Chapter 061: The Light That Illuminates Physics
Today, Li Kangping, who was working on the experimental device, received a letter from Albert Einstein, director of the Kaiser Wilhelm Institute of Physics.
How could I let Director Einstein write to me personally?
Li Kangping held the letter, a little excited.
"Oh my God, Lee, Einstein has written to you!" Alan yelled excitedly, as if the recipient was him.
"I'm kind of looking forward to what Einstein has to say." Mark said curiously.
Alan asked, "I guess this must not be a love letter written by Einstein, right?" Lee, if it were possible, would you read the contents of this letter to us? ”
"If this letter were purely academic, I would share it with you. If it's a love letter, oh, then I'm sorry, I guess I have privacy. Li Kangping opened the envelope with a smile.
Professor Woodgate went to Xidian to supervise the work, and Li Kangping, Allen, and Mark were stationed in the laboratory. After opening the envelope, Li Kangping found that the letter was written in German.
German is the universal language of science, and Einstein certainly wrote in German.
Many people learn foreign languages and speak quite well, but they can't read and write. Li Kangping, on the contrary, has been studying German for more than a year, and his level of written German is higher than that of spoken Chinese.
Einstein's written tone was always gentle and polite, and so was this letter.
Li Kangping read the letter aloud in a German-English translation: "Mr. Li, I finished reading your book "Matter Waves", and my overall feeling was that I was surprised. ”
"You are one of the designers and operators of the Woodgate-Lee experiment, I thought you were an experimental physicist, but I didn't expect you to be a theoretical physicist like me."
"Perhaps, I should call you an 'experimental theoretical physicist.'"
Reading this, Li Kangping paused.
"'Experimental theoretical physicist,' oh, I love that title, you see, it's a title given to me by Albert Einstein, the emperor of physics." Li Kangping said happily.
"Your German is obviously not as good as mine, so I'd better read it!" Allen snatched the letter, which the German-Jew quickly glanced at and said, "Yes, Albert Einstein has made you an 'experimental theoretical physicist'!" Lee, congratulations, if Albert Einstein is emperor, then you are the candidate for Mainz. ”
"Let's see what's next. Mr. Lee, as you should know, at last year's Solvay meeting, I had a few questions about the Woodgate-Lee experiment. ”
"There's nothing wrong with the Woodgate-Lee experiment itself, it's a meaningful, brilliant experiment. What I am questioning is the birefringence problem, the steady-state transition velocity problem, derived from the Woodgate-Lee experiment. ”
"In my opinion, Matter Waves does not directly explain the problem of birefringence and the problem of the speed of the steady-state transition."
"Let's talk about matter waves."
"Matter Waves" is based on the theory of relativity for deduction and calculation, and puts forward new conceptual ideas and theorems. I am grateful for that. ”
"I'm trying to interpret Matter Waves from your point of view, and I'm doing that, and when I'm done, I'd like to ask you a few questions."
"First, we consider that there are n objects that are arbitrarily placed in m 'states' or 'phases' with equal probability. So how do we calculate its thermodynamic probability? ”
"Second, since you frequently mention the theory of relativity in your paper, let's discuss the dynamics of electrons from a relativistic point of view......"
“…… The above is my opinion on Matter Waves. ”
"Mr. Li, I am looking forward to the results of the experiment on the crystal being diffracted by electrons. I wish you every success. ”
Up to now, Li Kangping has not seen a public commentary on "Matter Wave" published in American magazines and newspapers. Only Arthur Compton wrote him a private letter of an academic nature.
Li Kangping also did not see a review article on "Matter Wave" in European magazines and newspapers.
European physicists were the first to act, Albert Einstein, who also contacted Li Kangping in the form of a private letter of an academic nature.
In general, Einstein supported Matter Waves.
Einstein, of course, would have supported Matter Waves, because the premise of Matter Waves is the theory of relativity.
However, Li Kangping's feeling is that the great Einstein does not seem to have a complete understanding of "Matter Wave"?
In Li Kangping's memory, in the summer of 1925, Einstein described the theory of matter waves as "the light that illuminates physics".
Li Kangping believes that Einstein in the summer of 1925 thoroughly understood the matter wave and actively promoted the matter wave.
At this time, in 1922, Einstein did not describe Matter Wave as a beam of green light that brought hope.
As we all know, the three years of 1922~1925 were an extremely important period in Einstein's academic career, and Bose-Einstein statistics was born during this period.
This shows that there is still room for improvement in Einstein's academic standards.
There is reason to believe that Einstein in 1925 was more powerful than Einstein in 1922.
Now, it's a little embarrassing that "Matter Wave" is so profound and complex, so revolutionary and subversive, that even Einstein did not fully understand it.
"Lee, I think Einstein was on our side." "If Einstein is looking forward to the results of our experiments, what are we waiting for? ”
"That's right, let's speed up the processing of the experimental setup." Li Kangping received Einstein's letters. This letter is a precious historical material, and a book can be published if you gather dozens of letters.
"It's six o'clock, it's time for me to go, see you tomorrow." Mark has a strict schedule, working from 8 to 6, not a minute late, not a minute early, and not a minute late.
"See you tomorrow, Mark."
"Lee, let's go too."
Alan said it had been a long time since we had been to that restaurant owned by the Jews of East Harlem, so let's have dinner together tonight?
"I miss the steaks there, and I think we should go there."
Li Kangping drove Allen away from Columbia's campus.
Along the way, Allen has a lot to say: "You know, young Jewish girls have just graduated from college, or even high school, and they can't wait to get into the Jewish community of men and women, and they are looking forward to dating promising agents and jewelers. Irish girls, having finally gained permission from their families, immediately cast their flattering glances at the Demunists, the devout funeral directors and the precocious choir boys in Tammony Hall. Yes, Lee, you know, you know everything. ”
Li Kangping could feel that countless hormone molecules spread out in every inch of the car in an irregular thermodynamic motion.
The propagator of hormones is like a beast during mating season, oh yes, spring is coming, this damn mating season.