About a celebrity named Ding.

At noon on June 16, the hour hand has passed 12: 30, but more than 6,000 delegates attending the 2006 annual meeting of the Association for Science and Technology are still sitting in the Great Hall of the People with great interest, listening to the lecture on "Experimental Physics I Experienced" by Professor Ding Zhaozhong, a famous physicist and Nobel Prize winner.

During the dinner, a listener received a short message from a friend: Can you understand what the great scientist said?

As we all know, Professor Ding's research in high-energy experimental physics, elementary particle physics, quantum electrodynamics and the interaction between gamma radiation and matter is the most advanced scientific research in the world. With the existing knowledge, it is really difficult for ordinary people to understand or imagine the wonderful world in his mind.

However, the humorous Professor Ding Zhaozhong made all the audience understand the core content of his report-what is the most important quality of a scientist through his five experiments.

Don't blindly follow the expert's conclusion.

Ding Zhaozhong introduced his first experiment, which was to measure the radius of electrons.

From 65438 to 0948, according to quantum electrodynamics and the theory put forward by Feynman, Schwinge and Asakura Ichiro, electrons have no volume. This theory was proved by all the experiments at that time, so they won the Nobel Prize.

However, in 1964, famous professors from Harvard University and Cornell University and experts who have been engaged in such experiments for many years made two different experiments, and obtained diametrically opposite results-quantum electrodynamics is wrong and electrons have volume. This result has been recognized and valued by the physics community.

Because this is an experiment about the basic concepts of physics, Ding Zhaozhong decided to use different methods to measure the radius of electrons. At that time, he just got his doctorate and had little experience. No one believes that he can do such an experiment, and no one supports him.

1965, he decided to give up his future in American universities, go to the newly-built accelerator in Germany and redo the experiment in different ways. Eight months later, his experiment proved that quantum electrodynamics was correct. Electrons have no volume and the radius is less than 10- 14 cm.

From the beginning of this experiment to the discovery of new particles in the next 40 years, his most important experience is not to blindly follow the conclusions of experts, to have confidence in himself, to do what he thinks is right, not to be afraid of difficulties, and not to change because of the opposition of most people.

We should not emphasize theory and ignore experiment.

Ding Zhaozhong's brain thinking has been active in exploring the mysteries of natural science, and he often makes unique discoveries about some social phenomena around him.

He saw young students from some developing countries, such as India and China, who got good grades, preferred theoretical research and avoided doing experimental work as much as possible.

Why is this happening? He analyzed that the problem may be more conceptual. There is an old saying in China: Those who work hard govern others, and those who work hard govern others. Ding Zhaozhong believes that this backward thinking is very harmful to young people in developing countries.

He told the story of his thought change:

"When I was at school, my grades should be said to be relatively good, and I also like to do theory. My tutor is a world-famous physicist. After working with him for a month, he invited me to his office for tea. He told me that if he were allowed to live all his life, he would choose to be an experimental physicist instead of a theoretical physicist.

"I feel very strange. He told me,' It is useful to be an ordinary experimental physicist, but it is limited to be an ordinary theoretical physicist. Few theoretical physicists really contributed to physics in the last century. "

"After listening to this opinion, I pondered for a moment. Five minutes later, I said to the professor,' Goodbye, I won't work with you!' "。

Later, when Ding Zhaozhong went out to work or give a speech, he always said, "I studied experimental physics."

At this annual meeting of science and technology, Ding Zhaozhong wants to emphasize the importance of experimental work for young people. He said that experiment is the foundation of natural science, and a theory without experimental proof is meaningless. When the experiment overturns the theory, it is possible to produce a new theory. Theory can't overturn experiment.

Be able to compete with others.

1998 science and technology daily published an important news: the alpha magnetic spectrometer is running normally for the first time.

It is reported that1June 2, 998, the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer equipped with huge permanent magnets made in China was launched for the first time on the American space shuttle Discovery. Magnetic spectrometer will be installed on the future International Space Station to detect antimatter particles in the universe. In this experiment, the magnetic spectrometer works normally.

In the past 40 years, the breakthrough development of astronomy and cosmology still stems from the detection of light and radio waves. So far, there is no accurate magnetic spectrometer to observe charged particles in space, mainly because superconducting magnets cannot be sent into space.

The AMS experiment on the International Space Station, presided over by Professor Ding Zhaozhong, is the first time that the United States, China (Taiwan Province Province), Russia, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Switzerland and other countries have cooperated in the space field, with 600 scientists from 56 universities and research institutions around the world participating. This is the only large-scale scientific experiment on the International Space Station and the first magnetic spectrometer sent into space. Its goal is to find the source of antimatter, dark matter and cosmic rays.

Many American scientists predict that the experiment will not succeed. Results The experiment was assembled on the space shuttle and landed after flying 10 days. Indeed, many unknown and unimaginable phenomena have been discovered in outer space. For example, near the equator, the number of positrons is four times that of electrons.

The experimental results of 1998 prove that Ding Zhaozhong's idea and the whole design principle are successful. After that, he devoted all his time and energy to manufacturing AMS02. The new alpha magnetic spectrometer is expected to be sent to the International Space Station in 2008, and now this experimental instrument has been shipped to Geneva for assembly.

People may ask, what can be found in AMS experiment? What happens when you find it? What if I can't find it?

Ding Zhaozhong's answer is that this experiment can be said to represent a progress of mankind, because before that, no one has ever been able to put a magnet in the sky to look for matter. The expert's opinion is that the actual discovery is to break the known knowledge and let science move forward.

Natural science research is competitive, only the first, not the second.

Ding Zhaozhong emphasized that the most important quality of scientific and technological workers is that they can compete with others, stand in front of others and be honest. Because you are dishonest, you will be discovered by others sooner or later, because scientific things have nothing to do with time and space. You can do it today, and tomorrow others will definitely do it in different ways in different places. If you are dishonest, others will find out sooner or later.

Curiosity is the most fundamental motivation.

A reporter asked that technological transformation will bring great economic benefits, especially in a short time, which is a temptation for many people. Do you think it's necessary to endure loneliness when doing basic research?

Ding Zhaozhong smiled and shook his head. "I don't feel lonely. If I am lonely, I won't do it. "

At the same time, he thinks this is a very important issue. Why does the country spend so much money on cutting-edge scientific research instead of giving money directly to the poor? What's the point?

For example, he said that 100 years ago, the so-called frontier science was the discovery of electrons and x-rays. At that time, everyone felt useless. It was not until 30 years later that they gradually realized that they could be used in medicine and communication. Nowadays, human life cannot be separated from electrons and X-rays. In the 1920s, the most advanced sciences were atomic physics and quantum mechanics. At that time, everyone thought it was the most cutting-edge science and basically useless. Now it is used in lasers, superconductivity, mobile phones and the Internet, which were the basic principles at that time. In the1940s, the most advanced science was nuclear physics, which is now used for energy and lasers.

"Science has changed the whole human life, and I guess this is also the main reason why many countries support it. But that's not my reason. The main reason why I do these things is curiosity, wondering how we got here. This is the most fundamental motivation for my scientific research. "

A new phenomenon takes about 20 to 40 years from discovery to marketization, which is often too long for politicians and industrialists. However, the research work will not be smooth sailing, and it is difficult to make predictions in the unknown areas. Mistakes are an indispensable part of success. Therefore, basic research needs enough free space and long-term prospects.

Many people believe that if a country wants to be competitive in technology and economy, it must focus on developing practical technologies that can produce immediate market benefits and make its economy develop continuously. We have heard such a controversy: whether to support "useless" basic science or concentrate resources on technological transformation and applied research.

Ding Zhaozhong affirmed that from a historical point of view, the latter view is short-sighted. If a society limits itself to technological transformation, it is obvious that after a period of time, after basic research can't find new knowledge and new phenomena, there is nothing to be transformed. The development of technology is rooted in basic research.

Recalling what Deng Xiaoping said to him in August 1977: "We should think further and see more widely in scientific and technological work", Ding Zhaozhong felt it was more meaningful.