1900: A physics genius wandering around Europe

Chapter 350: Li Qiwei takes action! "A letter to scientists around the world"! The world is shocked!

The sudden outbreak of war in Europe shocked the whole world.

Military commentators from various countries predicted the impact of this war in newspapers.

Some are optimistic and believe that it will end soon, with at most local conflicts breaking out in Western and Eastern Europe.

There are also pessimists who believe that this will be a protracted battle.

However, only Li Qiwei knew how great an impact this war would have on the world.

In real history, there were 33 countries participating in World War I, divided into two camps: the Central Powers and the Entente.

Although the main war took place in Europe, it had varying degrees of impact on the entire world.

Even here in Borneo, it is no exception, but the impact is very small.

Li Qiwei also asked Li Bokai to be vigilant to prevent anyone from taking advantage of the situation.

At this moment, the eyes of the world are focused on Europe.

War affects not only ordinary people, but also no one can avoid it, not even scientists.

August 1914, 8, in a prisoner-of-war camp in Germany.

Eddington had lost his former gentlemanly demeanor, his clothes were dirty and his hair was messy.

At this moment, he was protesting loudly:

"I'm not a spy, I'm a British astronomer."

"I'm going to the Crimea to verify the theory of general relativity!"

"You are committing robbery! You are trampling on science!"

"War should not involve civilians!"

"I want to apply for protection!"

However, the German soldiers on guard did not move at all, as if they had not heard his voice at all.

Eddington was also unlucky.

He and his group set out from Britain at the end of July, preparing to head to the Crimea region of Russia.

He had already calculated the best observation location in advance.

He also divided the entire observation process into two groups to ensure that errors were eliminated.

Therefore, the number of people in the experimental group was slightly larger, with a total of more than ten people.

When passing through Germany, he thought he had enough time, so he went to meet some friends.

The result is tragic.

The war broke out without warning.

Britain and Germany declared war directly, and the two sides instantly became enemies.

Eddington was arrested as a spy.

The German military quickly found out his identity and did not take any violent measures against him.

Just lock them up in a prisoner camp, maybe they will come in handy someday.

This prisoner camp is mainly used to detain civilians, so the security force is not particularly strong.

The military thought that these scientists were weaklings and could be kept under control by just a few soldiers.

Eddington knew that his protest was futile, so he hammered the iron fence hard to express his anger.

Then he sat down to conserve his energy, knowing that things would definitely turn around.

At this time, a young man stepped forward and asked, "Professor Eddington, do you think the Germans will let us go?"

Eddington looked at the young man and suddenly felt better. He forced a smile.

"Don't worry, Chadwick. One of my team was out at the time and wasn't caught."

"He will definitely find a way to expose this matter."

"Your mentor, Professor Rutherford, will also be aware of your situation soon."

The young man was Chadwick, and he was arrested again, but this time he was no longer alone, but with Eddington.

"Oh, that's great, there's no way I can do experiments here."

Eddington smiled. The optimism of young people is the most powerful.

Eddington was impressed by the fact that Chadwick could remain calm in this situation and still think about doing experiments.

This kid will definitely become a great player in the future!

But his own heart was a little confused.

The main reason is that this experiment is so important that it is related to the verification of general relativity.

That was a result that shocked the world.

How could Eddington not be anxious?

The best time for experimental observation is August 8, which means there are still 21 days left.

He had to reach Crimea within 18 days and stay for 2 days to install the equipment and adjust the angle and direction.

If there is any accident along the way, then everything will be over.

Although Eddington was very anxious, he was the backbone after all and needed to cheer up.

"Well, don't worry, the Germans won't be so cruel as to attack innocent scientists."

"Otherwise, it will provoke opposition from all over the world."

"We wait patiently."

After hearing his words, everyone gradually quieted down.

Chadwick took a branch and wrote and drew on the ground.
-
Royal Society.

An enlarged meeting was held urgently.

Among the people who came were not only members of the Royal Society, but also members of the Royal Astronomical Society, staff of the Greenwich Observatory, and professors from Cambridge University.

At this moment, many bigwigs gathered together with only one goal:
Communicate with the German authorities and rescue the captured Eddington, Chadwick and others.

The director of the Greenwich Observatory, Sir David Dyson, said excitedly:

"The Germans have gone too far!"

"This is unforgivable!"

"Eddington was fighting for science and should not be treated like this!"

When Eddington was a researcher at the Greenwich Observatory, he was highly regarded by Sir Dyson.

He thought this was a very smart young man who would achieve great success in the future.

Sure enough, Eddington had already begun to prove the general theory of relativity.

This might be the biggest thing in science in recent times.

And now, because of the war, the entire experimental team was arrested.

Sir Dyson's anger and anxiety can be imagined.

However, he was not the only one who was anxious, Rutherford was also there.

"Chadwick was just invited to Berlin for a visiting scholar program, and this happened."

"He is only 23 years old. After this kind of blow, I am very worried whether he will still be willing to pursue a career in physics."

"Chadwick is a rare talent."

"War should not extend its tentacles to young people like these."

Following the accusations of Sir Dyson and Rutherford, the atmosphere in the meeting hall suddenly became excited.

The scientists present shared a common hatred for the enemy.

Since it was Eddington and Chadwick who were arrested today, it is very likely that they will be the ones arrested tomorrow.

If you don’t speak up for others today, no one will speak up for you tomorrow.

Everyone is blaming the Germans for their actions.

At this time, Crookes, President of the Royal Society, cleared his throat and waved his hand.

"Gentlemen, silence!"

“This is something no one wants to see.”

"The focus of our discussion now should not be on accusing Germany, but on finding a way to rescue those children."

Crookes still had authority, and as soon as he spoke, the meeting room began to quiet down.

But most people's faces were still full of anger.

Crooks continued: "Now Britain and Germany are hostile nations."

"Many of the scientists on both sides are fighting for their own countries."

"In this meeting today, many people are probably military advisors."

"Even I was invited to participate in the high-level meeting."

"First, let's acknowledge that if I was caught, it was as it should be."

"Because I am fighting for my country. I am a soldier just like those soldiers holding guns."

Wow!
The older generation of scientists are indeed full of courage.

Crooks' powerful words made the bigwigs present tremble all over.

However, many people are also confused.

Why President Crooks is speaking for the Germans.

"Of course, some people may accuse me of trying to defend Germany's actions?"

"of course not!"

"I'm just being reasonable."

"If our scientists were involved in the war, then the enemy country would certainly have reason to take prisoners."

"But now, Eddington is not participating in the war. What he is doing is for the entire scientific community."

"Chadwick is just a student, let alone a spy."

"Therefore, we have sufficient reasons to make Germany realize their mistakes and release the hostages."

Crooks's mature and steady words made everyone nod.

His analysis is well-reasoned and impeccable.

But Crookes suddenly shook his head and said helplessly:

"I have communicated with the Prime Minister, but unfortunately, the military is no longer able to take care of this matter."

"All resources were put into the war, and everything was focused on the war."

"In other words, we are on our own."

"But there is good news. I found out that Eddington and his men are being held in a civilian prisoner camp."

"This shows that the German military doesn't really value them."

"They even knew that Eddington and others were not spies, so they just kept them there and ignored them."

"If we can get in touch with our friends in the scientific community in Germany, we can have them form a group to lobby the top military officials."

"I think the military will definitely release him."

Wow!
Crooks' words gave everyone hope.

On the one hand, the German military did not regard Eddington and others as secret agents, which meant that there was a possibility of rescue.

On the other hand, Crookes' method is very practical.

No country dares to offend the scientific community, or even the entire scientific community.

Because the war will inevitably end, and by then the country's development will be inseparable from the group of scientists.

Therefore, as long as we can come up with sufficient reasons to prove that Eddington and others are innocent, and give the military a way out, the matter will probably be over.

After all, the Eddington incident is just a trivial matter compared to the current war in Europe and cannot affect anything.

But now, here comes the problem.

Who will contact the German scientists?

Who has the authority to impress the other side and make them unite? For a moment, the meeting hall fell into discussion again.

Thomson said in a deep voice: "Today, the German scientific community is led by Planck, Roentgen, Wien, Nernst and others."

"I have a good relationship with Professor Planck, but with the others it's just a normal friendship."

“Honestly, I don’t think I can convince most people.”

"Especially in this particular case, this favor is really huge."

Thompson's words seemed to pour a bucket of cold water on everyone.

It would be simple indeed in peacetime.

But now is a time of war, the situation is changing rapidly, and no one can guarantee what will happen.

The venue suddenly became silent and filled with smoke.

This seems to be the most feasible solution, but I can't find a suitable person to carry it out.

At this moment, Rutherford suddenly interrupted the silence and said:
"Someone must be able to do it."

"As long as he is willing to speak up, the German scientific community and even the military will definitely consider his face."

Everyone was shocked, "Who?"

Rutherford took a deep breath and said firmly: "Bruce Lee."

boom!
The venue was shaking!

All the big guys slapped their foreheads and suddenly realized.

Yes, how could I forget that man.

Although he went to Asia, his influence has not diminished at all.

As long as he opens his mouth, things will definitely turn around.

The relationship between Professor Planck and Bruce was also known to all the bigwigs present.

After hearing this, Thomson sighed in his heart. In fact, he had thought about it, but did not bring it up.

Because they were his students, even his best students.

If this thing doesn't succeed in the end, it will be a huge blow to Bruce's reputation.

Thomson was unwilling to gamble.

However, now that Rutherford has brought it up, there is no need to worry anymore.

In this situation, only Bruce can take action.

So, he said in a deep voice: "I will contact Bruce and ask for his help."
-
When Li Qiwei finished reading the telegram in his hand, he sighed softly.

He could feel Professor Thomson's helplessness from between the lines.

Professor Thomson is such a protective and strong person.

He would never trouble his students unless it was absolutely necessary.

Li Qiwei will always remember that in order to protect himself from being expelled, the other party was extremely domineering and angrily scolded everyone at the management meeting of Cambridge University.

"It's not the place for an outsider to make comments about Cavendish!"

And now, it is Li Qiwei who has taken over and is holding up the Cavendish lineage.

After all, Chadwick is his nephew.

Without much hesitation, Ridgway began writing the letter and sent it by telegram.

Two of them were addressed to Planck and Roentgen.

The prestige of these two people in the German scientific community is unmatched.

He knew that as long as he spoke, the two old men would definitely not stand idly by.

Especially Professor Planck, he will definitely do his best to help me.

In addition, Ridgway also made individual requests to Nernst, Wien, Laue, Einstein and others.

He brought along almost all the bigwigs he knew.

It is almost equivalent to mobilizing the entire German physics community.

In addition, he sent letters to all the bigwigs in other fields whom he knew.

Then he wrote another article entitled "A Letter to Scientists Around the World."

In this article, Li Qiwei uses powerful language and sincere emotions to describe the relationship between scientists and war.

His eyes were determined and his writing was divine.

"From the bow and arrow in ancient times to the machine guns and cannons of today, the weapons of war have undergone tremendous changes."

"A notable trend is that whenever one side uses scientific knowledge and the other side does not, the result is overwhelming."

"More than 5000 years ago, the British army of several hundred men used machine guns to kill cavalrymen of an African tribe at the cost of only four casualties."

"This was totally unimaginable in the Middle Ages."

“It’s not a war on the same level at all.”

"I don't want to discuss who was right or wrong in the war."

"Because in the eyes of their own people, the enemy country is always the one that is wrong."

“What I want to discuss is what role did scientists play in the evolution of this kind of warfare?”

"There is no doubt that with the development of the times, the role of science and technology in war is decisive."

“Therefore, the role of scientists in supporting war cannot be ignored.”

"Their smart brains can improve weapons, increase power and accuracy, and even create more powerful weapons."

"Physicists can build more sophisticated long-range weapons."

"Chemists can make more powerful explosives."

"Biologists can even create bizarre viral weapons."

"In my opinion, if a scientist wants to go crazy, there is a high probability that he will cause a devastating blow to humanity."

"I'm not being alarmist, this is the truth."

"If I wanted to, I could destroy the whole world."

"But why have we never seen such crazy scientists from ancient times to the present?"

“I think there’s only one reason.”

“That’s because the science is not advanced enough.”

"In the 18th century, steam power was the greatest power available to humankind."

"But compared to today's new gunpowder, its power is nothing."

"Similarly, new types of gunpowder may be viewed in the future as we view the power of bows and arrows today."

"Now that the war in Europe has begun, I know that many scientists are secretly developing new weapons."

"I understand this. After all, scientists have their own motherland."

"In a way, scientists are another type of soldier."

"It is natural for soldiers to fight for their country, and no one can blame them."

"but!"

"Everything that scientists create during war is meaningless to science itself."

"No matter how powerful the explosive is, the principle behind it is a chemical reaction."

"No matter how accurate a gun is, its essence is the calculation of its trajectory."

"The scientific principles used in these weapons are at the simplest level in the scientific field."

"It's like asking a PhD to calculate a problem for a middle school student."

"So, there are many scientists who are disgusted with war and don't want to get involved."

“They would rather study real science and truth.”

“But that doesn’t mean they are unpatriotic.”

"Scientists like these cannot be treated as soldiers or hostile forces."

"We cannot imprison them just because they are scientists and pose a potential threat."

"If even neutrality is not allowed, the probability of mad scientists appearing will greatly increase."

"This is a consequence that no one and no country can afford."

"Therefore, I would like to call on governments around the world to treat neutral scientists with kindness and respect."

"The truth they pursue is beneficial to the whole world and is equivalent to all countries."

"Professor Eddington, during the war, he still risked his life to verify the theory of general relativity."

"What a pure spirit for science."

“Relativity cannot produce a single gun or a single cannonball, but it can create a brilliant future for physics and even affect the future of all mankind.”

“Finally, I want to say something to my fellow scientists around the world.”

“Let us unite and make a common appeal.”

"War must give way to pure truth!"

"Finally, I sincerely invite all scientists from around the world who are against war to come to the City of Science."

“This is the pure land I created for science.”

boom!
On August 1914, 8, when Ridgwell's "Letter to the Scientists of the World" was published in Nature, it instantly caused a global sensation.

Countless mainstream newspapers rushed to reprint the article.

The shadow of war made everyone breathless.

In this article, Li Qiwei's words are powerful and brilliant.

Although he did not explicitly oppose war, everyone could read the implicit ideas.

As a scientist, he looked at the relationship between science and war rationally.

He was not sensational, did not incite, and did not foolishly think that scientists should not participate in wars.

Instead, he expounds his views on the responsibilities of scientists in war from a unique perspective.

In particular, the arguments about neutral scientists and war giving way to truth moved countless scientists.

It really touched their hearts.

Although many people fought for their country, they really didn't want to participate in the war.

This contradiction makes them very painful.

Given Ridgwell’s status as the foremost scientist of his time, one can imagine the impact his articles had.

Especially one of the sentences: If I want to, I can destroy the whole world.

It made countless people crazy.

Everyone seemed to see a domineering figure, overlooking the war on the planet from high above.

The huge figure's cold eyes were emotionless, but if you looked carefully, you could see a fleeting glimmer of humanity.

Almost immediately after receiving Ridgway's letter for help, German scientists saw this article.

Everyone was shocked.

Planck stared at the article for ten minutes, his face flushed with excitement.

He murmured to himself:

"Bruce, this article is so well written."

"This time, even I will follow in your footsteps."

Planck then made his decision without hesitation.

He immediately organized and called on scientists in Germany to gather at the German Academy of Sciences.

He joined forces with big names such as Roentgen, Wien, and Nernst to appeal to everyone to provide help to Eddington and others.

Soon, with the efforts of the German Academy of Sciences, a rescue operation officially began.

This is not only a redemption for Eddington, but also a redemption for general relativity.

Most importantly, it is the salvation of truth!
(End of this chapter)