Chapter 174: Corrected
Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations
The report would continue.
However, there was nothing else to look forward to.
Nothing could compare to Lu Zhou’s discovery.
Many people thought of the neutrino oscillation experiment a couple of years ago, which proved that there should not be neutrinos in the prediction of the standard model. However, there was! Due to this amazing discovery, the standard model was almost pushed down.
If there really was a 750 GeV particle missing from the standard model…
In a sense, this clue had great disruptive potential.
Many people looked at their watches; some even left the venue. They could not wait to get back to their labs and start writing a thesis on this new phenomenon.
It was foreseeable that if the probability of the occurrence of this characteristic peak was really high, CERN would definitely start using the LHC to further investigate this clue.
If the data collected on the LHC proved that there really was a characteristic peak at 750 GeV, then this could mean a n.o.bel Prize!
It was no doubt that this clue was valuable.
Peter Higgs said in amazement, “… Unbelievable, this is the amazing discovery you talked about?”
“Yes,” said Frank Wilczek who sat next to him. He smiled and continued, “I read his thesis two weeks ago. The paper wasn’t completed yet at that time, but I was confident that there was a clue in there somewhere.”
Peter Higgs thought for a long time before he asked, “From a mathematical point of view, do you think this possibility exists?”
Frank smiled, “I think that it’s worth trying.”
“You’re right, I think so too,” said Peter Higgs as he nodded. He stood up from his seat and said, “I have some new theories about this clue… I have to go.”
Frank stopped his friend, “Wait a minute.”
Peter Higgs, “Is there anything else?”
Frank smiled and rubbed his thumbs, “You forgot the money.”
Frank won the bet definitively.
It seemed that the gambler won this time.
Peter Higgs paused for a second before he threw a crumpled Franklin on the chair. He then left quickly.
…
On the other side of the venue, Professor Lu said, “This kid is interesting, no wonder he’s my student.”
Yan Xinjue could not help but ask, “But Professor, I thought you said that this was a quantum fluctuation?”
“I never said that,” said Professor Lu Shenjin. He had a serious look on his face as he continued, “I only said that it’s possible.”
He still thought it was possible.
This was an important clue, but experiments were still needed to prove anything.
Yan Xinjue continued to ask, “But what if there’s a characteristic peak at 750 GeV, how can this be explained with quantum chromodynamics?”
Professor Lu nodded and said, “It’s unexplainable as this is beyond the standard model.”
“Then why…”
“There’s no reason why,” said Professor Gao who interrupted them. He smiled and said, “Physics doesn’t comply with our wishes. It exists on its own. We need to find new puzzles to perfect our theory.”
Any physics conclusion was imperfect.
Therefore, even if Einstein proved the theory of relativity, no one would jump out to say that Newton was wrong.
Similarly, if one day someone found out that relativity did not apply at more distant galaxies, no one would say that Einstein was wrong. Physics was constantly improving.
This was the same for the standard model.
Yan Xinjue held his breath and asked with an exciting tone, “Then you’re saying that Lu Zhou’s discovery can bring forward a new physics theory?”
Professor Gao thought for a moment before he gave a vague answer, “Maybe.”
That was right – Maybe.
For a master’s student like Lu Zhou, a “maybe” was impressive.
…
Lu Zhou came here at the beginning of May, and he had already been here for two and a half months.
As he stared at the calendar, he could not help but contemplate.
If he recalled correctly, right now his friends from Dorm 201 should have finished their final exams. Only students who were studying for the graduate entrance exam would still be at the University of Jin Ling.
If his life trajectory did not deviate from its course, then he would be a third-year student in two months. He would have to think about working or continuing his studies…
However, now, he did not have to think about those superficial problems.
He had to think of even more problems, but just different ones.
Two weeks ago, the European Nuclear Research Summit had ended and the researchers from China Cooperation Group had returned to China.
Lu Zhou was supposed to fly back with Yan Xinjue and Professor Lu Shenjian, but the professor ditched him and told him to fly by himself.
It was a long story.
After the end of Lu Zhou’s report, Lynn Evans gave him a new contract and sent him an invitation.
Lu Zhou was previously a CERN intern, but now he was a CERN researcher.
In short, he got promoted.
For an international research inst.i.tution, the turnover rate of the researchers was very high. For example, at the famous Argonne National Laboratory, the ratio of temporary workers to permanent personnel was close to 1:1.
CERN probably had the highest turnover rate of all research inst.i.tutions.
CERN had different personnel contracts for researchers from different countries and experiment inst.i.tutions…
These contracts did not carry a salary, so it was not an employment agreement. They were more like proof of ident.i.ty.
For example, Yan Xinjue and Professor Lu Shenjian had these proof of ident.i.ties.
As for the use of these ident.i.ties…
In addition to easier Visa application and entering research areas, they were pretty useless.
Also, if he wanted to earn some extra money, he could use this ident.i.ty and signed a contract with another lab.
Of course, Lu Zhou did not stay for a “Summer job”. He stayed because CERN modified the experiment arrangements to accommodate the clue that he found.
Lu Zhou wanted to stay and witness the results of his own discovery.
Of course, this was only one of the reasons.
The other reason was that since the system did not end his mission, he had to continue to work here.
He was worried about the cancellation of the system mission, so he did not want to leave.
In short, experiments like this had a high variance. It could take a month or even a year.
Therefore, Professor Lu Shenjian ditched Lu Zhou.
After all, academicians’ times were precious. Professor Lu Shenjian could not just stay here and waited for the results.
However, Professor Lu did not completely ditch Lu Zhou. He gave Lu Zhou a $3000 Euro living allowance. He also paid for the hotel room until the end of July.
After all, if this discovery was confirmed, it would be great news to the research community in China.
Professor Lu Shenjian was looking forward to the results.