1900: A physics genius wandering around Europe

Chapter 430 A question shocked everyone! Why are elements so colorful! The hope of chemistry lies in physics!

Today's speech was originally just a part of Li Qiwei's trip to Germany.

Einstein invited him, and more importantly, many German physicists, to discuss the most cutting-edge issues together.

To put it bluntly, speaking is just a by-product.

After all, Professor Bruce's speeches are well-known and each one of them has a earth-shaking impact.

Come here.

Wouldn't it be a waste of a precious opportunity if I didn't give a speech?

Hence today’s speech.

Moreover, modern physics has been developing for twenty years.

Many theories and concepts have been very in-depth.

It is difficult for an undergraduate student who has not received postgraduate training to understand what is being studied in the most cutting-edge physics.

Unlike in the early days, when the concept of quantum was first proposed, everyone could talk about it.

And now, not many people present can fully understand the Bohr-Lee model.

This is also why the more scientists learn, the less popular they become.

Because there are too few people who can understand each other.

Therefore, speeches to the general public must not be too profound.

On the one hand, many people don’t understand.

On the other hand, this also places extremely high demands on the speaker's abilities.

However, today, Li Qiwei still brought surprises and even shocks to everyone.

"Oh my God! Is there another major breakthrough in quantum theory?"

"I'm a chemistry major, and I've been shocked many times."

"Since the birth of modern physics, chemistry has developed rapidly like a rocket."

"Many problems that were previously incomprehensible have been solved by physicists, while chemists are just picking up ready-made ones."

"What kind of changes will Professor Bruce bring to chemistry?"

"I'm already looking forward to the next speech."

The big guys sitting in the front row also looked at each other in bewilderment.

They had only one common thought in their minds:

"Bruce is really good at stirring up trouble."

"Before the speech even started, his words were so shocking that they captured everyone's heart."

These big guys are also looking forward to seeing how the other party will use quantum theory to put an end to the title of alchemist.

Li Qiwei looked at the surprised expressions of the crowd, smiled, and began to speak:
“Chemistry is an ancient subject.”

"Its development in the West has roughly gone through the following stages:"

"In ancient times, people developed chemical processes such as pottery making, metallurgy, and dyeing."

"We even mastered methods such as metal purification."

"These are certainly not chemistry, they can only be called crafts."

"But these techniques laid the foundation for the emergence of chemistry."

"In the Middle Ages, people explored the material world more deeply, and chemical knowledge gradually became intertwined with religion and philosophy."

“During this period, alchemy became mainstream.”

"Alchemists have two greatest goals: turning stone into gold and elixirs of immortality."

“The former is to transform ordinary metals into gold through various chemical methods, such as calcination, dissolution, etc.”

"And the latter is trying to create a pill that can make people immortal by mixing various substances."

"The amazing thing is that these two goals are also mainstream in the East."

"Unfortunately, neither side succeeded in the end."

"Because although the alchemists at that time had a lot of experience in chemistry, they did not understand the nature of chemistry."

“If you can’t use laws to explain the phenomena you’ve discovered, you naturally won’t be able to draw inferences about other situations.”

"Moreover, their actions are heavily influenced by religion, which hinders scientific research."

"It was not until after the Renaissance, when Galileo established the modern scientific system, that chemistry became independent from religion."

“Chemists began to use experiments to study the structure and properties of matter.”

"In the 17th century, Boyle proposed the concept of 'elements'."

"In the 18th century, Lavoisier proposed the oxidation theory, which overturned the phlogiston theory and revealed the nature of combustion."

“Also, he proposed the law of conservation of mass.”

“At this point, chemistry became a real discipline.”

Li Qiwei's knowledge of the history of chemistry impressed everyone present.

Professor Bruce is obviously a physicist, but he has such a deep understanding of chemistry.

Heisenberg's eyes lit up in the audience.

"Is this Professor Bruce's speech?"

"As the rumors say, any knowledge and concepts spoken from his mouth become easy to understand."

"Besides, he is too knowledgeable."

“I am so lucky to hear this speech today.”

Pauli next to him curled his lips and retorted:

"It's just so-so, nothing special."

"I can only say that Professor Bruce's speaking ability is top-notch."

"If this is all that's in the rest of the story, I'll be very disappointed."

Heisenberg stared at Ridgway on the stage and murmured quietly, "Impossible."

Soon, they were going to be shocked.

At this time, Li Qiwei suddenly changed the topic and said:
“From modern times to the present, the field of chemistry has made a lot of achievements.”

"Especially in the field of synthetic polymers, the results are amazing."

"Rubber, urea, benzene polymers, etc."

“Chemists can proudly say that chemistry has changed the world.”

"However, in my opinion, chemistry still has not gotten rid of the hat of alchemy."

“Chemists today simply know more than alchemists in the Middle Ages.”

“At our core, we are all alchemists.”

"Alchemists in the past used crude instruments to experiment, while chemists today use more advanced instruments."

"But both can only grasp the laws of matter, but cannot explain why matter has such laws."

Wow!
Li Qiwei's conclusion caused an uproar in the conference hall.

Everyone was shocked by this statement.

Modern chemists are still alchemists!

How can this be?

Originally, everyone thought that Professor Bruce was just using the alchemist as a metaphor.

This means that there is still room for breakthroughs in chemistry today.

However, no one expected that he actually believed that chemists were alchemists.

This is a bit surprising.

How can the two be compared?

Could medieval alchemists have invented synthetic ammonia?

If Harber were sitting here, he would probably be in tears.

Professor Bruce, whom he respected the most, actually said that he was an alchemist.

Nernst in the front row widened his eyes, then gave a wry smile.

If anyone else had been on the stage today, the director of the Institute of Physical Chemistry at the University of Berlin would have been furious on the spot.

However, if it is Professor Bruce, it is a different story.

"Bruce, I'm still sitting here, give me some face."

But the bosses knew that the man was never one to attract attention.

He will definitely give explanations and clarifications next.

Sure enough, Li Qiwei continued:

"I know that many of you here probably disagree with my point of view."

"Well, I'll just ask a question."

"If any of you can answer that, I will take back what I said and apologize."

“Everyone can answer, whether they are students or teachers.”

Wow!
There was another exclamation on the field!
This speech was too exciting. Pauli finally perked up and had to admit: it was starting to get interesting.

At this time, Li Qiwei asked:

"We know that in the periodic table, metallic sodium is very reactive and explodes when it comes into contact with water."

"Likewise, chlorine is also a very reactive gas, highly toxic, and can easily react strongly with living organisms."

"But when they are combined together, the sodium chloride they form is very stable."

"It has even become an essential salt in human daily life."

"From explosions and poisons to food for humans, this is a revolutionary change."

"Does anyone know the reason?"

"And further, why is it that our world has such a rich variety of elements, all with different properties?"

"What factors determine the properties of elements?"

Wow!
As soon as the question was asked, the conference hall fell silent.

Everyone's mouth opened wide, as if they had never thought about this question before.

There were also many students majoring in chemistry present.

From the first day of class, they began to learn various chemical reactions.

“Oxygen + Hydrogen → Water.”

“Carbon + oxygen → carbon dioxide.”

"Sodium + water → sodium hydroxide + hydrogen."

"."

They know even more chemical reactions than Professor Bruce does.

However, no one has ever explained why sodium reacts explosively when it meets water, but carbon does not react when it meets water?
The students had not thought of asking such questions.

Because in everyone's opinion, isn't this the natural law that should be taken for granted?

It's like no one asks why stone is hard, because it is hard.

However, now, Professor Bruce, one of the world's leading scientists, has asked a thought-provoking question.

Why are there various elements with different properties in this world?
Heisenberg was stunned at this moment.

He didn't expect someone would ask such a question?

Shouldn't this be common sense?

Just remember it.

At this moment, he felt the rigorous attitude of the great scientist.

Question anything you take for granted!
Explore the essence behind it.

Heisenberg's admiration for Ridgway was simply beyond words.

The other party's speech was different from that of all other bigwigs, and it was full of personal heroism.

Heisenberg knew that this was because Professor Bruce's strength far surpassed everyone present.

He sees higher, farther and deeper.

It was precisely because of today's speech that it had a profound impact on Heisenberg's future theories.

Pauli was also a little shocked.

He felt like he couldn't find anything to criticize.

That man is truly horrible.

There is a huge gap between us and him.

Pauli found it easy to criticize others because he had his own insights and opinions, which were often better than others.

But facing Li Qiwei, he could only be crushed.

How can you still have the nerve to argue with others when you can’t even answer their questions?

"Can Professor Bruce explain this problem?"

"If this is true, it can be said that it has completely changed the discipline of chemistry."

Somehow Pauli felt that this possibility was very high.

The big guys in the front row were also lost in thought at this moment.

Nernst, in particular, was shocked.

He is the originator of the third law of thermodynamics and can be considered half a chemist.

Even in real history, he will win this year's Nobel Prize in Chemistry.

But he was also at a loss as to what to do with Li Qiwei's problem.

He hadn't even thought about this aspect.

Although Soddy's theory and Bruce's proton-neutron model brought about a revolutionary change in chemistry.

Chemists have figured out the true meaning of the periodic table.

But this only means that people understand why the elements are arranged in this way, but they don't know why they have this property.

This is the most essential and core issue in chemistry.

It was also the emergence of chemistry that became the obstacle to becoming a logically self-consistent and independent discipline like physics.

If this problem were truly solved, chemists would no longer be alchemists.

Nernst said to Einstein next to him with emotion:

"I have a feeling that today's meeting will shock the scientific community."

"You've accidentally changed the world."

Einstein was at a loss whether to laugh or cry when he heard this.

Bruce is still Bruce.

He never gives a perfunctory speech or academic lecture.

Always ask thought-provoking questions with curiosity and awe of science.

Wherever he is, the dawn of science shines.

On the podium, Li Qiwei took in everyone's expressions.

He smiled and said, "It seems that no one can answer this question."

“Chemists can make purer sodium chloride than people in the Middle Ages could.”

“But there is no essential difference between the two.”

“Chemists are just [using] this level in a more detailed way than their predecessors.”

“We know that it is impossible to turn stone into gold, but we still don’t know why gold is so stable.”

"We have the most advanced glass instruments, not the crude alchemy furnaces of the past."

"But it is still unclear what changes occur between substances in the instrument and how they react."

“It’s like there’s a black box.”

“Put A in, and B will come out.”

"But no one knows what the process is like in between."

"Anyone who does this kind of thing is actually an alchemist."

“Chemistry today is no exception.”

The venue was so quiet that you could hear a pin drop, and a pessimistic mood spread.

At this time, Pauli suddenly asked loudly:
"Professor Bruce, can you solve this problem?"

"Otherwise we won't obey you."

The crowd was suddenly in an uproar.

Everyone looked at Pauli, wondering where this fat boy came from and how dare he be so brave.

Sommerfeld covered his head in embarrassment, looking helpless.

That boy started talking nonsense again.

Li Qiwei didn't expect that a young man would dare to talk to him like this.

However, he was very happy.

He had seen too much deferential attitude.

"Young man, I will remember you."

"You can come see me after the meeting."

Everyone was envious.

Heisenberg was grinning beside him, he thought that senior brother Pauli was so awesome.

"Of course I can."

"Otherwise, I wouldn't have said that I would help chemists take off their alchemist hats."

"And the solution lies in quantum theory!"

Wow!
The crowd was shocked!

(End of this chapter)