Chapter 498 CERN's Unrealistic Idea

The report ended. The next day, outside Xu Chuan's office at Nanjing University, Professor David Gross and Edward Witten, who came from Europe, knocked on the door and walked in.

Most of the other physicists had gone back, but the two of them had some other things to communicate with Xu Chuan, so they stayed for a while.

"Instructor, Professor Gross."

Seeing the visitor, Xu Chuan smiled and stood up and greeted: "Would you like some coffee or tea?"

"Coffee."

"Tea."

Gross and Witten asked for different drinks respectively. Xu Chuan nodded and asked his assistant to make them with a smile.

"By the way, how is CERN now?"

After the assistant brought coffee and tea, Xu Chuan sat on the sofa and chatted with the two professors.

Of course, from the purpose of today, this is not really gossip.

After all, the main purpose of Witten and Gross coming here today is to have a preliminary cooperation exchange with China on the construction of a large particle collider.

Originally, this kind of exchange should have a formal meeting, but Xu Chuan thought it was troublesome, so he didn't do it.

On the one hand, he is the general manager of the Large Intense Particle Collider project in China, and on the other hand, this is just a preliminary communication.

If the intention can be confirmed, there will definitely be special personnel to communicate various details in the future.

So he did not call other people, and had a communication with David Gross in his office that could be said to determine the future fate of high-energy physics.

After taking a sip of coffee, Gross shook his head slightly and said, "Not very good. Whether the LHC upgrade will be carried out is still under debate, and EU countries are thinking about reducing investment."

To be honest, the director of CERN is more of a scholar.

When he spoke, he directly exposed the situation of CERN and his concerns about the future of high-energy physics.

If it were another politician, no matter what, he would brag first, try his best to expand his advantages, and get more benefits from this transaction.

Of course, it is also possible that CERN has already negotiated it, and this time it is just a formality.

However, such communication is more to Xu Chuan's taste.

He smiled and said, "It's normal. The United States and the European Union are now in a period of economic decline. Compared with investing in basic scientific research equipment such as the Large Hadron Collider, they are more willing to invest money in the research of controlled nuclear fusion."

Xu Chuan was not surprised by this result.

Although the emergence of an epoch-making new technology often requires a lot of time to settle and drive development.

But it is undeniable that since he led the team to successfully realize the controlled nuclear fusion technology, the situation in the whole world has begun to change dramatically.

In an era that is still in an economic recession cycle, a large amount of funds must be squeezed out to invest in the field of controlled nuclear fusion, which is bound to seriously squeeze the living space of other scientific research projects.

Especially for basic scientific research equipment such as the Large Hadron Collider, which is difficult to bring profits in a short period of time and even cannot maintain a balance of income and expenditure.

In this case, it is normal for the LC-LHC high-luminosity collider and even the current upgrade to be cut.

Speaking of controlled nuclear fusion, Gross raised his head and glanced at the young man in front of him.

He really didn't know how this scholar, who seemed extremely young to him, relied on his wisdom to solve various problems in controlled nuclear fusion.

After all, this is considered to be a technology of "eternal fifty years", and even many researchers believe that it is impossible to realize this technology in the 21st century.

Although he wanted to ask, he also knew that the other party would not be able to answer technical questions in this regard.

After thinking for a while, he said: "Let's talk about the collider. If China needs CERN's support and help, what are you going to do?"

Hearing Gross's words, Xu Chuan smiled. When the communication officially began, the old professor was undoubtedly on the side of CERN.

The implication of "what are you going to do" is what China can pay in exchange for CERN's technical reserves, excellent materials, equipment, talents, etc.

However, he has a completely different view in this regard.

With a smile, Xu Chuan said easily: "Compared to what you said, I would like to say what CERN can give in terms of colliders in exchange for a member seat in the collider built in China."

"Just like China's current position in CERN, it provides corresponding scientific research funds every year and obtains corresponding jobs, research tasks, technological achievements and other things."

"Instead of saying that we have to pay something to get technology from CERN."

After a slight pause, he continued: "To be honest, we have actually already reserved the technology to build a large particle collider."

"The reason why we are willing to communicate and share with CERN and other countries is, on the one hand, because CERN is indeed better in some of the collider technologies."

"On the other hand, I would rather see all the physicists in the world and even all the countries unite to explore the development of basic science and the more distant future."

"If this is not the case, I believe that we are fully capable of conducting research independently behind closed doors. Perhaps doing so will make our progress slower, but I think we are capable of doing it."

Now that communication has officially begun, he will naturally stand more from the standpoint of the country and himself.

The technology and some response equipment at CERN are indeed very important, but for China to build a large strong particle collider, it is not indispensable.

After listening to Xu Chuan's words, Gross shook his head and said: "I'm afraid it will be difficult for the CERN board of directors to agree to this kind of cooperation. In the field of basic science research, to be honest, China is still far behind."

For CERN, I am afraid that few countries will agree to using technology in exchange for China's current member status in CERN.

Even if they have declined, it is only relatively speaking.

In the field of basic science research, it is not that CERN looks down upon others, but that China is indeed far, far behind.

Even with a scholar like this in front of him, he couldn't smooth out all the gaps.

Xu Chuan smiled and asked: "What about CERN's thoughts?"

Regarding the gap in basic scientific research, he must be aware of this.

Due to some historical reasons, China lags behind mainstream countries in the development of science and technology.

Although they have gradually caught up with Western countries in terms of application and engineering, in the field of basic science, they are indeed lagging behind by more than a little bit.

Not to mention other things, it is almost difficult to find the names of Chinese scholars from the scholars and pictures remembered by history in textbooks and walls of fame.

It has to be said that China indeed needs to work harder in this regard.

This is the purpose of building a large strong particle collider and introducing scholars from other countries.

Control basic scientific research equipment such as the collider, attract scientists and researchers from other countries, and form an international scientific research center on this basis, and then cultivate our own talents.

Although this is a very long time line, if you want to develop, this is the only way to go in this era.

On the opposite side, David Gross said: "The council's request is to trade high-temperature copper-carbon-silver composite superconducting material technology, open laboratories and knowledge transfer policies."

Hearing this, Xu Chuan shook his head without thinking: "The requirements for open laboratories and knowledge transfer policies are OK, but trading high-temperature copper-carbon-silver composite superconducting material technology is impossible."

The two requirements of open laboratories and knowledge transfer policies are normal, and this is what CERN currently does.

If this kind of basic science field is not open to member states, it will be difficult to develop.

But high-temperature copper-carbon-silver composite superconducting material technology is something that is impossible to talk about without even thinking about it.

Superconducting materials are one of the cores of controllable nuclear fusion technology. The purpose of CERN's exchange is nothing more than controllable nuclear fusion.

But in this regard, China already has the advantage. How can it give up its core technology in an insignificant part?

It's impossible for him to agree, and it's even less likely that the senior management will agree.

If it were to be replaced by a low-nanometer photolithography machine or a high-precision industrial machine, he might consider it.

But as far as CERN controls those things, they are far from important.

Opposite, Professor David Gross sighed and said with a wry smile: "If this is the case, I'm afraid it will be difficult for the Council to agree to cooperation."

Xu Chuan: "To be honest, I don't think you have figured out the situation now,"

"This will be the world's first large collider with an energy level of 100 billion or even 100 billion electron volts."

"Although China does need technical support from CERN to optimize collider technology, it is not necessarily completely needed."

"With our current capabilities, we are completely able to build a complete collider independently, although it may be weaker in some functions."

"The current situation is that I give you the opportunity to participate in this matter together. It is not that we beg CERN to join in, let alone that I need to pay for the high-temperature copper-carbon-silver composite superconducting material technology."

"This is impossible."

Although he very much hopes that the large strong ion collider built in China can replace CERN and become the new world's physics holy place, he cannot agree to some issues involving the bottom line.

If CERN refuses, there is a high probability that a new PK and competition will begin in this area.

To be honest, in the competition in the field of basic science, China really does not have any advantages.

Once vicious competition forms, top foreign universities will completely reject Chinese students, which will undoubtedly be a disaster for them.

So Xu Chuan chose to try his best to bring both parties together in the middle.

Boil the frog in warm water and slowly transfer the center of basic science from Western countries to China bit by bit.

Hearing this, Chief David Gross was silent for a moment.

On the side, Edward Witten, who had been silent, shrugged and interjected: "I have long said that this kind of deal is impractical. It is a waste of time for those idiots on the council to insist on you coming up with it."

Xu Chuan glanced at his mentor, thought for a moment, looked at Gross and said: "I know what the member states behind CERN are thinking, but this is obviously no longer within the scope of fair trade."

"I welcome all like-minded people to join the Large Hadron Collider project to promote the development and progress of basic science together."

"The progress of civilization and science can never be supported by a single individual, it requires the efforts of countless people."

"But if you want to use this to get something extra, I can only advise you to give up this unrealistic idea."

"If you insist on being rigid on this point, I can only regretfully tell you that this cooperation cannot be achieved."

After a pause, he continued: "Of course, even if We are unable to cooperate with CERN and other countries, and we also welcome physicists from all countries to come here to do research. "

"Including the use of colliders and experimental projects, as long as the submitted experimental projects are feasible and have research value, they can be reviewed and supported by the project."

"But you should also be very clear that if this is the case, the opportunities available to others will be relatively smaller."

"The basis for my negotiations with you now is that CERN does have the technology that can help us build and optimize the collider, which is what we need."

"What CERN can get is a seat in a member country, as well as more jobs, research tasks, technological achievements and other things. Just like China is now in CERN."

PS: There will be another chapter later, please vote for me.