1900: A physics genius wandering around Europe

Chapter 377 How can a cup of water boil without fire?

Guangdong University.

This best university in the south, built with the efforts of the entire province, is located in the city center of Guangzhou, where every inch of land is valuable.

If we compare it simply in terms of area, it far exceeds many universities in Europe and the United States.

Of course, the current number of students is still relatively small.

According to Wang Jile, Guangdong University currently enrolls about 500 students each year.

In this day and age, that number is definitely too many.

Although Li Qiwei started planning for higher education in China very early on, the current situation is still developing rapidly.

But the overall progress has not seen explosive growth.

Only Guangdong University and Imperial University have this scale. Universities in general provinces have only two to three hundred people each year.

At this moment, more than 2,000 teachers and students are already in place in the school's lecture hall.

No one asked for leave or did not come, and everyone cherished this rare opportunity.

In the front row of the venue, Wang Jile, Yu Tianchi, and senior executives from the school and education sector sat together.

There was a smile on everyone's face.

Li Qiwei walked onto the podium amid the applause and cheers of the crowd.

He waved his hand gently, and the audience instantly became quiet.

Such a terrifying influence made everyone extremely excited.

"This is our Chinese God of Science!"

Li Qiwei looked at the admiration of the people below the stage and felt deeply moved.

Because China's young people have been suppressed for too long.

Ever since the Opium War, all Chinese people have felt that they are inferior.

Especially when compared with the West, we feel ashamed and inferior.

This idea is not just held by one person. From the elites to ordinary people, everyone has this idea.

Because all the facts prove this.

Westerners have strong ships and powerful guns and telegraphs to transmit messages.

Their technology is overwhelming the world, and it seems like they are in two different dimensions from China.

There is no comparison.

Therefore, many students in China now want to study abroad.

Although Li Qiwei founded Huangpu University of Technology, it has been too short a time and still has a gap with those old world-renowned universities.

The most important thing is that in such a vast country like China, there is only one Whampoa Institute of Technology.

Therefore, most students are destined to choose to study abroad if they want to continue their studies.

This is also something that can't be helped.

Development requires a process.

The West has accumulated experience for hundreds of years, and surpassing others cannot be achieved overnight.

Li Qiwei has laid the foundation.

Although it is still very weak, it is at least a difference from nothing to something.

Now, what he has to solve is to bring confidence to young students.

As a person with experience in the future and one of the world's leading scientists, Li Qiwei has a broader perspective and looks at issues further.

Nature can help young students clear the fog.

Only by establishing invincible self-confidence from the bottom of your heart can you unleash infinite power.

The most important thing is to make young people more accepting of and loving the country.

Especially in the fields of education and technology, these two areas are very critical.

Then, Li Qiwei spoke:

"I think everyone here should know the speech I gave in Sakura Country."

“In that speech, I laid out my understanding of the nature of physics research.”

“Analyzed the cultural differences between the East and the West and their impact on scientific research.”

“I didn’t know you would interpret my speech.”

"Perhaps some people would think that Professor Li looks down on Chinese culture and believes that Chinese culture cannot give birth to science."

"After all, I cited the example of Mozi and Archimedes on the law of levers."

“It shows that only Europe has true scientific thinking.”

"Besides, I only achieved success after studying abroad at Cambridge University."

There was an instant buzz in the audience.

Apparently many people think this way.

Students in the field of natural sciences feel it most deeply.

When they were studying basic physics, there was no Chinese name in the books.

Newton, Maxwell, Faraday
These Westerners created a brilliant scientific culture.

Fortunately, after 1900, Professor Li emerged and suppressed everything.

However, Professor Li’s theory is too profound, and there is currently no systematic course at the undergraduate level.

Only graduate students in Europe and the United States will begin to get involved and conduct real research.

Therefore, everyone feels that Chinese culture is indeed not suitable for science.

However, in such an occasion, no one dared to stand up directly because everyone present respected Li Qiwei.

Moreover, everyone knows that Professor Li's speeches are famous for their reversals.

All previous views will be overturned later.

As expected, Li Qiwei continued:
“But what I want to say is that this idea is wrong.”

"Because there is no direct relationship between scientific thinking and cultural attributes."

"Europe has its own unique culture, just like Chinese culture."

"Blue and white porcelain is culture, and Mona Lisa is also culture."

“Landscapes and artistic conception are culture, and so are light and shadow.”

“There is no difference between the two.”

“These different cultures all have their own distinct characteristics.”

“It would be difficult for a European to appreciate the artistic conception of Along the River During the Qingming Festival.”

"Similarly, as a Chinese, I have watched Mona Lisa several times, but to be honest, I really can't see what's going on."

"Because it involves a combination of geography, politics, economy, history and other factors, which form cultural symbols and characteristics."

“It’s hard for people who haven’t been immersed in that kind of environment for a long time to feel the essence of it.”

“Science is different.”

“In my opinion, science is more like a universal culture.”

“No matter which country you are from, you can appreciate the beauty of the Pythagorean theorem.”

“Since it is universal, it means that everyone can appreciate it and learn from it.”

"So it's not that Chinese culture is unsuitable for scientific thinking, but that they are fundamentally two different things."

"The difficulty for us Chinese to learn science should be the same as that for Westerners."

Countless students in the audience nodded.

Li Qiwei's easy-to-understand words make it easy for people to understand the relationship between science and culture.

Yes, we Chinese can also learn science without any obstacles.

Suddenly, Li Qiwei changed the topic and said:
"But since there is no difference between people in the East and West in learning science."

"Then why do our students prefer to study abroad?"

"Let me give you two examples." "The first example was told to me by your principal Wang."

"HQ schools in the north are very popular now because studying there can give you the opportunity to study abroad in Country M."

"This university, funded by Country M, has attracted many students even though it has just started."

“I think its faculty may not be comparable to GD University.”

“But there is a huge gap in competitiveness between the two.”

“The second example is what happened to me.”

"Yesterday, my old housekeeper's grandson, Sun Hai, asked me to give him some advice."

"The young man will graduate next year and currently has three options."

"One of them is to study abroad in Europe and the United States."

"He said it was recommended by his classmates because everyone's first goal is to study abroad in Europe and the United States."

"At the very least, even if I go to YHG, I think it's better than being in the country."

Sun Hai in the audience lowered his head embarrassedly, and everyone looked at him.

He never publicized his relationship with the third young master at school.

He was just worried that someone would say he was arrogant.

I didn’t expect that the third young master would reveal it himself now.

And he also used him as an example.

This made Sun Hai, who was usually a bit shy, feel afraid of becoming the center of attention.

"That's right. The Third Young Master is of such high status that what I'm worried about is nothing but clouds in his eyes."

Ridgeway continued:
"The current influential figures in China, whether they are liberal arts students or science students, all have experience studying abroad."

"So it seems that young people have reached a consensus that they must study abroad."

"I majored in physics, so I only care about science and engineering."

"Dear students, what is the reason for this?"

Everyone was whispering to each other and the venue started to get noisy.

At this time, a brave student stood up and said with courage:
"Professor Li, I think the root cause of the phenomenon you mentioned is that our domestic education is not as good as foreign education."

Wow!
Everyone looked towards the person who spoke, thinking that this boy was very brave.

Li Qiwei smiled slightly. He liked people who dared to express their opinions.

“This classmate is right.”

“I think what he said is also what most of the students here think.”

"Then let me ask you one more question. In what specific aspects does the educational gap you mentioned manifest itself?"

"Where exactly?"

"Eh?" The student was suddenly speechless.

He just thinks that European and American universities are good, but when it comes to really analyzing what is good about them, he can't really put it into words.

After all, he had never been abroad, and the information he knew was all hearsay.

The classmates around me, as well as the seniors who have returned from studying abroad, all said in unison that foreign universities are awesome.

Although Huangpu University of Science and Technology has emerged as a rising star in recent years, in everyone's mind, Huangpu is still the leader in Asia.

On a global scale, it belongs to the second tier.

Even if Li Qiwei is here, it is impossible for him to teach everyone.

Therefore, Huangpu’s overall strength is weaker.

Seeing that the other party couldn't answer, Li Qiwei just smiled and said:

"Let me help you analyze it."

"However, I would like to use another story to introduce my topic today."

"After I returned to China, I saw such a short story in a domestic newspaper."

"It is said that there was an educator who conducted an experiment."

"He gave a glass of water to a student from country A and another to a student from country B, and told them to boil the water without using fire."

"The students from Country A put the water in the sun for a whole day, but the water didn't boil."

"The clever student from country B took four cups of 25℃ water and mixed them together, easily raising the temperature of the water to 100℃, and the water boiled."

"Thus, educators came to the conclusion that rigid education can never produce great scientists with innovative consciousness."

puff!
As soon as the story was finished, the audience was quiet at first, and then burst into laughter.

"Hahaha, this story is so funny."

"I didn't expect that someone as great as Professor Li would also like to watch this kind of joke."

However, a small number of people in the conference hall did not laugh. They were feeling the profound meaning of Professor Li's story.

Li Qiwei waved his hand gently, and everyone returned to silence.

He chuckled and said:

"Don't be impatient, the story is not over yet."

"Then, here comes another educator."

"He gave a glass of water to a student from country A and a student from country B, and told them to boil the water without using fire."

"This time, students from country A chose to mix four cups of 25°C water together, making the water boil easily."

"The simple student from country B chose to put the water in the sun and waited quietly, but he failed in the end."

"Thus, educators concluded that although the students of Country B lost, they still won honor in defeat."

"Because the children educated in country B are very honest and won't play tricks."

"Children educated in Country A tend to take shortcuts and will never become upright people in the future."

At this moment, there were only scattered laughter in the venue, and many students' expressions began to become serious, as if they had realized something.

"Then, a third educator came."

"This time, he gave a glass of water to a group of students from country A and a group of students from country B, and he also boiled the water without using fire."

"The students from Country A all put the water in the sun and failed in the end."

"The smart students of country B, after an effective meeting, decided to mix four cups of 4℃ water together and successfully made the water boil."

"Thus, educators came to the conclusion that rigid education can never cultivate students with a spirit of cooperation."

"And the spirit of collaboration is one of the most important abilities in scientific research."

This time, no one laughed in the huge conference hall.

"Finally, a fourth educator arrived."

"Similarly, he gave a glass of water to a group of students from country A and a group of students from country B, and he also boiled the water without using fire."

"This time, the students of Country A quickly gathered together to discuss and deliberate."

"Finally I decided to mix four cups of 4°C water together and succeeded in making the water boil."

"But the students from country B all put the water in the sun and failed in the end."

"Thus, educators came to the conclusion that children educated in Country A will never solve problems on their own and will always want to rely on the power of the group."

"Children educated in Country B are able to think independently and be self-reliant. Only such a nation has a future and hope."

At this moment, the entire venue was silent.

There was a puzzled look on everyone's face.

Especially the leaders of schools and education departments in the front row, their expressions were solemn.

Obviously, the story told by Li Qiwei made everyone start to think.

Although this story is a joke, it is thought-provoking.

Different people see different things.

But many people have not thought about the essence of education.

(End of this chapter)