"From Galileo to Einstein" ------ A Wonderful Speech by Professor Tsung Dao Lee
June 19, at the invitation of Professor Yang Fujia, Chancellor of Nottingham University UK and President of Nottingham University Ningbo, China, Nobel laureate Dr. Tsung Dao Lee visited the campus and delivered a wonderful speech entitled "From Galileo to Einstein". Distinguished guests from Ningbo Science and Technology Bureau, municipal government authorities, Ningbo Institute of Material Technology and Engineering, China Academy of Sciences and students and staff from Ningbo University, Ningbo Institute of Technology, Zhejiang University, Zhejiang Wanli University, Ningbo Middle School, Ningbo Xiaoshi Middle School, etc. experienced this celebration of science.
Professor Lee greeted the audience by saying, "I was born in Shanghai, but my mother was born in Ningbo. This is my very first time in Ningbo." There were no flattering words but simple, sincere feelings for the city. The audience welcomed him again with thunderous applause.
From Galileo and his invention of the telescope via the astrophysics of ancient China, to the evolvement of physics in the 20th century and its prospects in the 21st century, Professor Lee talked of uranology, physics, science, culture and philosophy, which were perfectly blended together, in a thought-provoking and easy to understand way.
The 82-year-old scientist insisted on standing throughout the whole two-hour speech, full of energy and spirit. The speech was made in English but with amazing Chinese PPT which featured precious old pictures and his beautiful handwriting.
The speech was followed by an exciting and spirited question and answer session. Professor Lee deeply touched everyone with his unaffected emotions and wise remarks. When he finished he was met with great applause.
Brief introduction of Professor Tsung Dao Lee:
Professor Tsung Dao Lee was born in Shanghai in 1926. After studying at Zhejiang University, he won a scholarship in 1946 to the University of Chicago, where he received his Ph.D. degree in 1950. After appointments at the University of California and the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, Lee went to Columbia University where he eventually became the Enrico Fermi Professor of Physics. Prof. Lee is a widely known scientist, especially for his work in elementary particles, statistical mechanics, field theory, astrophysics, condensed matter physics and turbulence, having solved several problems of long standing and great complexity which are presented in a series of publications. He has pioneered and developed research ranging from symmetry violations in weak interactions to fields of high energy neutrino physics and RHIC physics. Beginning in 1981 he has also held Professorships at a number of Chinese universities, such as Fudan, Beijing, Qinghua Universities.
In 1957, at age of 31, Prof Lee shared the Nobel Prize in Physics with Prof. Chen Ning Yang for work on the violation of parity law in weak interaction, thus becaming one of the youngest scientists ever to receive this distinction. Prof Lee has also received numerous other honors and awards, including the Albert Einstein Award in Science, Galileo Galilei Medal, Science for Peace Prize, China National-International Cooperation Award, New York City Science Award, New York Academy of Science Award, etc. He received honorary doctorates, professorships, lectureships and trusteeships from over thirty universities worldwide. Prof. Lee is also a member of the National Academy of Sciences, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the Third World Academy of Sciences, etc.
Many Chinese leaders have met with Prof. Lee including Mao Zedong, Zhou enlai, Deng Xiaoping, Jiang Zemin, Wen Jiabao who think highly of his contributions to the development of education and Science in China, and to the training of young researchers and promotion of collaborative research on physics between China and the United States.
Currently, Professor Lee is also Director Emeritus of the RIKEN BNL Research Center (RBRC), which is dedicated to the study of strong interactions, including spin physics, lattice QCD and RHIC physics through the nurturing of a new generation of young physicists.
