Beiyang reactionaries

Duan Xun is deploying troops and has approved the military expansion plan of the Ministry of Military Affairs.The Ministry of Military Affairs has decided to expand the army by 300 million troops within five years and build 25 corps across the country.Among them are 40 artillery divisions and 20 tank divisions (or armored divisions).

And develop 100 air divisions, build 80 submarines, 60 torpedo boats, 15 destroyers, two aircraft carriers, and two battleships.

Military spending is booming.

After the final calculation, military spending of 500 billion yuan will be needed within five years.In other words, the average annual military expenditure is 100 billion yuan, which has reached 40% of China's fiscal revenue.This scale of military expenditure has already surpassed the current United Kingdom, France, the Soviet Union, the United States, Japan, and Germany.

It should be said that China's military expenditure has suddenly increased to number one in the world.Because at present, the United States, the United Kingdom, and France are all in a situation where the horses are going to Nanshan, and the proportion of military expenditure has dropped very seriously.For example, the current military spending of the United States, Britain, and France is less than 10% of their domestic fiscal revenue.Japan's military spending accounts for about 40% of its domestic finances, but Japan's fiscal revenue is too low to compare with China's.Germany and the Soviet Union have not started large-scale military expansion, so the current military expenditure is not as good as that of China.

Duan Xun does not know how later history will judge China's actions.Because it can be said that the first large-scale military expansion before World War II was China.

But Duan Xun couldn't control the later evaluation.

Because Duan Xun only knows that the military industry is now being developed on a large scale, although there are reasons for preparing for World War II.There are also ideas of boosting the domestic economy.Use the military industry to increase investment and delay the outbreak of China's economic crisis.In order to develop the military industry, graduates from Chinese universities, junior colleges, technical secondary schools, and technical schools will flow into the military sector on a large scale since 1935.

After these things were arranged, Duan Xun met with two Chinese physicists.One is Zhao Zhongyao, the current head of the Physics Department of Tsinghua University, and the other is Wang Ganchang, the head of the Physics Department of Beiyang University.

After chatting with them about the development of physics in China and their teaching work in the school, Duan Xun got to the topic.

"I invite you two to come today. I have some questions I want to ask you. Take a look, you two. This is an article in the 'Journal of Applied Chemistry'."

"Yes."

Both Zhao Zhongyao and Wang Ganchang were surprised.

Although the two of them are relatively well-known in the Chinese physics circle, they are still young and have not been back to China for a long time.So it was the first time I saw Duan Xun, but Duan Xun, as the prime minister of the cabinet, as the current substantive leader of China, the two of them are familiar with many stories about Duan Xun.Because the current Propaganda Department publicizes every day how the People’s Party got from Sichuan to where it is now.And as long as the people's party's achievements are touted, then Duan Xun will be the first to appear.

Therefore, there are many legends about Duan Xun.

Even many things are fabricated.Just like how Duan Xun had great ambitions when he was a child, and how good his grades were when he was in the military academy.A very common thing that can be blown out is to care about the country carefully.So there are various stories about Duan Xun spread among the people.

Both of them knew that Duan Xun was a warrior, and he was a general who led troops to fight back then.Especially Wang Ganchang, who was reprimanded by the Ministry of Education in September, was personally criticized by Duan Xun, and his tone was very severe.Because Beiyang University's enrollment in the 1934 college entrance examination was less than the requirement, it was severely criticized by Duan Xun as a waste of education funding. In 1933, Beiyang University enrolled only 170 students, which Duan Xun regarded as a typical criticism.Unexpectedly, in 1934, Beiyang University enrolled only about 300 students.This made Duan Xun furious, so Duan Xun directly told the leadership of Beiyang University this time.If Beiyang University continues to act like this, and does not increase the number of students enrolled, let them leave Beiyang University.Or the Ministry of Education directly reduces the funding for Beiyang University.

Duan Xun's request was simple.

Beginning in 1935, the number of students enrolled at Beiyang University had to increase to 500.Beiyang University receives so much education funding every year, and the annual enrollment is so small, which is a waste of the teaching staff of Beiyang University.Wang Ganchang, who just became the head of the Department of Physics at Beiyang University this year, is also among the critics.It is required that the number of students enrolled in the Department of Physics of Beiyang University must reach 80 each year.This made Wang Ganchang very wronged. When he returned to China, there was only one month before the college entrance examination.Beiyang University's enrollment is determined by the school, and he didn't even have time to care about the situation of the college entrance examination.The lack of enrollment in Beiyang University has nothing to do with him as the head of the physics department.

Therefore, in Wang Ganchang's thinking, Duan Xun should be a decisive general with a bad temper.But today, when Zhao Zhongyao and Wang Ganchang saw Duan Xun, he was very gentle and elegant, like a scholar who had read poetry and books, and it was not at all obvious that he was a general who led troops to fight.Moreover, Duan Xun actually let the two of them read the "Journal of Applied Chemistry".This journal is a well-known journal in the world of chemistry, including the world of physics.But this journal is a professional journal, and it is for those physicists and chemists to communicate.Duan Xun, a national leader who was born in the army, can he also understand this magazine?

So the two were very puzzled.

Take it over and read the article Duan Xun said.Soon Wang Ganchang said: "Prime Minister, this is an extension of an experiment done by the Italian physicist Enrique Fermi's laboratory. Just before I returned to China, Fermi's March of this year (1934) The laboratory uses neutrons to bombard atomic nuclei to produce artificial radiation. Fermilab stated that this is due to the reaction of forming transuranic elements. As for the publication of this article, German chemist and physicist Ida Nodak An alternative interpretation of what happened at Fermilab."

Both Zhao Zhongyao and Wang Ganchang are great figures in the Chinese physics field, and they returned from studying in Europe.Tsinghua University and Beiyang University subscribe to these cutting-edge scientific magazines to understand the development of science in the world.

Especially Wang Ganchang.

When he was studying in Europe, he learned something about these things.I also know a lot about some things in Fermilab, so I knew what it was after reading this article, and immediately talked to Duan Xun.

"Is this article correct?"

Ida Nodak took issue with the Fermilab results.It is considered that Fermilab was unsuccessful in the experimental results only to discover the existence of element 93.She believes that the correct way of chemical analysis is to compare the discovered radioactive substances with all the elements that have been discovered so far to determine what these radioactive substances are.Moreover, she also constructed a new nuclear reaction image, showing that many nuclei were broken into several large fragments under the bombardment of neutrons.

Duan Xun is not familiar with the specific technology of the atomic bomb, nor is he familiar with the specific situation of the development of nuclear physics in the world.But we also know that the experiment at Fermilab was the beginning of the discovery of nuclear fission.

When introducing the development process of the world's atomic bombs, Ida Nodak was the first to propose the best idea for the results of the Fermi test.It's just that everyone didn't pay attention to his point of view, so the discovery of nuclear fission was delayed for four or five years.

"Prime Minister, I have communicated with my teacher. At present, the mainstream views of European chemical physics do not pay much attention to Ida Nodak's views. They hope to repeat the experiments of Fermilab. "

"I heard that after neutrons bombard the nucleus, its mass will decrease?"

"Yes."

Both Zhao Zhongyao and Wang Ganchang were very surprised.

Duan Xun, a national leader from "Qiu Ba", even knows these things.This situation made them feel very weird.Duan Xun looked at the expressions of the two and smiled slightly.

Duan Xun does not understand professional knowledge.

But no matter what, he graduated from university and has studied the simplest physics.Of course, Duan Xun didn't understand the specific things.But it's okay to say a few words.

So Duan Xun continued: "According to the laws of mass conservation and energy conservation in physical chemistry, after neutrons bombard the nucleus, the mass decreases, so where does the reduced part go? Will it become another kind of energy?"

"This?"

When Duan Xun asked, Zhao Zhongyao and Wang Ganchang didn't know how to answer.Because the two of them hadn't thought about it at all.Now that a layman like Duan Xun suddenly asked him this question, the two of them were of course dumbfounded.

"Einstein's special theory of relativity puts forward the mass-energy equation, how much energy will be turned into by the reduced mass. Professor Zhao and Professor Wang, you are scientists, and you are thinking about scientific research. But I am the prime minister, and I am thinking about the country's development. So when I heard that this experiment might generate energy, I was immediately interested in it. As long as energy can be generated, the energy can be used in many places. The important energy source of the first industrial revolution was coal, and the second industrial revolution The important energy source of the revolution is petroleum, and the important energy source of the next industrial revolution may be in these atoms. Therefore, I would like to ask whether our country can also carry out research in this area.”

Duan Xun can never say that he wants to build an atomic bomb.

If you tell Zhao Zhongyao and Wang Ganchang directly, you will definitely scare them away.So I asked the two of them in a roundabout way.Zhao Zhongyao frowned and said: "Prime Minister, our country does not have the ability to do these experiments in many aspects. The first is the lack of necessary laboratories, and the second is the lack of talents in this field."

"No laboratory is not afraid, we can set up a laboratory. I can allocate funds specifically to set up our own laboratory. As for talents, I want you two to be in charge, what do you think?"

"Prime Minister, this..."

Zhao Zhongyao hesitated.

On the contrary, Wang Ganchang, who was next to him, said: "Prime Minister, I actually don't agree with our country's experiments in this field. Now our country's foundation in physics is limited, and more physics talents should be cultivated. The results of these experiments will be announced by everyone. The current situation in our country , the limited funds should be invested in the field of applied physics, not theoretical physics.”

"I agree with what Professor Wang said. But our country must also slowly catch up in theoretical research, so some theoretical research must also be developed. Of course, I know what Professor Wang means, and the cabinet will master this aspect. No Investment in applied fields will be neglected for theoretical research.”

Duan Xun's statement made Wang Ganchang know that Duan Xun must build an atomic laboratory.Therefore, he said: "Prime Minister, if you really want to set up such a laboratory, I can recommend someone to the Prime Minister."

"Prime Minister, if an atomic laboratory must be established, I can recommend someone."

"Who?"

"My teacher, Professor Lise Meitner."

Wang Ganchang hesitated, and said, "But Prime Minister, my teacher, Professor Lise Meitner, is a woman."

Duan Xun was taken aback.

I thought why Wang Ganchang hesitated, but I didn't expect it to be because his teacher was a woman.Duan Xun smiled and said, "What's wrong with the woman? What I want is a scientist who can be in charge of the atomic laboratory. As for whether he is a man or a woman, it doesn't matter."

Wang Ganchang scratched his head.

On the other hand, Zhao Zhongyao, who was next to him, replied: "Prime Minister, in the scientific community, there are very few female scientists, because the scientific community is relatively repulsive to women and does not like women to engage in science. In the European educational circles, among universities It is unlucky for a woman to be a teacher. Female teachers are very excluded in universities. There is a very good mathematician in Germany who is very famous in the field of mathematics. It is even known as the world's most famous mathematician after entering the [-]th century. A great mathematician, she is Professor Amy Noether. Einstein evaluated her as the most outstanding and creative mathematical genius since women received higher education, and even praised her for turning pure mathematics into logical thinking Psalm. In Einstein's general theory of relativity, Professor Noto made strict mathematical formulas and made great contributions to Einstein's general theory of relativity. But because she is a woman, when she graduated from university, all boys Both got graduation certificates and degree certificates, but she did not have a degree certificate and became a university graduate without a diploma. Later, the university finally allowed girls to register, so she returned to school and became the first female doctor of the school. But after graduating, she couldn't find a job, because all the universities refused a female teacher, and the students in the university refused to listen to a female teacher. It's just that she became more and more successful in mathematics, especially It is the performance of Einstein's general theory of relativity, as well as the viewpoint of 'Noether's Law', which caused a sensation in the mathematics world. That is why Göttingen University appointed her as a lecturer, and was appointed as a professor by Göttingen University a few years later .But this professor is different from other professors. He is a non-staff professor without salary. He has the name of a professor, but he does not have the treatment of a professor. So much so that Professor Amy Noether, his salary at the university cannot support himself, The point where she needs the assistance of her own family. All of this is because she is a woman. If she were a man, then she would have been a leading figure in the German mathematics field, a talent that various universities would desperately snatch. This is not only the case in Germany, but also in Europe. It's the same in many countries, they exclude women."

"Hey."

Duan Xun sighed.

How will people in 100 years know how harsh people in this era are to women.Although Duan Xun didn't know how good this female mathematician was, he could tell from Zhao Zhongyao's introduction that she was a talented mathematician, and even a top mathematician in the world.Zhao Zhongyao even said that she was the most outstanding mathematician in the [-]th century.

But it turned out to be treated like this in Europe.