Needless to say, the United States does have a lot of helium resources.
In later generations, many of our oil fields have been found, but the larger helium fields have never been found. Helium is basically imported.
As the second-ranked element in the periodic table, helium has a very high abundance in the entire universe, reaching 24%.
The first is hydrogen, 74%, and the two add up to 98%.
But there is very little helium on Earth.
Even the element helium was only discovered by observing the solar spectrum around 1865. At that time, scientists thought that helium was an alkali metal, so they named it Helium after the sun god Helios in Greek mythology.
When naming elements in the West, the suffix -ium is equivalent to the Chinese word for 钅. But when we translated it, we already knew that it was a gas.
It took more than 30 years until 1895 for Swedish chemists to discover helium in uranium ore for the first time.
Note, it's uranium ore.
Because helium is very light and cannot be grasped by the earth's gravity, the helium gas had already escaped into the universe when the earth was formed.
The current helium on the earth is produced by natural alpha decay of radioactive elements in the earth's crust. It is very rare and non-renewable.
Before Li Yu's time travel, helium was still an important resource that could be called a bottleneck. After all, this thing was too useful and was still used in high-precision industries.
We buy almost 60% from Qatar and the rest from the United States and Australia.
Of course, this kind of strategic resource transaction has risen to the level of diplomacy, and it is not entirely a matter of money.
Fortunately, our relations with the Middle East are not bad.
Onnes knew that Li Yu was very happy in the United States, and said: "If Mr. can get more helium, it is not impossible for me to teach the Americans and set up a laboratory in the United States."
Li Yu thought for a while and said, "I can give it a try."
Onness said happily: "If it works, I won't have to do experiments. Now I'm afraid of wasting even a little bit."
The current ability of the United States to purify helium is indeed a bit low, and the price of helium is very high.
This is also the reason why it has been very expensive for laboratories around the world to conduct low-temperature research for a long time.
Before the First World War, it could be purchased relatively smoothly. After the First World War, the United States and the United States were so confident that they wanted to become the real world leader. They immediately began to control helium exports to prevent Europe from developing more terrifying airships.
But from God's perspective, this is a foolish move by the United States.
It was because of helium control that the Hindenburg had to use cheap hydrogen, which caused the explosion. From then on, Europe was preoccupied with aircraft.
The large amount of helium stored in the United States immediately lost its market and could only be used as a general protective gas.
Although Li Yu is not in a hurry about low-temperature physics, he should find a way to sell Onnes to some extent, because then Onness's liquid helium will become a hot commodity again, and he will have to rely on them for experiments.
Lorenz was not engaged in low-temperature research, but Onness's original intention was to test Lorenz's theory at low temperatures, so he had to pay attention to it.
Lorenz said: "If Mr. Academician can persuade Americans, I, Lorenz, will also be willing to go to the United States to give a lecture tour."
The United States is not short of money, but it is short of talent and technology. It is eager to see these great European scientists. If they want to come, it doesn't matter how much money they pay.
Therefore, Lorenz's "selling himself out" strategy is very lethal, not to mention that he is a top physicist who has won the Nobel Prize.
Li Yu smiled and said: "This matter is not only important to you and Leiden University, but also to me. I should do my best."
Today's meeting with the Three Musketeers of the Nobel Prize went smoothly. After having dinner together, Li Yu left Leiden University.
Lu Bicheng stayed alone in the hotel for almost a day, and he happened to take her out for shopping.
Li Yu's biggest impression of Amsterdam was not about football or windmills, but when he was browsing a certain website and suddenly saw an interesting video of Zhang San, an outlaw: "Invoices issued by prostitutes in Amsterdam, the sex city." How can I get reimbursed when I return to the company?”
Since the Netherlands declared it legal in 2000, it has become a paradise for men.
But as for how to open it and what name to open it, I don’t know, I don’t understand, I don’t understand...
Lu Bicheng walked for a while and said to Li Yu: "I always thought you were tall before, but when I came here, I found that there are so many tall people."
Li Yu puffed out his chest: "I'm not short here, okay."
The two bought two pairs of wooden shoes, a special Dutch handicraft, at a roadside shop.
Then walking forward, when passing by a small gallery, Li Yu suddenly couldn't lift his legs.
"Oh... Oh well!"
Lu Bicheng followed his gaze and looked at some strange paintings, wondering: "Are they good-looking? I feel they are not as good as the portraits Mr. Repin painted for us."
Li Yu hurriedly walked over and asked, "Are these paintings for sale?"
A middle-aged woman's eyes lit up after hearing this, and she said excitedly: "Sir, do you want to buy it?"
Li Yu asked: "Yes, the painter is Vincent Van Gogh?"
The woman was even more surprised: "Since the death of Qiao more than ten years ago, I have rarely seen other people who know Vincent."
Theo is Theo Van Gogh, Van Gogh's younger brother.
Theo was an art dealer and almost the only person who recognized Van Gogh during his lifetime.
After Theo died, he asked his widow Qiu, the woman in front of her, to take good care of Van Gogh's paintings. However, a widow with a child had a hard life. Qiu persisted for ten years and could no longer hold on. Sold some paintings.
Li Yu saw several masterpieces at a glance: "Starry Night", "Sunflowers", "Self-Portrait" and so on.
Li Yu asked: "Can these paintings be sold?"
Qiu nodded: "Yes, sir, which one do you like?"
Li Yu pointed: "I want all ten of these. I don't know the price?"
When Qiu heard that it was a big deal, he replied: "According to Theo's last wish, each painting should cost at least 500 guilders."
500 Dutch guilders is just over 200 US dollars.
Li Yu immediately said: "I accept this price."
It's just like picking it up for free. Each painting was purchased for more than 200 US dollars. In later generations, even if it is conservatively estimated that each of these paintings will be worth more than 30 million, "Starry Moon Night" can easily fetch 70 to 80 million US dollars, or even more. high.
The European powers have robbed China of so many good things, so they should rely on their information gap to gain some advantages. Why not!
This is called "courtesy reciprocity".
Qiu was shocked. She thought the price would scare away the customer, but the customer actually accepted it happily.
Qiu asked: "Where is the art dealer from sir? How much do you appreciate Vincent's paintings? You must know that he only sold one during his lifetime. Now that he has passed away for more than ten years, I have held many art exhibitions for these oil paintings, and I still feel Unable to gain recognition from others. "Daily News" even commented, "If you understand the life of the Van Gogh brothers and their pursuits, as well as the wrong paths taken by some Impressionist painters, as well as other pathological phenomena in the painting world, then this exhibition will obviously It's quite strange'."
Li Yu is not an art dealer, nor does he know much about art. He only knows that Van Gogh's paintings are extremely valuable in future generations, that's all, so he casually replied: "As the saying goes, a thousand-mile horse often comes, but a bole does not always come. When I see these paintings next, it seems like I saw my own heart and was deeply moved, as if it was another me."
Qiu was confused when he heard this: "Horse? What kind of horse? Oh, I was so excited that I almost forgot to ask sir if he comes from the East?"
Li Yu said: "I am Chinese and my name is Li Yu."
"Oh my God! It turns out to be the mysterious Eastern science giant and best-selling science fiction writer! I know you!" Qiu said loudly, "Vincent had been troubled by mental illness during his lifetime, claiming that no one could understand his inner scene. Now he finally If he knew there was someone who admired him, he would be very happy."
Li Yu realized that he had said the wrong thing. Van Gogh had serious mental problems in his later years. He just said that "seeing his own heart is like another self." Anyone who knows painting will know that it is nonsense. How can anyone admit it? He is mentally ill.
Fortunately, Qiu was very financially strapped at this time. Ten paintings cost US$2,000, which was considered a small sum of money, so he was not aware of the problem in Li Yu's words.
Qiu stood up and said, "Sir, please show me each piece, and I will help you store it."
Li Yu didn't understand Van Gogh, so he could only rely on his impressions. Fortunately, he at least knew a few famous and valuable paintings.
When Qiu picked up "Starry Night", he said: "Vincent didn't think this was an excellent painting before he was alive, because he completed it when he was in a very bad mental state in the hospital. Are you sure you want it too?"
Li Yu said categorically: "We must!"
This is simply Van Gogh's masterpiece.
"I know," Qiu said, and then sighed, "Hey, it would be great if a horse like you could have appeared before Vincent was alive."
Li Yu corrected him: "It's Bole."
Qiu packed these paintings carefully, and his eyes couldn't help but feel moist: "Vincent once said to my husband in great distress: 'My paintings can't be sold, and there's really nothing I can do about it. But one day, people will Realize their value. It must be far higher than the paint canvases we spent on them, and the pitiful living expenses I had to spend to paint them.' It has been fourteen years, and this day has finally arrived!"
Van Gogh only sold one painting in 1880 during his lifetime, for 400 francs, which is about 80 US dollars.
The price Qiu proposed was Theo's psychological price. If a knowledgeable art dealer like Theo was alive, even if he knew he was not recognized, he could reach three to four hundred US dollars in a few years of operation.
Unfortunately, Theo also passed away prematurely half a year after Van Gogh's death.
Of course, even if a painting costs three to four hundred dollars, Li Yu would not hesitate to buy it.
Li Yu called a carriage and stopped playing. He would first put the paintings in the hotel.
Lu Bicheng was extremely surprised by Li Yu's approach throughout the process: "If these paintings were really painted by a person with mental problems, as the lady said, would they be so good?"
Li Yu said: "I can't explain much, but the name Van Gogh alone will be a golden sign in the future."
Lu Bicheng still couldn't understand it, and still thought Repin's picture was better.
