1900: A physics genius wandering around Europe

Chapter 415: The two strategies shocked the audience! The great debate of the century! One word could determine the future of astronomy!

The venue of the Metropolitan Hotel is now packed with people.

Nearly 300 astronomers from more than 30 countries will establish the International Astronomical Union here.

This is a milestone event in the entire field of astronomy, marking the beginning of a new stage of development for astronomy.

The big names and newcomers in the field of astronomy were all present.

When Ridgway entered, Dyson, President of the Royal Astronomical Society of the United Kingdom and Director of the Royal Observatory Greenwich, had been waiting for a long time.

He took a step forward, his face flushed with joy, and said:

"Professor Bruce, everyone is waiting for you."

"If you don't show up, they'll think I'm lying."

Everyone around laughed.

Li Qiwei smiled and said, "Oh, I was just communicating with our Chinese astronomers."

Dyson had met Gao Lu before and said to him:

"Oh, Master Gao, we meet again."

"Your achievements in astronomy have benefited me a lot."

Seeing the person being carried in the fancy sedan, Gao Lu's old face turned red.

He was very clear about his level of astronomy, which was far from enough compared to the big guys present.

Not to mention Dyson, an authority in the field of astronomy.

But because of Professor Li's presence, instead of mocking him, others treated him with courtesy.

At this moment, Gao Lu intuitively felt Li Qiwei's influence in Europe.

After the greetings, Dyson continued:

"Professor Bruce, I'll introduce you to some more friends."

"This is Professor Hale, one of the founders of the American Astronomical Society and director of the Mount Wilson Observatory."

Hale is considered a powerful figure in the field of American astronomy.

He is known as the "father of modern solar observational astronomy."

Hale spent his entire life studying the Sun, and he was the first to discover the existence of magnetic fields around sunspots.

While serving as professor of astronomy at the University of Chicago from 1893 to 1905, he oversaw the construction of two large observatories.

They are also the most advanced observatories in the United States and even in the world.

Yerkes Observatory and Mount Wilson Observatory.

The former is the observatory where Hubble worked during his doctoral studies, which is affiliated with the University of Chicago.

The latter is located in California.

Hale served successively as director of two major observatories.

After Hubble graduated, he was recruited by Hale himself and transferred to Mount Wilson Observatory.

The observatory currently has the world's largest reflecting telescope, with an astonishing diameter of 2.5 meters.

You have to know that in China during the same period, astronomy was still at the level of "an old man observing the celestial phenomena at night."

Even in the country of Sakura, which has the strongest astronomy in Asia, the aperture is only 50 centimeters.

The huge gap is evident.

Hubble was the first user of this telescope.

This is enough to show how much importance Hale attached to Hubble.

It is no wonder that such a big shot would be dissatisfied with Dyson's formation of a federation.

But towards Li Qiwei, Haier was extremely enthusiastic.

"Professor Bruce, seeing is believing. Today I am finally fortunate enough to meet you."

The 51-year-old Hai Er is a little thin, but he is just as imposing and full of energy.

Li Qiwei stretched out his hand and said with a smile:
"Hello, Professor Heil."

"Hubble once wrote to me about you. He learned a lot from you at the Mount Wilson Observatory."

Hai Er was extremely happy after hearing this.

Hubble was the most brilliant and talented person he had ever taught.

Moreover, the other party had also studied under Professor Bruce.

This resume is the guarantee of your academic career.

Hale was very confident in Hubble. He believed that Hubble would definitely create brilliance in the field of astronomy.

At this moment, Hubble, who was behind Hale, seemed extremely excited after seeing Li Qiwei again.

"Professor Bruce, it's great to meet you."

Li Qiwei patted his shoulder and encouraged:

"You now have the best telescope in the world."

"I hope you can use it to make great breakthroughs in astronomy."

Hubble's blood boiled after hearing this.

He currently has two research directions.

One is about the structure of the universe, that is, whether the Milky Way is the only galaxy in the universe.

The second is the fifth prediction of general relativity: the expansion of the universe.

These two topics are also extremely hot and cutting-edge directions in current astronomy.

Only the most advanced observatories have the capability to conduct this kind of research.

Because it requires detailed and accurate measurement of information on a large number of celestial bodies.

Very high-end telescopes are especially important.

Then, Hale took the opportunity to introduce another newcomer in his observatory.

"Professor Bruce, please allow me to introduce you to an outstanding young man."

"Shapley, Master of Princeton University, Research Fellow at Mount Wilson Observatory."

“It was he who proved that the solar system is not at the center of the Milky Way, but at the edge of the Milky Way.”

Shapley, 34 years old this year, is definitely a young talent in the field of astronomy.

Moreover, he is a staunch supporter of the idea that "the Milky Way is the entire universe" and strongly opposes the "island universe" theory.

In real history, Shapley would soon become the director of the Harvard College Observatory.

Li Qiwei smiled and said to him:

"Shapley, if Copernicus knew your results, he would be furious."

Everyone laughed when they heard this.

Copernicus, who proposed the heliocentric theory, never expected that one day his own theory would be overturned.

It was because of this achievement that Shapley became famous in the astronomy world.

Even Hubble cannot match him for the time being.

But at this moment, he was as excited as Hubble.

"Thank you for the compliment, Professor Bruce."

Dyson, who was standing by, saw Haier showing off so proudly, so he deliberately made him angry.

"Professor Bruce, allow me to introduce a few more to you."

Having said that, he pulled Li Qiwei to look at the other people.

Eddington behind Dyson and Hubble behind Hale smiled at each other, with helpless expressions on their faces.

When the big guys are fighting, they dare not interfere.

"This is Professor Curtis from Lick Observatory."

"He was a staunch supporter of the island universe theory."

After Dyson finished his introduction, everyone instantly smelled a hint of gunpowder.

Shapley and Curtis had completely opposite views on the universe.

The former believes that the Milky Way is the entire universe.

The latter believes that the Milky Way is just an ordinary galaxy among the countless galaxies in the universe.

The two of them were diametrically opposed.

Of course, this is just an academic dispute, and the big guys can still chat and laugh together.

It's just that Shapley and Curtis looked at each other vaguely, with meaningful expressions in their eyes.

Then, Dyson introduced a special person.

"This is Ms. Leavitt from the Harvard Observatory."

"It was she who discovered the famous Cepheid variable star after analyzing thousands of photos."

The so-called Cepheid variables refer to a type of high-luminosity pulsating variable stars.

That is, the brightness of stars will change periodically over time.

Based on this characteristic, this type of star can be used as a ruler to measure the distances between celestial bodies and galaxies in the universe.

Therefore, Cepheid variables are known as the "ruler of the sky".

This reflects its great role in astronomical measurement.

In the early days of astronomy, measurement has always been a difficult problem in astronomy due to the lack of ultra-precision instruments.

Although there are several indirect measurement methods, their precision and accuracy are not satisfactory.

The discovery of Cepheid variables has greatly made up for this shortcoming.

So after Levitt was introduced, all the bigwigs present had serious expressions and admired the elderly woman in front of them very much.

It's not just about the other person's achievements, but also because she was able to achieve such achievements despite being born deaf.

Among the many gentlemen on the field, he is particularly valuable.

Li Qiwei showed her enough respect.

"Hello, Ms. Levitt, it's nice to meet you."

In this era, if a woman can achieve success in any field, she must have endured unimaginable hardships.

LeWitt's achievement is closely related to a sensational piece of news in the academic world.

In real history, in 1920, a century-long debate took place in the field of astronomy.

The topic of the debate was "The size of the universe."

The two sides of the debate were Shapley and Curtis.

Shapley believed that the Milky Way was the entire universe, while Curtis believed that there were other galaxies outside the Milky Way.

The ultimate disagreement between the two views is: How big is the Milky Way?

Shapley used globular clusters as distance measuring tools and measured the diameter of the Milky Way to be 30 light years.

He believed that this amazing size was enough to accommodate the entire universe.

Curtis used yellow dwarf stars as distance measuring tools and calculated that the diameter of the Milky Way is only 3 light years.

This scale is far from being the entire universe, because many stars discovered at that time were farther away from the earth than this.

Both sides insist on their own opinions, and no one can convince the other.

However, the debate made both sides famous and had bright futures.

Shapley soon became the director of the Harvard College Observatory, and Curtis also moved from researcher to director.

But the problem was not solved and continued to puzzle astronomers until Hubble took action three years later and directly solved the problem.

It turns out that Shapley and Curtis were both wrong because they used the wrong measuring tools.

Hubble used Cepheid variables as a distance measuring tool and measured that the Andromeda Galaxy is at least 100 million light-years away from the Milky Way.

This distance far exceeds the diameter of the Milky Way itself.

This shows that the Andromeda Nebula must be located outside the Milky Way.

This conclusion caused a huge sensation in the field of astronomy.

When Hubble sent Shapley a letter about his discovery, Shapley lamented, "This letter has destroyed my world."

Later, more and more astronomers found more Cepheid variables.

After a large number of repeated measurements, Hubble's theory was confirmed.

At this point, the astronomical community reached a consensus: the Milky Way is just an ordinary galaxy in the universe.

Soon, Dyson finished his introduction.

From his introduction, we can see that the United States at that time was very strong in the field of astronomy, which was completely different from its weakness in physics.

Because astronomy is so tool-dependent.

If you want to do your work well, you must first sharpen your tools. This is perfectly reflected in astronomy.

Gao Lu and the other two had been following Li Qiwei. When they heard that the United States already had a 2.5-meter telescope, they were shocked.

If they do not attend such international conferences, they will never be able to experience this gap firsthand.

"You've come to the right place. You've come to the right place."

Surrounded by Dyson, Hale and others, Li Qiwei slowly walked up to the podium.

At this time, there was a man standing there with an extremely confused expression.

"Hello? Hello? Hello?"

"Have you forgotten me? Aren't you going to introduce me?"

"I am the current president of the American Astronomical Society and director of the Yale University Observatory."

"Is it really that unremarkable?"

Schlesinger looked distressed, but he did not dare to shout.

Because Haier not only helped him, but also was his guide in astronomy.

Not a teacher, but better than a teacher.

Therefore, in front of Professor Haier, who had a strong aura, he could only keep a low profile.

At this moment, Li Qiwei had already stepped onto the podium under Dyson's enthusiastic introduction.

Thunderous applause immediately broke out in the conference hall.

"I am very happy to have the trust of all of you to serve as the President of the International Astronomical Union."

"Science is inherently without national boundaries or racial distinctions, and astronomy is a good example of this idea."

“The vastness of the universe forces us to join hands to explore its mysteries.”

"Before the European war, the German Astronomical Society published the first volume of the star catalog."

"This chart, which records the positions of only 14 stars, took more than 7 years of observational data from 13 observatories in seven countries."

"And there are tens of millions of stars in the Milky Way!"

“No country has the ability to fully depict the vast starry sky above our heads.”

“Therefore, the establishment of the International Astronomical Union is a historical necessity and a scientific necessity.”

Li Qiwei gave a high-level explanation of the necessity of establishing the Astronomical Union, which won the recognition and applause of everyone present.

Off the field, Masaaki Kobayashi, president of the Sakura Country Astronomical Society and director of the Tokyo Astronomical Observatory, talked to Gao Lu with envy and flattery on his face.

"Mr. Gao Lu, I hope that in the future in the Federation, China and Sakura Country can work together and participate in the great cause of international astronomy."

Gao Lu snorted lightly, still feeling resentful towards the Sakura Country.

You ignored me in the past, but now you can’t afford me.

It’s so refreshing. So refreshing.

Everyone present knew that once the observatories around the world united, the massive data sharing would surely produce many results.

Whoever has a say in the federation will benefit greatly from the development of their own astronomy.

And because of Li Qiwei, the Chinese Tianwen Society is definitely one of the core members of the federation.

Gao Lu's status in the field of Asian astronomy will also rise accordingly.

Chinese Tianxia literature will also usher in explosive development.

Gao Lu said coldly:
"Mr. Xiaolin, your country must not be so arrogant as before."

Xiao Lin smiled flatteringly: "Hi!"

Soon, the two were attracted by Li Qiwei's next words on the stage.

At this time, Li Qiwei smiled and said:

"I'm sure you've all heard of the Bruce Conference in the field of physics."

“This is the supreme conference of physics.”

"It represents the most cutting-edge direction in physics."

“It guides physicists to have in-depth discussions on the most critical issues.”

"I think this could be a lesson for astronomy as well."

“So, hereby, in my capacity as president, I propose that the International Astronomical Union hold a general meeting every three years.”

“Presenting and discussing the latest research results at the conference.”

"Together, we are bringing a whole new level of prosperity to astronomy."

Wow!
Li Qiwei's highly persuasive and inspiring speech instantly made the astronomers present excited.

Everyone's eyes widened with excitement.

Especially the younger generation like Hubble, Eddington and Shapley, they were extremely yearning.

This supreme astronomical conference is the most suitable stage for them.

Mr. Eddington sighed, thinking that he had proved the bending of starlight a little too early.

"If I could publish my results at an event like this, what a sensation it would cause."

It turns out that showing off is also a basic demand of scientists.

Astronomy giants such as Dyson and Hale were all impressed.

"It was indeed the right decision to invite Professor Bruce to be the president of the International Astronomical Union."

Haier even said bluntly: "If Dyson were the chairman, it would be a disaster. The old man must still be reading from a script now."

The big guys around smiled knowingly.

Dyson: "Stupid!"

Just when everyone thought that Professor Bruce's proposal had come to an end, another explosive news came out.

“To enhance the social influence of astronomy and strengthen its vitality.”

“At the same time, it is also a warm-up for the first plenary session.”

“I once again propose to hold a public debate on astronomy for the general public.”

“I’ve even thought of the topic for the debate.”

“It’s called: How big is the universe?”

"This is not only a question of concern to astronomers, but also a question of concern to all of us humans."

"Such a topic will surely attract the interest of countless people."

"Of course, as for the selection of debaters, that will be up to you, Director Dyson and Director Haier, to decide."

boom!
The news about the open debate on astronomy was even more explosive than the plenary meeting just now.

The place was completely crazy and everyone's emotions reached their peak.

"Oh my God, this is Professor Bruce."

"Astronomy with him and astronomy without him are two completely different disciplines."

"The debate hasn't even started yet, but I can already feel how exciting it will be."

"Sure enough, Professor Bruce's ability to stir up trouble is his strongest ability."

“No wonder so many people want to invite Professor Bruce. He is simply a treasure in all disciplines.”

There was a sudden gleam of excitement in Shapley and Curtis' eyes.

A surge of blood boiled in my heart.

The atmosphere of tit-for-tat permeates the air.

This debate will definitely be the most important event in the history of astronomy.

It would not be an exaggeration to even call it the "debate of the century."

It can be compared to when Copernicus advocated the heliocentric theory.

It represents that mankind has evolved from correctly understanding the solar system to correctly understanding the entire universe.

It is a qualitative leap!
If I could win this debate, the reputation I would gain would be unimaginable.

Everyone was excited.

Dyson looked at Li Qiwei, his heart filled with gratitude.

He originally thought that the other party would just come to deal with it, say some polite words, and set up the federation.

I didn’t expect that the other party would care so much about the field of astronomy.

Completely sincere.

These two suggestions can be said to have made astronomy glorious and become a hot topic in the scientific community.

Hai Er said proudly: "Well, it's a good thing you listened to me. You can't do it."

This time, Dyson did not refute. Asking Professor Bruce to be the chairman was definitely his wisest move.

Anyway, he certainly couldn't have thought of these plans.

However, he still silently added: "Idiot!"

Facing the madness of the crowd below the stage, Li Qiwei smiled gently and handled it perfectly.

Gao Lu, Chang Fuyuan and Jiang Bingran looked at the man on the stage with admiration on their faces.

That is Professor Li Qiwei from their China, who is revered as the God of Science.

Just a few words can even determine the future fate of an ancient discipline.

This terrifying influence made the three of them feel as if they were in another world.

"China is blessed to have Professor Li Qiwei!"

Finally, the International Astronomical Union elected six bigwigs including Dyson and Hale as vice-presidents to be responsible for the specific implementation of the work.

The Chairman, six Vice-Chairmen and the Secretary-General form the Executive Committee.

After discussion by the committee, it was decided to hold the first plenary meeting of the International Astronomical Union in Rome, Italy in 1922.

The time for the great debate of the century is set in 1920, and the location is yet to be determined.

At this point, this astronomical federation came to a successful conclusion.

Astronomical societies in more than 30 countries became the first members.

(End of this chapter)