After hearing Li Qiwei's answer, Marie Curie fell into thought.
As a physicist herself, she naturally knew that one shouldn't make definitive claims before research findings had been confirmed.
Besides, she liked Li Qiwei very much, so she didn't press him for details about exactly which property of the electron he had found that classical mechanics couldn't explain.
His answer, however, was already enough to resolve her doubts.
Still, she couldn't shake the feeling that he was deliberately hiding something. It was a woman's intuition, but one that was often uncannily accurate.
So she casually added, "Bruce, a moment ago, I felt you were holding something back. Is there something you wanted to say?"
Li Qiwei was startled. What terrifying intuition. Women really were impossible to deal with—and female scientists even more so.
He smiled and said, "Yes, ma'am. There is one more thing I'd like to say." Then he continued:
"In 1895, Professor Röntgen discovered X-rays."
"In 1896, you and your husband, Madame Curie, and Professor Becquerel discovered radioactivity."
"In 1899, my senior, Professor Rutherford, discovered Alpha Rays and Beta Rays through his research on radioactivity."
"Now, can anyone here tell me what force produces these rays?"
"Gravity? Impossible—the calculated value is far too small. The Electromagnetic Force? That doesn't fit either, because X-rays carry no charge and have no electromagnetic interaction."
"Although Alpha Rays carry a charge, classical electromagnetic theory still cannot explain why matter would emit rays for no apparent reason."
"So I conclude that nature must contain an entirely new force, one that governs the production and properties of these rays."
"And this force exists inside the atom. Quantum Mechanics is the theory that can explain it."
Boom!
As soon as he finished speaking, another storm swept through the hall.
Many people felt as if they were listening to a foreign language. Li Qiwei's knowledge was so far ahead of its time that many professors could barely grasp it.
Lecturers and doctoral students were even worse off; they were practically ready to shut down.
After all, not everyone was a great mind.
Only those truly at the forefront of physics understood the weight of Li Qiwei's words.
It was simply unbelievable!
Everyone stared fixedly at him.
If his explanation of Quantum Mechanics had still fallen within the bounds of what people could accept—after all, it merely approached research from a different angle than Newtonian mechanics—then this supposed entirely new force shattered their understanding completely.
Objects fell because of gravity; people fell over, lightning struck, and auroras glowed because the Electromagnetic Force was at work.
Physics had developed for more than three hundred years, yet humanity had still not found a third force.
And now someone had publicly declared that a third force existed. Many thought Li Qiwei had gone mad.
"Does Bruce Li really think he's the god of physics? He's never even seen this supposed third force, yet he dares to predict that it exists," said a professor from Oxford.
"I think he's getting arrogant. He thinks inventing Quantum Theory makes him some great figure, so now he's spouting nonsense," said another Oxford professor.
"Young people really don't know the limits of heaven and earth. Are all these physicists here fools?" someone said indignantly.
The atmosphere in the hall reached a fever pitch. Even Lord Kelvin forgot to maintain order.
He, too, was stunned by Li Qiwei's bold claim. This young man from the Qing Dynasty was always saying things that shocked everyone, yet he had a kind of almost magical confidence that made people believe in his ideas.
Marie Curie gazed at Li Qiwei with shining eyes, captivated by the theory he had laid out.
Just then, Baron Rayleigh spoke up. "Bruce, what an extraordinary young man. No wonder you were able to come up with Quantum Theory."
Li Qiwei hurriedly replied. Baron Rayleigh was second only to Lord Kelvin in seniority, and he was also Thomson's teacher.
Baron Rayleigh continued, "The force you're talking about is still a long way off. We can't even figure out the atom yet, let alone study the forces within it."
"After hearing all your explanations, there's still one thing you haven't convinced me of: aside from explaining the second cloud, the blackbody radiation problem, does your Quantum Theory have any other evidence to support it?"
Wien then nodded to Baron Rayleigh and said, "As the men who discovered the blackbody radiation problem, the Baron and I are grateful for your brilliant idea, which solved this difficult problem."
"I once spoke privately with Planck and wondered whether Quantum Theory might simply happen to fit this particular problem, like some unique mathematical trick."
"Once removed from this problem, Quantum Theory might no longer apply. After all, the electron behavior you described hasn't been proven either."
The two great physicists' remarks cut even deeper, striking directly at Quantum Theory's weak points.
Many people in the audience agreed. Thomson knew that Baron Rayleigh was testing Li Qiwei.
He worried that Li Qiwei had been having things too easy and might suffer a crushing defeat when he eventually faced setbacks. So he wanted to deal him a blow now.
Sure enough, the true giants of physics seemed to have reached an understanding. They all began challenging Li Qiwei.
They had just been badly shaken by his astonishing claim about a third force and wanted to bring the young man down a peg.
At that moment, Lorentz raised his hand. "Bruce, I'm glad to have heard you share your ideas. This is the greatest thing I've learned in some time."
Li Qiwei thanked him. Lorentz was the man behind Einstein, and his Lorentz Transformation had provided important mathematical support for Special Relativity.
Lorentz continued, "I'm sorry to ask my question after the Baron and Wien. I may have interrupted your answer."
"That's because my question is similar to theirs, so I'll ask it all at once. You can answer all three of us together."
"I once derived a formula for the energy distribution of blackbody radiation myself. By adding a specific mathematical equation, the result could also cover the entire spectrum."
"Clearly, such a perfect conclusion, cobbled together like that, could not be considered a genuine physical theory."
"So could your concept of the quantum be a mathematical construct like mine, just viewed from a different angle?"
"Like degrees and radians, for instance."
Lorentz's words caused an uproar. Everyone in the hall began whispering among themselves.
Clearly, three great physicists had challenged him in succession, each striking straight at the heart of the matter. Everyone thought Li Qiwei was now at a loss.
Planck looked at Li Qiwei with concern. But in a setting like this, his influence wouldn't help—not as it had at the Berlin Physical Society.
Yet he knew this was a trial every great physicist had to pass through.
If Li Qiwei couldn't overcome even this degree of doubt, his achievements would never amount to much.
So Planck's eyes grew resolute once more, and he watched Li Qiwei with hopeful anticipation.
Below the stage, Einstein and Grossman clasped their hands tightly, wishing they could rush up and take some of the pressure off Li Qiwei.
But they knew that if they did such a thing here, they would only embarrass Li Qiwei—and the Zurich School.
Wilson, too, stopped smiling. His expression was rarely so serious. Inside, he kept calling Li Qiwei's name, as if he could send him all his strength.
As for Chris, the junior Li Qiwei had brought along, the oppressive atmosphere was so suffocating that he could barely breathe.
Even Professor Keith grew tense. That young man had once told him that light was both a wave and a particle, but he had never managed to understand what mystery lay behind those words.
He can get through this!
Lord Kelvin, Thomson, Röntgen, Boltzmann, and the other great minds watched in silence, but the slight tremors in their faces betrayed their feelings. Bruce, can you work another miracle this time?
For the first time, Li Qiwei's expression changed. His deep eyes slowly swept across everyone in the hall.
Then, with quiet conviction, he said, "Since you all want other evidence, fine. I'll give it to you now."
Boom!
His words cracked like thunder, and the entire hall was stunned.
Thank you all for the recommendation votes.
Take a guess: what evidence will Li Qiwei present?
Before you continue