The next day, outside Xu Chuan's office at NTU, Professor David Gross and Edward Witten, who had come from Europe, knocked on the door and walked in.

The other physicists basically went back, but the two of them had some other things to communicate with Xu Chuan, so they stayed for a while.

"Mentor, Professor Gross."

Seeing the comer, Xu Chuan got up with a smile and said hello: "Drink some coffee or tea?" ”

"Coffee."

"Tea."

Gross and Witten each asked for a different drink, Xu Chuan nodded, and asked the assistant to brew it with a smile.

"Speaking of which, how is CERN doing now?"

After the assistant served coffee and tea, Xu Chuan sat on the sofa and chatted with the two professors.

Of course, for today's purposes, this is not actually idle talk.

After all, the main purpose of Witten and Gross coming here today is to initially do a cooperation and exchange with Huaguo for the construction of a large strong particle collider.

Originally, this kind of exchange should have held a formal meeting, but Xu Chuan felt that it was troublesome, so he didn't do it.

On the one hand, he himself is the general director of the Huaguo Large Strong Particle Collider project, and on the other hand, this is only a preliminary exchange.

If the intention can be determined, there will definitely be special personnel to communicate various details in the future.

So he didn't call anyone else, and he had this exchange with David Gross in his office, which can be said to determine the fate of high-energy physics in the future.

Taking a sip of coffee, Gross shook his head slightly and said: "It's not very good, whether the LHC upgrade will be carried out is still being debated, and EU countries are thinking about reducing investment." ”

To be honest, this CERN master is still a little more scholarly.

With this opening, he directly exposed the situation of CERN and his worries about the future of the high-energy physics community.

In other words, if you are a other politician, whether you have it or not, you will brag about it first, try your best to expand your advantages, and get more benefits from this transaction.

Of course, it is also possible that CERN has already discussed it, and this time it is just a formality.

However, this kind of exchange also has a greater appetite for Xu Chuan.

Smiling, he said: "Normally, the United States and the European Union are now in a cycle of economic decline, and they are more willing to invest money in the research of controlled nuclear fusion than in the basic scientific research equipment of the Large Hadron Collider." ”

Xu Chuan was not surprised by this result.

Although the emergence of an epoch-making new technology often requires a lot of time to precipitate and lead development.

But it is undeniable that since he led the team to successfully achieve controlled nuclear fusion technology, the situation in the whole world has begun to change violently.

It is still in the era of economic decline, and a large amount of money has to be squeezed out to invest in the field of controlled nuclear fusion, which is bound to seriously squeeze the survival space of other scientific research projects.

In particular, the Large Strong Particle Collider (LR) is a basic scientific research facility that is difficult to generate revenue in a short period of time and cannot even maintain a balance of payments.

In this case, it is normal for the LC-LHC high-brightness collider or even the current upgrade to be cut.

Speaking of controlled nuclear fusion, Gross raised his head and looked at the young man in front of him.

He really didn't know what kind of wisdom this young scholar in his opinion relied on to solve all kinds of problems in controlled nuclear fusion.

After all, this is considered a 'forever 50-year' technology, and many researchers believe that it will not be possible in the 21st century.

Although he wanted to ask, he also knew that it was impossible for the other party to answer technical questions in this regard.

After thinking for a moment, he spoke: "Let's talk about the collider, if Huaguo needs CERN's support and help, what are you going to do?" ”

Hearing Gross's words, Xu Chuan smiled, and when he officially entered the communication, the old professor was undoubtedly on the side of CERN.

The implication of "what are you going to do" is what Huaguo can give, exchanging from CERN's hands to CERN's technical reserves, excellent materials, equipment, talents, and so on.

But in this regard, he has a completely different view.

Smiling, Xu Chuan said lightly: "Compared with what you said, what I want to say more is what CERN can pay in terms of the collider in exchange for a member seat in the collider built in China." ”

"Just like Huaguo's current position in CERN, it provides corresponding scientific research funds every year to obtain corresponding jobs, research tasks, technological achievements and other things."

"It's not about paying something to get the technology from CERN."

After a slight pause, he continued: "To be honest, we have already stockpiled the technology to build a large strong particle collider. ”

"The reason why we are willing to communicate with CERN and share it with other countries is that there are some technologies in the collider that CERN is indeed better."

"On the other hand, I would prefer to see all physicists in the world, and even all countries, join forces to explore the development of basic sciences and those more distant futures."

"If this is not the case, I believe that we are fully capable of doing research independently behind closed doors. Maybe it will make us move a little slower, but I think we can do it. ”

Now that communication has officially begun, he will naturally stand more in the position of the country and himself.

CERN's technology and some countermeasures are indeed important, but for China to build a large strong particle collider, it is not indispensable.

After listening to Xu Chuan's words, Gross shook his head and said: "I am afraid that it will be difficult for the board of directors of CERN to agree to this kind of cooperation, in the field of basic science research, to be honest, Hua Guo is still a long way away." ”

For CERN, the use of technology in exchange for a seat similar to China's current membership in CERN is unlikely to be agreed to.

Even if they have declined, it is only relative.

In the field of basic science, it is not that CERN looks down on people, but that China is indeed far away from it.

Even if there is a scholar like this in front of him, he can't smooth out all the gaps.

Xu Chuan smiled and asked, "What about CERN's thoughts?" ”

He must be aware of the gaps in basic research.

Due to some historical reasons, China lags behind mainstream countries in the development of science and technology.

Although they have gradually caught up with the footsteps of those Western countries in terms of application and engineering, they are indeed lagging behind more than a star and a half in the field of basic science.

Not to mention the rest, it is almost impossible to find the names of Chinese scholars from textbooks and pictures of scholars and pictures that have been remembered by history in textbooks and on the Wall of Fame.

I have to say that in this regard, China really needs to work harder.

That's why the construction of the Large Strong Particle Collider and the introduction of scholars from other countries are also aimed at.

Control the collider, a basic scientific research equipment, attract scientists and researchers from other countries, form an international scientific research center on this basis, and then train its own talents.

Although this is a long timeline, if you want to develop, you can only go this way in this day and age.

On the other side, David Gross spoke: "The requirements of the council are to trade high-temperature copper-carbon-silver composite superconducting material technology, open laboratories and knowledge transfer policies. ”

Hearing this, Xu Chuan shook his head directly without thinking about it: "The requirements of open laboratories and knowledge transfer policies are okay, but it is impossible to trade high-temperature copper-carbon-silver composite superconducting material technology." ”

The two requirements of an open lab and a knowledge transfer policy are normal, and CERN is currently doing just that.

It is very difficult to develop this kind of basic science if it is not open to member states.

But high-temperature copper-carbon-silver composite superconducting material technology, you don't have to think about it, it's impossible to talk about.

Superconducting materials are one of the core technologies of controlled nuclear fusion, and the purpose that CERN wants to exchange for is nothing more than controlled nuclear fusion.

But in this regard, Huaguo has already controlled the advantage, how can it be possible to cede the core technology in an inconsequential part.

There is no way he can agree, and it is even less likely that the higher levels will agree.

If it is to exchange a low-nanometer lithography machine or a high-precision industrial machine tool, he can consider it.

But in the hands of CERN, it is not important enough.

On the other side, Professor David Gross sighed and said with a wry smile: "If that's the case, I'm afraid it's difficult for the council to agree to a cooperation." ”

Xu Chuan: "To be honest, I don't think you guys have figured out the situation right now,"

"This will be the world's first large collider with a petascale, or even a quadrillion, electron-volt level."

"While it is true that China needs CERN's technical support to optimize the collider technology, it is not necessarily needed."

"With our current capabilities, we are completely capable of building a complete collider autonomously, although it may be weaker in some functions."

"The situation now is that I give you the opportunity to get involved in doing it. It's not that we're begging CERN to join us, let alone that we need to pay for high-temperature copper-carbon-silver composite superconducting material technology. ”

"It's impossible."

Although he hopes that the large strong ion collider built in China can replace CERN as the new world physics mecca, he is unlikely to agree to some issues related to the bottom line.

If CERN refuses, there is a high probability that a new PK and competition will be opened in this area.

To be honest, in the competition in the field of basic science, Hua Guozhen really does not have any advantages.

Once the vicious competition is formed, the top foreign universities will completely reject Chinese students, which will undoubtedly be a disaster for them at present.

So Xu Chuan chose to try to match the two sides in the middle.

Boiling frogs in warm water, little by little, the center of basic science was shifted from Western countries to China.

Hearing this, David Gross was silent for a moment.

On the side, Edward Witten, who had not spoken, shrugged his shoulders and interjected: "I said a long time ago that this kind of deal is unrealistic, and it is a waste of time for those idiots on the council to ask you to take it out." ”

Xu Chuan glanced at his mentor, thought for a while, looked at Gross and said, "I know what the member states behind CERN are thinking, but this is obviously no longer in the scope of fair trade. ”

"I welcome all like-minded people to join the Large Strong Particle Collider project and work together to advance the development and progress of basic science."

"The progress of civilization and science can never be supported by a single individual, it requires the efforts of countless people."

"But if you want to use this to get something extra, I can only advise you to give up this unrealistic idea."

"If you have to stiffen on this, I can only regret to tell you that this cooperation will not be possible."

After a pause, he continued: "Of course, even if we can't work with CERN and other countries, we welcome physicists from all countries to come here to do research. ”

"Including the use of the collider and experimental projects, as long as the submitted experimental projects are feasible and have research value, they can be supported by the project through review."

"It's just that you should also be well aware that if this is the case, the chances available to others will be relatively small."

"The basis that I'm still negotiating with you is that CERN does have the technology to help us build and optimize the collider, which is what we need."

"What CERN gets is a seat in the member state, and more jobs, research tasks, technological achievements, and so on. Just like China is now in CERN. ”

PS: There is one more chapter later, asking for a monthly pass.

(End of chapter)