electromagnetic field and ingeniously proposed a method for generating annihilation operators.

Quantum electrodynamics is so perfect that it was once called "the jewel in the crown of physics".

Of course, its development process was not smooth sailing; it was full of twists and turns, and countless geniuses participated in it.

The most important aspect of quantum field theory is not its dazzling achievements, but the ideas it contains.

Both Fermi's "four fermion theory" to explain the nature of the weak force and Yukawa's "meson theory" to explain the nature of the strong force apply ideas from quantum field theory.

Therefore, although quantum field theory is a pure theory, it is closely related to various experimental phenomena of atomic nuclei.

As research in nuclear physics deepens, theoretical support and explanation become essential.

Just as Ligvii was tracing the history of quantum field theory and preparing to choose an opportune moment to publish his paper.

Deng Huaining walked in, bringing some major news.

"Zhao Zhongyao's research has made a breakthrough!"

(End of this chapter)