On October 20, 2021, Zhao Hong, a professor and doctoral supervisor from the College of Physical Science and Technology of Xiamen University delivered an online lecture on physics to students of Kuang Yaming Honors School.

The lecture began after Wang Wei, the dean of the school, introduced Professor Zhao to the students.

The professor first explained the basics of physics. He proceeded from Newtonian mechanics to contemporary quantum mechanics and from the elementary to the profound.

Then, Professor Zhao spoke of the basic physical theories on the movement of matter. By showing a series of formulae, he analyzed the laws and mechanisms of world development.

After that, he asked, “What are the dark clouds hovering in the sky of physics? What are the swamps scattered on the land of physics?” To answer these questions, he talked about the imperfections in contemporary physics and some outstanding research problems. He also encouraged the students to explore the world of physics and to look for answers.

At the end of the lecture, he added that complex systems would be an important field in scientific development and that the 21st century would be complex systems’ century. He introduced complex systems by mentioning the reason why this subject won the Nobel Prize in Physics, which aroused the students’ interest in research and exploration.

In the Q&A session, Professor Zhao interacted with Ge Xin, vice dean of Kuang Yaming Honors School, and answered questions from the students. In his answers, the professor urged that the students march toward the unknown and open up a new field.