1900: A physics genius wandering around Europe

Chapter 593: As long as Professor Bruce is here, the sky of quantum mechanics will not fall! The solution lies in Guangxiang!

Einstein's light box experiment shocked everyone.

Heisenberg had just summarized the various applications of the uncertainty principle when Einstein raised questions.

This is why the Bruce Conference is the supreme conference in physics.

A collision of scientific ideas!

Even the theory proposed by Professor Bruce has to stand the test.

Unconsciously, today's meeting has gradually split into two factions.

One group, led by Professor Bruce, insists on using quantum mechanics to explain the nature of the world.

The other group is Einstein and Schrödinger, who have different interpretations of quantum mechanics and believe that it is incomplete.

The rest are different types of spectators.

However, no matter how much a big boss eats melons, he is still a big boss.

The principle of complementarity has been proven by experiments, so there is nothing to discuss.

The light box experiment is different; it is a thought experiment that anyone can imagine.

Everyone expressed their opinions.

Fermi asked:

"Professor Einstein, I have a question."

"The mass of a photon is clearly zero, so why does the mass of the light box decrease after a photon escapes?"

Einstein smiled and replied:

"No, it's the photon's rest mass that is zero."

"According to the relationship between momentum and energy in the special theory of relativity: E=(pc)+(mc), where m is the rest mass of the photon."

"It can be seen that if the rest mass of a photon is not zero, then the photon cannot reach the speed of light."

"The reason why photon escape causes mass reduction is that photons have kinetic mass due to the effect of special relativity, and its value is m=hv/c."

"For example, the kinetic mass of a red light photon is about 3×10^-36kg."

"So, even though the light box contains photons, since the photons are always moving at the speed of light, a mass effect will occur."

Fermi suddenly realized what was going on.

It turned out that he did not fully understand the theory of relativity.

If a genius like Fermi was like this, you can imagine what others are like.

It is still very difficult to learn cutting-edge science in this era, and you must follow the right famous teacher.

Unlike later generations, there are various publicly searchable materials and people who specialize in analysis.

At this time, Einstein thought of something and continued to add:
"There is a little story about the kinetic mass of photons."

"When I was discussing the problem with Professor Bruce, he suddenly thought that this property of light could be used to create a solar-powered spacecraft."

"To put it simply, we use the properties of photons, which have momentum and mass, to allow them to hit the sail of the spacecraft and continue to provide power to the spacecraft."

"This will solve the energy problem for long-term space travel."

"After all, stars are very common in the universe, and photons can be found everywhere within the sphere of influence of stars."

"Professor Bruce even gave this spacecraft a descriptive name: the photon spacecraft."

Wow!
Everyone was shocked.

It turns out that there was such an interesting thing when Professor Bruce created the theory of special relativity.

Soon, many people put forward their own views on the light box problem.

But they were all easily resolved by Einstein.

The big guys murmured in their hearts:
“Is the uncertainty principle really wrong?”

"The impact on quantum mechanics would be so huge, it would be like an 18-magnitude earthquake."

The uncertainty principle, as the core principle of quantum mechanics, is of self-evident importance.

But, could Professor Bruce really be wrong?
At this moment, the "Pro-Li" faction had different expressions.

Heisenberg's face turned red.

He felt that Professor Einstein was just looking for trouble on purpose.

Especially when he saw the smile on Schrödinger's face, he felt very uncomfortable and thought he was being laughed at.

In fact, Heisenberg was a little too narrow-minded.

The reason Schrödinger was laughing was that Einstein had just told him why he came up with this experiment.

He finds it very interesting.

Einstein would never deliberately cause trouble for Heisenberg.

In his view, Heisenberg and others are outstanding young people in the field of physics, and he is very concerned about the development of young scholars.

In real history, although Einstein opposed the Copenhagen interpretation of quantum mechanics, he still tried his best to nominate Heisenberg as a candidate for the Nobel Prize.

He also wrote in his nomination opinion:
"In my opinion, this theory (the uncertainty principle) is undoubtedly a truth."

But Heisenberg felt that Einstein was questioning him.

So, the uncertainty principle is his problem.

He was so anxious that he scratched his head, but couldn't think of how to refute.

Pauli next to him couldn't give any advice either.

Bohr was much calmer.

He firmly believed in the uncertainty principle.

It's not just because it's the theory proposed by Professor Bruce, but also because it's in line with quantum mechanics.

As a big name in quantum mechanics, Bohr believed in his own intuition and judgment.

Therefore, there must be something wrong with the light box experiment!
He quietly looked at the schematic diagram drawn by Professor Einstein, trying to find the loopholes in it.

"The light box loses photons, which causes a change in energy."

"And a change in energy means a change in mass."

"So the position of the light box will rise, and this can be measured on the scale."

“There’s nothing wrong with this logic.”

"Strange, I always feel like I've missed some important information."

Bohr's expression changed slightly. There was only a thin layer of window paper between him and the truth, but he couldn't break it.

Suddenly, Heisenberg and Bohr looked at their last hope at the same time.

As long as Professor Bruce is here, the sky of quantum mechanics will not fall!
Sure enough, the two were pleasantly surprised to find that Professor Bruce had a smile on his face, as if he didn't care about the light box experiment at all.

The two of them suddenly felt at ease.

"Professor Bruce must have a way to crack it."

At this moment, Einstein finally turned his attention to Li Qiwei.

Everyone became excited instantly.

Everyone was curious about how Professor Bruce would explain it.

At this time, Li Qiwei smiled and said:

"Professor Einstein, you are too clever for your own good."

Einstein was stunned when he heard this.

This thought experiment came to him by chance.

He thought he had no loopholes.

But Bruce's confident tone and eyes made him a little shaken.

Ridgeway continued:
"Just now, Professor Einstein used the principles of special relativity when answering Fermi's question."

"So why not consider general relativity in the light box experiment?"

Wow!
Everyone was shocked!
How can such a simple experiment as the light box experiment be related to the general theory of relativity?

There's no connection point.

"General relativity is the theory of the structure of space and time."

"Although it is collectively called the theory of relativity together with the special theory of relativity, the connection between the two is very weak and they can be regarded as two different theories."

Everyone couldn't understand.

Einstein entered a state of deep thought.

The light box experiment seemed to be real, running in his brain.

“Consider the broad picture”

For a moment, Einstein didn't react.

However, when Bohr heard this, it was as if he had suddenly been enlightened.

"My God!"

"I understand!"

"So that's it!"

Bohr smiled. He looked at Einstein and smiled in his heart:

"Professor Einstein will be upset after hearing the answer."

Li Qiwei did not wait for everyone's reaction and said directly:
"General relativity has an important corollary: the clock slow effect."

"In areas with stronger gravity, time goes slower."

"For the Earth, the farther away from the surface, the weaker the gravitational pull, and the faster time goes by."

"According to simple calculations, suppose one clock is placed on the roof and the other on the floor."

"Then because of the clock slowing effect, the time on the floor clock will be 3×10^-16s slower than the time on the roof clock."

"In the light box experiment, the mass of the light box decreases due to the escape of photons, and because the light box is connected to a spring, its position rises."

"At this time, due to the clock slowing effect, the clock inside the light box and the clock outside the light box are no longer synchronized."

"So, we can't accurately measure how long it takes for a photon to escape."

"The time-energy uncertainty principle still holds."

"The light box effect proves that there is some kind of intrinsic connection between relativity and quantum mechanics."

The reason why later satellites need to use very precise timing tools is because of the effects of general relativity.

The time error caused by the altitude difference between the satellite and the ground cannot be ignored.

Wow!
There was a sudden cry of surprise in the room!
"My God!"

“It turns out the answer is so simple!”

"Just take into account the effects of general relativity."

"Why didn't I think of that?"

Everyone suddenly realized!

This explanation is simply impeccable.

Professor Bruce is indeed Professor Bruce. He keenly grasps the details that everyone ignores.

At the same time, everyone carefully savored Professor Bruce's words: Relativity and quantum mechanics may have an intrinsic connection.

It seems that these two theories will be unified someday.

However, when quantum field theory emerged, strange things began to happen.

Gravity cannot be incorporated into the framework of quantum field theory in any way.

There are obviously many connections between them, but they are just incompatible.

Some people in later generations even believed that perhaps the general theory of relativity was wrong, which led to the failure of the fusion.

However, no one has created a theory to replace the general theory.

Heisenberg looked ecstatic, as if he had answered the question himself.

"I knew Professor Bruce could do it!"

"Einstein and Schrödinger, even if put together, are not as good as Professor Bruce!"

Bohr looked as if he had expected it.

"What a pity! I almost thought of it."

“It seems like this answer is familiar.”

In real history, at the Sixth Solvay Conference, the Copenhagen School was caught off guard by Einstein's light box experiment.

Heisenberg, Pauli and others were so scared that they broke out in a cold sweat.

They could find absolutely no point in refutation.

Even their leader, Bohr, was helpless and looked as pale as death.

After the meeting ended that day, Einstein and Bohr left behind a precious photo when they returned to their hotel.

In the photo, Einstein was walking with big strides and a sly smile on his face.

Bohr stood by like a little brother, asking questions non-stop:
“Does the light box actually work?”

“Does it mean the end of quantum mechanics?”

Einstein smiled and said slowly:

“This is neither the end nor the beginning.”

"I just wanted to prove that quantum mechanics is inconsistent and incomplete."

That night, Bohr was upset and could not sleep all night.

He had been thinking about every detail of the light box experiment, and finally, he had a flash of inspiration and found a breakthrough in "weighing".

Einstein, the master of relativity, made a mistake in his theory of relativity.

Einstein was stunned after hearing this.

He finally understood what the saying "too clever is half the trick" meant.

He explained Fermi's doubts using the theory of special relativity.

But I didn't expect to use general relativity to explain my doubts.

Einstein immediately realized that he was wrong.

His experiments did not take general relativity into account.

So he smiled bitterly and said:
"Bruce, you've convinced me again."

"The light box experiment cannot prove that the uncertainty principle is wrong."

Einstein had to admit that the foundation of quantum mechanics was much more solid than he had imagined and could not be easily denied.

Lorenz concluded with a smile:
"Professor Einstein, you have been defeated with honor."

"In this venue, no one except you can challenge Professor Bruce."

"I support you!"

"We can't let Professor Bruce perform a one-man show every time."

"With so many physicists like us gathered together, how could we lose to Professor Bruce alone?"

Everyone smiled.

"Besides, even if we lose, it's a good thing. It proves that quantum mechanics is unbreakable."

“The future of physics is bright!”

Snapped!
There was warm applause in the conference hall.

The first day of the meeting ended perfectly.

When everyone went back to rest, they were still discussing what they had done during the day.

Einstein and Schrödinger walked together.

He said with emotion:

"There should be no problem with quantum mechanics."

"All the questions I prepared were answered by Bruce."

Schrödinger had an eye-opener today.

The confrontation between Professor Einstein and Professor Bruce was so exciting.

He smiled and said:

"Professor, do you really agree with the uncertainty principle?"

“You are the originator of the hidden variable theory.”

“The uncertainty principle may be an approximation of some hidden variable.”

Einstein sighed softly.

He and Ridgwell had an ideological dispute over quantum mechanics.

One side believes that the world is certain, while the other side believes that it is uncertain and probabilistic.

This kind of disagreement at the level of "Tao" is far from being resolved by one or two experiments.

Suddenly, Schrödinger said:

"Professor, when you were giving a speech earlier, I thought of an idea. Do you think it will work?"

"As a theory that is older than quantum mechanics, the credibility of its conclusions is obviously higher."

"Then, can we try to find the part of the uncertainty principle or probability wave theory that does not satisfy the conclusions of relativity?"

"For example, the speed of light cannot be exceeded, the speed of light is constant, and so on."

"If we can find a contradiction between the two, then one of relativity and quantum mechanics must be problematic."

Einstein's eyes lit up when he heard this.

This is a very good angle.

He had no need to directly find out what was wrong with the uncertainty principle.

It would be more convincing if it could be proved that the uncertainty principle contradicts existing theories.

That night, Einstein was a little insomniac, and an inspiration slowly took shape in his mind.

Meanwhile, everyone was looking forward to the meeting the next day.

(End of this chapter)