Chapter 1330: Congratulations From All Over The World!
After the announcement of the Problems of the Century, the “Century of Physics” conference officially kicked off.
After a night of waiting, the news about the opening ceremony of the previous day was finally released.
Shanghai News: “The most valuable academic award of this century was created at the Shanghai International Convention and Exhibition Center!”
Was.h.i.+ngton Times: “An individual contributed 100 million yuan as a reward for the Grand Unified Theory. Are they confident that no one can take the bonus money? Or do they believe that this proposition will be resolved within a hundred years?”
The Sun: “Lu Zhou: Whoever can unify the four basic forces will get a bonus of 100 million!”
The Times: “The moment to start a new era in physics!”
There was hardly any suspense. The focus of the news was all on the Problems of the Century, which were announced by a hundred well-known physicists, and the huge bonus pool set up by the ILHCRC.
After the award for the Grand Unified Theory was announced, almost everyone, whether they were academia or non-academia, was shocked by the jaw-dropping amount of bonus.
On Weibo.
“F*ck! One hundred million!”
“It’s not f*cking fake, right?”
“Don’t @ me, I am a physicist starting from today!”
“Forget about it, are you even in college?”
“This is insane! Kneel to G.o.d Lu!”
“I can’t believe it, he is a scientific researcher, so why is he so rich?! I suggest to check his account funds carefully to see if there are any hidden transactions behind this. Just a little suggestion.”
“How can someone be as r.e.t.a.r.ded as you.”
“He is the one who created controllable fusion reactors. He’s the reason your electricity costs 1 cent per hour. Why wouldn’t he be rich?”
On a campus forum for a well-known university.
“A hundred million bonus! That’s really terrifying.”
“I still don’t quite understand why Academician Lu didn’t think about solving this problem himself? Or is he already confident that he can solve this problem by himself, so he deliberately set the bonus so high that no one else can get it anyway?”
“Didn’t you read the interview with the Nature Editor-in-chief Belinda?”
“What did they say?”
“At the dinner after the announcement of the Problems of the Century, they did an interview with Lu Zhou himself! If you read it, you will know why he isn’t solving this problem himself!”
“F*ck, what did he say during the interview?”
“He said that he should give other young people a chance… If I remember correctly, that is what he said! It’s been so many years since the completion of the electrostrong interaction, any problem that has aroused his curiosity has been solved by him! He has no reason to give up on the last step. I even suspect that the Grand Unified Theory has already been solved by him!”
The whole world was shocked by Professor Lu’s generous work.
The news could no longer satisfy people’s desire for gossip, and various theories were circulating wildly on the Internet.
Due to the heated discussion of netizens, the Problems of the Century, initiated by a hundred well-known physicists, occupied the headlines of major online platforms overnight.
Physics went from an unpopular major, only studied by a few individuals, to a popular field that everyone talked about.
And it wasn’t just that.
Even politicians from various countries had sent congratulatory messages to the ILHCRC after the news spread.
1600, Pennsylvania Avenue.
Faced with the reporters at the press conference site, the president gave a speech.
“This is a glorious moment in the history of physics, a moment worthy of being recorded in history!
“The brightest minds on this planet gathered together to discuss the problems we all face. I believe our physics, under the leaders.h.i.+p of ILHCRC, will be able to go further and create greater miracles.”
10 Downing Street.
Also faced with the reporters from all over the world, the prime minister spoke in a solemn tone.
“… Although theoretical physics is far away from our ordinary lives, looking back in history, every social change is closely related to changes in physics. I believe that we are standing at the intersection of a great era, I believe that our future will be bright.
“This is because of those great scientists.”
A similar situation was happening on Chang’an Avenue.
It wasn’t just a congratulatory message.
The Chinese president himself came all the way to Shanghai.
…
A five-star hotel next to the International Convention and Exhibition Center.
Executive lounge on the top floor.
Two people sat near the window, chatting about recent events and drinking afternoon tea.
“… The pattern of physics has been set for the next 100 years. With the help of the Lunar Hadron Collider and huge scientific research capabilities, the ILHCRC has unsurprisingly replaced CERN and became the new world physics center.
“For the past 100 years, the West has dominated the world academia, but now, this has changed. Our scholars can communicate with academia in a fairer environment. My work is done for now.”
Lu Zhou took a sip of tea and looked at the president sitting opposite him.
“I plan to resign as chairman after this conference.”
Even though this was an expected thing, after all, the same thing happened after the controllable fusion project ended, but when Lu Zhou said it himself, the president could not help but look surprised. He sat up straight and spoke.
“Is the work at the ILHCRC too hard? If you have any difficulties, you can tell me. We can’t help you with academic matters, but I can help you figure out solutions for things other than academics.”
“It doesn’t have to do with whether it’s hard or not.” Lu Zhou said with a smile, “It’s just that it’s already been two years, it’s time for a replacement.”
The old man sighed and said earnestly, “But the ILHCRC has achieved so much during your tenure. It is difficult to find a scholar who can lead the young physicists in China. I’m afraid that after you leave, the advantages and status of Chinese academia will vanish.
“Why don’t you stay for one more term?”
“Your worries are unnecessary.” Lu Zhou said with a smile, “There are still quite a few outstanding talents among the younger generation of physicists. For example, Professor Wei will definitely receive a n.o.bel Prize within three years. And Professor Luo Wenxuan, although he has not achieved any outstanding academic results, his research scope covers a wide range of areas. He is also excellent at using mathematical tools and has a wide network of contacts. I trust him to be the next chairman.”
Luo Wenxuan?
The president frowned when he heard this name.
He had heard this name before, but he couldn’t remember where he heard it.
However, since Academician Lu was so confident, there must be something remarkable about this young man.
The president didn’t say anything. He just nodded, then changed the subject and continued, “Since you think this is fine, then so be it… Speaking of which, I heard that you plan to leave the physics world temporarily?”
Lu Zhou shook his head.
“Not leave, but for me personally, it is very difficult to achieve breakthroughs in theoretical physics research.”
The president asked seriously, “Then your plan is?”
“Energy, materials, and information, these are the three pillars of modern science. The former is dominated by controllable fusion, but the nuclear core supply has not met the demands of the global market. For the information field, our submarine quantum optical cable is being laid as we speak. Even if there is a major physics breakthrough, the technology has to take time to catch up.”
Lu Zhou thought about it for a moment. He then spoke.
“I plan to work in the materials science field.
“I’ll see if I can combine what I have learned in mathematics and physics and create something interesting.”