【市法院】Silent Greatness

陈舒铭 2021-08-13 17:49:43

It has been science, which has been the greatest driver of social change, that has pulled society forward in the last few centuries, especially in China. President Xi Jinping once said, “Never before has science and technology had such a profound impact on the future destiny of the country, and never before has it had such a profound impact on the well-being of people’s lives.” After watching the documentary ‘extraordinary future: Chinese science stories you don’t know’, I firmly believe the fact that these Chinese scientists, who have been working quietly in various fields, are truly ‘national heroes’. They work silently, and are working great.

Following the perspective of the documentary, we can see China’s cutting-edge scientific projects from deep sea to deep space, from the universe to the rice bowl. As for the Chinese scientists sitting in front of the camera, they are shy and understated when introducing themselves, but confident and proud when presenting their projects.

Because of them, we have made important progress in basic research and original innovation. Deep into the Cosmos, the ocean and the atom, Chinese scientists crossed the three worlds and stepped into areas never before explored, implementing the concept of exploration without borders. They have built the world’s largest radio telescope and discovered millisecond pulsars for the first time with the Chinese ‘sky-eye’. They have made the submersible Jiaolong climb in the deep sea and unlocked the world’s deepest secrets. They have opened the door to a new world of physics by seeking the truth about the ‘ghost particle’.

Because of them, we have made new leaps in strategic high-tech fields. In the international competition in key scientific and engineering fields, Chinese scientists are actively seizing the high ground in science and technology. They are aiming at the space, pushing space vehicles deeper into the universe and building a new satellite navigation system. They are targeting quantum entanglement, enabling the quantum science satellite ‘Micius’ to achieve kilometre-scale quantum key distribution, opening the door to the future with quantum communication and quantum computing.

Because of them, we have achieved remarkable results in the field of people’s livelihood science and technology. Whether facing the war on disease or the race against nature, Chinese scientists are working around the needs of people’s livelihoods, and promoting more and more technologies that change people’s lives in a silent way. They are using science as a spear to fight human ills, testing new drugs for Parkinson’s disease through gene editing, fighting kidney disease by tackling air pollution, and replacing diseased organs with reconstructed ones, to create a life science-based social change. They have risen to the challenge of food production with innovation as a powerhouse, improving crop varieties through gene editing in short supply, to become a vital bulwark in maintaining global food security.

And in the process of promoting each of these scientific breakthroughs, we can find both the dedication and the romanticism of Chinese scientists. From them, I have felt the heart of Chinese scientists to serve the people, the courage to pursue truth, the perseverance to be rigorous in their studies, and the exemplary willingness to serve as a ladder for others.

Science has no borders, but scientists have homelands. Thanks to the efforts of Chinese scientists, China is showing us the way. Welcome to a new age of Eastern science.