Teito Monogatari:
The Tale of the Imperial Capital
Part 1: Great Spirit of Tokyo
Author: Hiroshi Aramata
Part 2: Nobuhiro Revived
Chapter 9: Introducing Nagaoka Hantarō, a Genius
It is time at last to introduce you all to the remarkable figure known as Professor Nagaoka Hantarō.
"...a special form of matter was adopted in the atomic model. Do you understand, everyone?” the professor asked, his voice remarkably clear and crisp. He would be a tenor if he sang, an exceptionally powerful operatic tenor. His booming voice rang in the ears of his students, crashing over their heads like a tidal wave.
The room was completely silent aside from the professor's voice. No one even coughed. Everyone was holding their breath and listening intently to the lecture of Professor Nagaoka Hantarō, the university's physics professor.
“Hey, you there, student! You fool! Are you even listening?”
His furious shout made the window panes tremble. Yoichiro Tatsunomiya, who was waiting outside for Nagaoka’s lecture to finish, instinctively shrank back and swallowed nervously even though he wasn’t the one being addressed.
What an overwhelming presence! His voice was more like a military general's than a physics professor's. It was loud enough to make anyone tremble.
The Experimental Physics Laboratory in Tokyo Imperial University had an unmistakably modern scientific atmosphere. Along the windowed wall of the narrow hallway outside the classroom, a row of wooden desks—brought from who knows where—were all lined up, cluttered with experimental apparatuses. Half the hallway was occupied by these desks, leaving only the remaining half near the classroom for students to pass through. In some places, the hallway was so cluttered that it was impossible to walk through. Students would have to wind around the obstacles to another hallway to get to where they needed to go.
During lectures, it was fairly simple to navigate the hallways of the Experimental Physics Laboratory. Experimental labs conducted in this part of the building were positively hazardous. Yoichiro had heard rumors that Professor Nagaoka had converted part of a restroom into laboratory space. Those same rumors said that he'd told students that needed to use the restroom to go outside behind the school building.
Yoichiro looked around the classroom. "Is this how science students live?" he muttered. His voice was drowned out by the professor's powerful voice.
“Listen up! I’ll explain it one more time. You should be grateful. The establishment of the atomic model as a physical concept owes much to the efforts of J.J. Thomson. He is a British scientist who was awarded the Nobel Prize just last year. About ten years ago (Meiji 30), he conducted an experiment that knocked negatively charged particles out of the atom. These tiny particles are known as electrons.
"Do you understand the profound impact of this discovery? Atoms are not indivisible! As you know, the word atom has the meaning ‘indivisible.’ The etymology of the term ‘atom’ is ‘indivisible.’ The word 'atom' refers to the smallest indivisible unit of matter. However, Thomson succeeded in extracting an even smaller particle, called the electron, from the atom. This means that atoms are still divisible and must have an internal structure—like a model that can be assembled.
"When Thomson measured the mass of the electron, he discovered that it was less than one-thousandth of the total mass of the atom. So, what are the components of the atom, besides the electron, that account for most of its mass? Since atoms themselves are electrically neutral, these components must possess a positive electrical property. Otherwise, the balance between the negatively charged electrons and the rest of the atom would not balance to neutrality. Some foreign researchers describe the structure of the atom as follows: the atom is a sphere with a positive charge, and within this sphere, tiny particles called electrons are embedded.
"This idea is rather absurd. In Western countries, this atomic model is called the 'plum pudding model,' which makes it sound even more ridiculous. 'Pudding' refers to a type of Western dessert made from coagulated milk. You can imagine it as a round jelly with scattered grapes. According to Thomson, the stability of the atom can be explained by this model. Indeed, since the electrons are embedded in a solid jelly, the atom would be stable.
"My atomic model is completely different. First of all, electrons are supposed to move freely. Furthermore, their motion should be balanced with the massive particles that carry positive electric charge. Since anything in motion consumes energy, eventually the movement should cease, leading to instability.
"But atoms are stable. Just like Saturn, which continues to rotate with its satellite rings intact, there must be a mechanical center—the nucleus—that keeps the atom rotating. Moreover, this nucleus must have a positive charge. In other words, the atom must have a Saturn-like structure. I am certain that my atomic model will one day be recognized by the world!"
Nagaoka uttered these final words as a shout of triumph. Indeed, this atomic model devised by Nagaoka—the Saturnian model—would, within a few years, attract worldwide attention through Rutherford’s alpha particle (α particle) metal foil experiment. In that experiment, alpha rays were directed at gold foil and their deflection was studied.
Rutherford confirmed that when alpha rays were directed at gold atoms, the paths of the alpha particles were greatly deflected. The alpha particles had collided with something inside the gold atom, but it was not something as light as an electron. It was a heavy nucleus, just as Nagaoka had proposed. After that, Professor Nagaoka was recognized as a world-class physicist.
"All right, that's all for today's lecture!"
Chair legs scraped over the floor as students stood up. The doors of the lecture hall opened wide as students spilled into the cluttered hallway. A few students gave Yoichiro dirty looks as they passed him by.
After a short while, the middle-aged professor came through the door. He had close-cropped hair and the stern features of a commander. He wore a frost-patterned suit, a well-worn white shirt, and a white bow tie that was fastened around his neck like a boa constrictor--far too tight.
"Professor Nagaoka!" Yoichiro called out to him.
"Oh? Are you the gentleman from the Ministry of Finance?" Professor Nagaoka asked. "Sorry to keep you waiting. Shall we step out into the courtyard and discuss your business? The weather is nice today. By the way, what is your name?"
"My name is Tatsunomiya Yoichiro from the Ministry of Finance. I look forward to working with you."
The two of them walked together out into the courtyard of the Experimental Physics Laboratory. It was the height of spring; white cherry blossoms rained down from the pale gray sky. This part of the season always made Yoichiro feel slightly itchy.
Professor Nagaoka tilted his round, chestnut-like head slightly back and looked up at the sky with satisfaction. "This is what they call a flower haze! I'd love to go to Ueno and have a meal in the park at Seiyoken on the way back."
"Even someone as busy as you, Professor, finds time to visit Ueno?"
"Of course, my friend. Even I am not above enjoying the ordinary pleasures of life. I've heard the rumors about me. People say that I was so absorbed in my studies that I didn’t even know the Russo-Japanese War had broken out, but that’s nonsense. Even I am aware of what’s happening in the world. Of course, there are plenty of professors at the Imperial University who know nothing but their own fields of study, but that's neither here nor there. What is it you wanted to talk about?” he asked.
Professor Nagaoka sat down on a wooden bench beside a cherry tree, loosening his bow tie as he did so.
“The other day I sent you a letter...”
“Oh, the letter that came indirectly from Shibusawa Eiichi, correct?”
“Yes. It’s about the Imperial Capital Renovation Plan. We were hoping to ask for your assistance with it.”
“Hmm, now that you mention it, I’ve heard that civil engineering works have begun all over Tokyo. Isn’t there talk of building a new station to replace Shimbashi Station, the main gateway to Tokyo? I’ve also heard that Nihonbashi will be rebuilt, and that the area from Tatsunokuchi to Dōtonbori will be filled in and new roads will be constructed.”
“Yes, the plan is to complete most of the Imperial Capital Renovation Plan by 1911 (Meiji 44). However, there are two major issues that were not included in the original plan. Mr. Shibusawa has taken on the challenge of solving these difficult problems at the government’s request."
“And what are those problems?”
“The first is the formulation and implementation of a disaster prevention plan for the city. No such comprehensive plan was ever conceived of. We have long been examining the Imperial Capital Renovation Plan from the perspective of fire prevention, and have taken appropriate measures accordingly."
“And?”
"As seen in the recent theories of Dr. Akitsune Imamura, which have been making headlines in the newspapers, in order to make our imperial capital one of the world’s leading cities, we must have thorough measures not only against fires but also against earthquakes."
“In that case, wouldn’t it be best to have seismologists like Akitsune Imamura or Fusakichi Omori serve under Mr. Shibusawa? Two years ago, Mr. Imamura used statistical methods to analyze the history of major earthquakes, including the Great Ansei Earthquake, which claimed over a thousand lives. He warned that now, fifty years later, Tokyo may again be struck by a massive earthquake that could reduce the entire city to ashes. He discovered that such disasters have occurred on average once every hundred years, and at the shortest, once every fifty years.”
“However, Dr. Fusakichi Omori has directly refuted that prediction," Yoichiro said. "What we need is not debates or predictions about the periodicity of major earthquakes. What is necessary is the technology and intelligence to build an imperial capital that can withstand a major earthquake without being destroyed.”
Professor Nagaoka hmmed thoughtfully. "That's one problem. What is the second problem?"
“It is a matter that cannot be easily explained in a few words.”
"I dislike roundabout ways of speaking," the professor said.
"My apologies. I will be direct. The construction of the imperial capital is not simply about achieving perfection from an architectural perspective. Our goal is to build a divine city that is perfectly protected from every possible viewpoint—not only in terms of world geography, but also geomancy, and not just from the perspective of physics, but also in terms of spiritual and divine protection."
"In other words, you mean a city blessed by both the gods and nature?"
"Exactly as you say."
"That is an extremely difficult task!"
"Yes, it is. Even if we take the problem of earthquakes as an example, the world’s scientists are still in the process of unraveling its mysteries. The path to understanding is steep and long."
"Generally speaking, we physicists have made it our duty to dispel the old influences of yin and yang and the five elements, as well as astronomical laws, which have constrained our country’s natural sciences. We want to spread a more rational scientific spirit in our country. If superstitious methods such as the importance of directions or the concept of demon gates are still involved, we may end up clashing with the diviners and the sorcerers from the very beginning."
"No, I do not think so. If the imperial capital is constructed to be scientifically perfect, then I think that is a wonderful thing. However, a nation requires more than just material perfection; it also needs spiritual—or rather, I would even say divine—perfection. For example, do you think that a country which is defeated in military conflict is completely destroyed? No, there is another kind of national defense: defense through the hearts and minds of people.
"Since ancient times, the construction of our imperial capital has been guided by the stars in the heavens, aligned with the will of the gods, and carried out according to the principles of the five elements. In other words, the city is already on its way to being divinely perfect.
"As you know, Shibusawa Eiichi is a great man who leads the development of industry from outside the government. He is a man of reason who elevates Western values to practical application in Japan and elsewhere. Nevertheless, Shibusawa himself—
“I understand his methods,” the professor interrupted in his usual loud voice. “Say no more. Mr. Shibusawa also wrote in his letter that we must face difficult challenges. This is a project that is not known to the public, but it may be the greatest and final challenge faced by the Meiji era." He shrugged. "Very well! The university shall contribute a physicist to your grand project. I'm nothing but a fool who has come this far through effort alone, but there is one young genius in our physics program who I can recommend to you. He is a man of good character and his mind is keen. On top of that, he is blessed with the imagination of a poet. He also has an interest in natural disasters and earthquakes."
"And who is this man?"
"He is a lecturer in physics at the Imperial University. His name is Terada Torahiko, and he is a true genius!"
No comments:
Post a Comment