Chapter 266 The Biggest Challenge Encountered by Human Science so Far

CERN Director Gross's words surprised Xu Chuan.

From arranging two or three collision experiments to LHC's full efforts to capture inert neutrinos, these are two completely different concepts.

The former is just a project worth investing in from CERN's point of view, and it is even possible that it is still based on his status as a Nobel Prize winner in physics.

The latter means that the importance of this discovery has reached the peak of the current high-energy field.

CERN's search for the Higgs boson was in such a state, and the LHC suspended more than half of other projects.

Four detectors, from the ATLAS hyper-toroidal detector to the CMS compact muon coil, and then to the ALICE large ion collision detector, are all exploring and searching for traces of the existence of the Higgs boson.

On this basis, the Higgs boson was successfully discovered in 2012.

In his previous life, he did not have such treatment when studying inert neutrinos. Although traces were also discovered in 2018, it was not until 2023 that the inert neutrino was finally detected, with a confidence level of 5.2sigma.

Now that the LHC is fully capturing the search, it seems that this deadline may be much earlier.

After a small report meeting, several Nobel Prize winners left and returned to the hotel to rest.

They rushed here from Europe after a meeting. After landing and putting down their luggage, they came to Nanjing University. They were very tired after the long journey.

Edward Witten stayed and prepared to chat with this student who had not seen him for more than half a year.

"After more than half a year, I didn't expect you to win the Nobel Prize."

In Xu Chuan's office, Witten sighed while holding a cup of tea. If you ask who is most envious of the Nobel Prize, he must be one of them.

However, the probability of him winning the Nobel Prize is too low.

It will take another century or two to prove something like string theory, and it may not even be proved.

Xu Chuan smiled and said, "I was also quite surprised. I didn't expect that the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences was so bold last year and made an exception to give me the Nobel Prize."

Witten smiled and said, "If the existence of inert neutrinos is confirmed this time, maybe the Nobel Prize will be awarded to you again."

Xu Chuan shook his head and said, "Even if it is discovered, according to the management of the Nobel Prize, I am afraid I can't get this medal."

For the Nobel Prize in Physics, if a certain particle has been predicted and detailed theoretically planned by predecessors, such as the Higgs particle,

then when this particle is discovered and meets the requirements, then the Nobel Prize will only be awarded to the scholars who made this prediction and plan.

CERN has countless discoveries of all sizes every year, and more than 90% of the results in the field of high-energy physics come from there, and there are many of them that deserve the Nobel Prize.

But if the Nobel Prize is to be awarded for these results, one hundred places a year will not be enough.

After all, these things can be said to be the common discoveries of CERN, and there are more than one hundred people who have contributed to it.

Just like his inert neutrino this time, although he analyzed it, the detection and analysis of the original data were completed by CERN and Nanjing University.

It is impossible for the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences to award the Nobel Prize in Physics to so many people. This is unrealistic.

So even for the discovery of great achievements such as the Higgs particle and gravitational waves, the Nobel Prize was not awarded to CERN and other laboratory institutions.

From this point of view, it is unlikely that he will win the Nobel Prize for discovering inert neutrinos, at least he did not win the Nobel Prize for this in his previous life.

It is the future discovery of dark matter that allowed him to successfully win the second Nobel Prize in his previous life.

Witten had a different view on Xu Chuan's answer: "It's different. Although the liquid scintillation neutrino detector proposed the concept of inert neutrinos before, it was finally confirmed that it was just the transformation of the muon antineutrino into the electron antineutrino."

"And the theories you proposed this time are quite amazing."

"It can be said that the physics community has never thought that there is an intermediate form of particles between dark matter and positive matter. If it is confirmed, it can be said to be a great discovery that breaks through the standard model."

After a pause, Witten looked at Xu Chuan with some expectation, and then said: "More importantly, behind the inert neutrino, the dark matter and dark energy that the whole world has been looking forward to are hidden."

"If we can make a breakthrough through this, it will definitely be the greatest achievement of the 21st century."

Xu Chuan smiled and said, "I hope it goes well."

In the office, after Xu Chuan and Witten chatted for a while, David Gross, the chairman of CERN, and Liu Gaojun, the president of Nanjing University, walked in together.

"Professor Xu, I want to discuss something with you." Gross walked over and said.

Xu Chuan: "Please speak, President."

"It's like this. Given the great significance of the discovery of inert neutrinos, CERN needs to hold a press conference to show the outside world what CERN is doing."

"Do you have time to go to CERN?"

David Gross looked at Xu Chuan and asked. Before coming, he had talked with Witten and knew that the scholar in front of him might not go abroad, but even so, he still wanted to try.

After all, as the chairman of CERN, he naturally hopes that this press conference will be held at the CERN headquarters, which can greatly enhance CERN's influence.

Xu Chuan shook his head regretfully and said, "I'm sorry, chairman, I'm afraid I can't go to CERN recently."

"But." After a pause, he continued, "Why not arrange this press conference in China?"

"Last year, China joined CERN and officially became a member state. There are also resident reporters from all over the world. I believe my country has enough ability to hold this press conference."

Hearing this, David Gross glanced at Edward Witten opposite him. Witten shook his head slightly. He knew something, but it was impossible to tell Gross, even though Gross was his mentor and Xu Chuan's ancestor.

Compared with him, Gross's position is not quite the same. He and Deligne are not very involved in political things, but Gross represents the interests of the United States at CERN.

Of course, as the chairman of CERN, he still has to consider the interests of CERN more.

Seeing Witten shaking his head, Gross thought for a moment and said, "How about holding this press conference here? Professor Xu's alma mater will hold the press conference on behalf of CERN?"

As he spoke, he looked at the president of Nanjing University and asked, "What do you think?"

Liu Gaojun nodded quickly and smiled, "Of course, it is an honor for Nanjing University. Please leave it to us. Nanjing University will definitely hold this report conference well."

David Gross smiled and said, "That would be very troublesome."

Before coming, CERN had actually decided to release the report conference in China, so Gross did not have many regrets. After all, the main discoverer of this discovery was Xu Chuan, and CERN could not hold a press conference alone without Xu Chuan.

After taking on this task in the office, Liu Gaojun said hello to everyone and left.

Being able to host such a press conference on behalf of CERN will undoubtedly be of great benefit to the reputation and academic achievements of Nanjing University in the field of high-energy physics.

As a top C9 school, NTU has experienced administrative staff. After taking over this press conference, the administrative departments of NTU quickly held a meeting to discuss the scale of this press conference.

For NTU, it was the first time to undertake such a work, so the administrative teachers naturally suggested to hold it grandly.

Not only because this was the first time such a press conference was held to the world, but also because the content of this press conference was quite amazing.

The discovery of inert neutrinos and the connection of dark matter

All these things declare that human physics may be about to break through the boundaries and enter the next new century! The standard physics model will also be updated, and the boundaries of science will be expanded again.

And this great discoverer, Xu Chuan, will also be recorded in the most glorious history like his predecessors.

Although he is now.

As Xu Chuan's alma mater, NTU will naturally get more attention and glory.

On this basis, these administrative teachers directly suggested to expand this press conference into a press conference + report meeting.

Invite Xu Chuan and the Nobel Prize winners who came to attend the inert neutrino exchange meeting to give a report on dark matter, dark energy, neutrinos, inert neutrinos and other materials and discoveries after the press conference.

After all, opportunities are rare. Xu Chuan invited only eight people to a small report meeting, which included seven Nobel Prize winners in physics and two Fields Medal winners, and they were basically all big names in the field of high-energy physics and particle physics.

When has Nanjing University ever gathered so many top bigwigs in the same field?

It can be said that there has been almost no such opportunity.

So if you don’t take this opportunity, it will be really difficult to encounter such an opportunity if you miss it.

In the end, the press conference and report meeting were scheduled for five days later.

If it weren’t for CERN’s chairman David Gross’s desire to hold a press conference as soon as possible to announce the news to all walks of life, Nanjing University could have delayed the time.

After all, the longer the time, the more convenient it is for those top physics professors to arrange their own time.

As time went on, physicists who were interested in the press conference and report meeting and had time arrived in Jinling by plane one after another.

This city, which has never had much presence in the international academic community, has a stronger academic atmosphere.

Especially at Nanjing University, as the press conference approaches, a large number of well-known scholars come to visit every day, which makes the school leaders smile.

It's a pity that there is not enough time, otherwise Nanjing University really wants to take the opportunity to turn this press conference into a world-class academic conference.

The press conference was held in the auditorium of the old campus of Nanjing University.

The media reporters and physicists who were invited to attend the press conference have all taken their seats.

Beside Edward Witten, Nobel Prize winner in physics Frank Wilczek whispered to him.

"I heard that CERN arranged some people to come and communicate with Professor Xu about the analysis data of the ALICE detector a few days ago?"

"Yes." Witten nodded and said, "Today's press conference is very interesting. The LHC collision experiment in the second half of the year will be carried out around the results announced today."

Hearing this, Wilczek was a little surprised and asked, "Could it really be inert neutrinos?"

Witten shook his head slightly and said, "It's not certain at the moment, but there is a high probability. Moreover, even if it is not a sterile neutrino, the data detected by the internal tracking system is likely to contain a new type of particle that we don't know about, and it is very likely to be beyond the standard model."

"That's really exciting. Perhaps the biggest change in physics is coming." Wilczek said with a smile.

"Yes."

As time passed, the round clock on the wall pointed to nine o'clock.

The president of Nanjing University first took the stage to do the opening ceremony.

Then David Gross, the president of CERN, took the stage to make a process announcement for this press conference and report meeting.

Then, Xu Chuan, dressed in a formal suit, walked steadily into the auditorium.

As he took the stage, there was an obvious commotion in the auditorium, and everyone looked up at the figure on the stage.

This is the first time that this young Nobel Prize winner has appeared in the public eye since his Nobel speech in December last year.

After a few months, I don't know what kind of results this extremely young top scholar will bring, and how shocking it will be.

Standing on the podium, Xu Chuan looked down at the audience and media reporters below the stage. He was not very excited.

After all, he had experienced such scenes many times.

On the podium, Xu Chuan tried the microphone and confirmed that there was no problem. He spoke in a clear voice.

"Thank you very much for taking the time out of your busy schedule to come here. In order not to delay your precious time, I will get straight to the point."

After the concise opening, Xu Chuan opened the PPT file for projection.

Of course, this is not the data analysis sent to CERN, but a simpler and more straightforward report file based on it.

After all, today's press conference is aimed at the many media reporters, not the many physicists who came from afar.

"In the past 2018, CERN has conducted countless collision laboratories. Using the Large Intense Particle Collider, we are pursuing and exploring the secrets of the universe and microscopic particles."

"From the decay of the Higgs particle to the discovery of the pentaquark particle, these great achievements have given the physics world a new look and have given us a deeper understanding of microscopic particles and the universe."

"Today, I will stand here to announce another achievement."

As he spoke, Xu Chuan lightly pressed the laser pen in his hand, and the screen flickered, and a new picture turned out.

It was a map of the cosmic sea of ​​stars, in which several galaxies were slowly rotating.

Looking at the picture, Xu Chuan slowly said: "Before today's press conference begins, I want to ask everyone present a question"

"When facing the vast universe, what is the biggest mystery that the human scientific community has encountered so far?"

Hearing this somewhat unexpected question, there was some commotion in the auditorium, and some physicists began to communicate with their friends around them.

Some said the speed of light, some said space expansion, and some said the origin of mass and the origin of the universe.

Under the podium, many media reporters were busy recording this moment with their cameras.

Of course, many media reporters were also curious and thinking about why this young scholar asked such a question and the answer to this question while recording.

Let's have a py with the big guy, this is a big boutique big guy!