Training the Heavens

Chapter 345 Marie Curie's Visit to China
There was also a special guest on the cruise ship with Zhang Xingjiu and Wu Lien-teh, that was Madame Curie, who was preparing to visit China for academic exchange and give several public lectures.

According to the original history, Cai Heqing also came to Paris for inspection at this time, and visited Madame Curie under the introduction of a friend. After the two sides communicated, Cai Heqing invited Madame Curie to visit China.

Marie Curie was also somewhat interested. She expressed deep appreciation for China's enthusiasm for new technologies and its practice of inviting foreign scholars to visit and exchange ideas. She also asked Cai Heqing, "China is different from Europe. There is no war. Surely, China can devote most of its financial resources to education and academic research?"

Madame Curie may not have known much about the situation in China, and did not know that China was also experiencing warlord infighting and civil war. Cai Heqing was speechless and could only nod.

However, she had already made plans for this year. She had to go to the United States for an exchange visit first, and then conduct experiments after returning from the United States. She really couldn't spare the time to go to China, and ultimately failed to make the trip.

Zhang Xingjiu had much more face than Cai Heqing. The two had a deep friendship of more than 20 years. As soon as he made the invitation, Madame Curie agreed without hesitation, put her work aside temporarily, and boarded the passenger ship with Zhang Xingjiu.

Together with her were famous French scholars such as Lang Zhiwan's student de Broglie. Zhang Xingjiu actually wanted to invite more, but unfortunately Professor Lippmann, Becquerel, Poincaré and others had already passed away.

However, for well-known reasons, Lang Zhiwan, who wanted to go to China the most, could not take a passenger ship with Madame Curie for the cross-ocean journey, so he had to give up for the time being. However, the two sides had agreed that after the next Solvay Conference, Lang Zhiwan would go to China for exchanges with Zhang Xingjiu, and perhaps more well-known scholars could be invited at that time.

Zhang Xingjiu gave careful consideration to the decision to invite Marie Curie to China instead of Lang Zhiwan. Firstly, Marie Curie was a woman, and due to long-standing traditions in China, there were still relatively large obstacles for women to enter school. Now, inviting a female scientist who had won the Nobel Prize to go to China and give several public speeches would definitely set an example for Chinese women and inspire more women to embark on the path of studying.

Secondly, Madame Curie was born in Poland, a country that suffered from invasion. Let's not talk about why Poland was beaten so often. Madame Curie must have hated invasion. When such a person came to China and knew more about China's situation, when the Japanese invaders came in in the future, Madame Curie would also speak out for China and play a certain role in the international public opinion circle.

Thirdly, during World War I, she installed X-ray equipment directly on the car to rescue the wounded, and ran around the battlefield to provide medical treatment, saving the lives of a large number of wounded soldiers. These experiences can also help China. When the time comes, she can go to the medical school to give a few special lectures, and perhaps she can save many lives in the future.

Finally, with her academic ability, her ability to come to China to give several lectures is a great thing for the Chinese physics and chemistry communities. Such great scholars are not easily found.

Zhang Xingjiu also planned to recommend some students to her. Zhang Xingjiu knew very well what use radioactive research could be. When these students returned home after completing their studies, they might be of great use.

According to the original history, Madame Curie also had several Chinese students, such as Zheng Dazhang, who worked and studied at the Faculty of Science of the University of Paris in France. After graduation, he entered the Curie Laboratory of the Radium Institute of the University of Paris and followed Madame Curie to conduct research in radiochemistry. After returning to China after completing his studies, he has been engaged in research in radiochemistry and is one of the founders of radiochemistry in China.

There was also Shi Shiyuan, who also conducted research at the Radium Institute of the University of Paris, France, where he earned his doctorate. He was one of the earliest nuclear physicists in my country, dedicated to teaching and research, and trained a large number of talents. Another disciple, Yang Chengzong, arrived at the Radium Institute after Marie Curie's death. He then studied and researched under Irène Joliot-Curie, returning to China with a wealth of radioactive research materials and ten grams of radium, making outstanding contributions to the development of the two bombs and one satellite.

Now that Zhang Xingjiu has selected suitable talents in advance and sent them to do research under Madame Curie, he will definitely achieve greater results than in the original history.

After more than a month's voyage, the passenger ship docked at the Shanghai wharf. Zhang Xingjiu, Wu Lien-teh and Madame Curie were warmly welcomed when they disembarked. These three scientists had won a total of six Nobel Prizes. Such a lineup was enough to shock the entire Chinese academic community.

After two days of rest, as soon as Madame Curie recovered, she gave her first lecture at Aurora University. Initially, Ma Xiangbo planned to hold the lecture in the largest auditorium of Aurora University, but it was not big enough, so he had to temporarily change it to the school playground and give the lecture outdoors.

When the speech began, the playground was packed. Madame Curie walked up to the podium and was stunned for a long time before she reacted to the scene. Then she began her speech. Zhang Xingjiu served as a simultaneous interpreter, translating her words into Chinese and then transmitting them to all the audience present through a loudspeaker.

The audience was shocked to see that a woman could achieve world-class achievements. The female teachers and students present were very excited. Madame Curie on the stage was like a bright light, illuminating their way forward. Many people were determined to make a career like her.

A Zhang happened to be in Shanghai at the time, and he was also invited to listen to the speech. As he listened, his inspiration came like a spring. After returning, he immediately wrote an article about the rise of women and published it in the newspaper.

As soon as the article was published, many newspapers and magazines rushed to reprint it. The name Madame Curie also spread across the country along with her article. The two children who used to recite books together in Sanwei Bookstore awakened countless women through this collaboration.

After staying in Shanghai for half a month, Zhang Xingjiu accompanied Madame Curie to Beijing to continue giving lectures and exchanges, and then to Tianjin, Qingdao, Xiamen, and Guangzhou. Zhang Xingjiu accompanied her all the way from north to south, and finally sent her on the passenger ship back to Paris in the Hong Kong River.

Many scholars who came to see her off were still reluctant to leave after this academic exchange, and they all lamented, "If only Marie Curie could stay longer."

"They also have to do research, and it's not easy to spare so much time! Don't worry, I will invite more scholars to come for exchanges and visits next time." Zhang Xingjiu responded. Next time, it should be Lang Zhiwan and others.

After seeing off Madame Curie, Zhang Xingjiu did not return to Shanghai immediately, but was invited to Guangzhou to meet his old friend.

(End of this chapter)