有人认为卢瑟福最初在卡文迪许跟随汤姆生的那3年无所作为,他研究的方向是无线电波,与当时卡文迪许实验室气体放电的研究重点并不一致,于是他转投蒙特利尔的麦克·吉尔大学,而后又在曼彻斯特大学完成了他个人最重要的科学成果——发现了原子核并提出了原子有核结构。但是,作为科学史上最杰出的实验物理学家,他确是在卡文迪许实验室、从汤姆生那里学会了如何进行实验物理研究,用实验数据来建立理论和公式。而卡文迪许中自己动手制作仪器、进行实验操作的治学传统,以及民主多元的学习风气,深深感染了他,使他在之后的科研探索中稳步走上通向辉煌的漫长之路。因此,可以说卢瑟福是卡文迪许精神的最佳诠释者,也是卡文迪许在物理学新纪元(原子物理、核物理)中的集大成者。 Some people think that Rutherford initially did nothing in the three years after Cavendish followed Thompson. His research direction was radio waves, which was not in accord with the research focus of the Gas Venture Laboratory at Cavendish at the time. So he switched to Montreal’s Mike • Gil University, then completed his personal most important scientific achievement at the University of Manchester - found the nucleus and proposed the atomic nucleus structure. However, as the most prominent experimental physicist in the history of science, he did at Cavendish Laboratories, learned from Thomson how to conduct experimental physics research, and used experimental data to establish theories and formulas. In addition, Cavendish himself made his own instruments, experimental traditions of conducting experiments, and democratic and diverse learning atmosphere, deeply infected him so that he steadily embarked on a long road to glory in the scientific research and exploration afterwards. Therefore, it can be said that Rutherford is the best interpreter of Cavendish’s spirit and also a master of Cavendish in the new era of physics (atomic physics and nuclear physics).