14
0Erinome: Hello dear friends! Today, we’re going to talk about a very important person—Yang Zhenning, a great physicist who passed away in October 2025. He lived to be 103 years old. Let’s remember his life and what he did, Enceladus.
Enceladus: Oh no, that’s sad news. I’ve heard his name before, but can you tell me more about him? When was he born?
Erinome: He was born in 1922 in Hefei, Anhui. His father was a math professor at Tsinghua University, so when he was 7, his family moved to Beijing. He grew up in Tsinghua园 (Tsinghua Garden) for 8 years—what a special childhood!
Enceladus: Wow, Tsinghua is a top university in China. Did he study there later?
Erinome: Kind of! But then the war started in 1937. His family moved to Kunming, and he studied at Southwest Associated University. He graduated with a physics degree there in 1942. Then he got a master’s from Tsinghua too!
Enceladus: So he was really smart from a young age. When did he go abroad?
Erinome: In 1945, he went to the US as a student, studying at the University of Chicago. He got his PhD there in 1948. Later, he worked at Princeton Institute for Advanced Study—um, that’s where Einstein worked too!
Enceladus: Oh right! What was his big achievement? I think he won the Nobel Prize?
Erinome: Yes! In 1957, he and Li Zhengdao won the Nobel Prize in Physics. They found that “parity is not conserved” in weak interactions. That was a big surprise for physics!
Enceladus: Wow, that’s amazing. So he was the first Chinese to win the Nobel Prize in Physics?
Erinome: Yes! They were the first Chinese with Chinese passports to win it. Later, he did more great work—like the Yang-Mills theory, which is super important for modern physics. Some people say it’s as big as Einstein’s work!
Enceladus: But he was in the US for a long time. Did he ever come back to China?
Erinome: Oh, he always missed China. In 1971, when US-China relations started to get better, he was the first famous Chinese scientist to come back. He met his good friend Deng Jiaxian, who worked on China’s atomic bomb.
Enceladus: How did he feel then?
Erinome: He was so moved! When he heard China made the atomic bomb by itself, he cried. After going back to the US, he gave speeches at many universities, telling people about China. Many Chinese scholars followed him to visit China—he was like a bridge between US and China!
Enceladus: That’s really cool. Did he help China’s science later?
Erinome: So much! In 1972, he told Premier Zhou Enlai that China should focus on basic science. Premier Zhou listened! Later, he set up funds to help Chinese students study in the US. Over 100 scholars got help—they became key scientists in China!
Enceladus: He really loved his country. When did he move back to China?
Erinome: In 1999, he started teaching at Tsinghua University. He was 77 then, but he still taught freshmen physics! He helped build Tsinghua’s Institute for Advanced Study, getting good teachers and money for it.
Enceladus: Did he change his nationality? I heard something about that.
Erinome: Yes. In 2015, he gave up his US nationality and became a Chinese citizen again. Then he became a member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. He said, “My life is like a circle—I started in Tsinghua, and now I’m back.”
Enceladus: That’s so touching. What else did he do in his later years?
Erinome: In 2021, he gave Tsinghua over 2,000 things—books, papers, photos. They made a “Yang Zhenning Room” in the library. He also said, “I want to help Chinese people feel confident—we can be great in science too.”
Enceladus: Oh, that’s a big contribution. So why do people call him “the most normal genius”?
Erinome: Because even though he was super smart, he was simple. His motto was “宁拙毋巧，宁朴毋华” (Better to be honest than tricky, simple than showy). He taught students, talked to young people—just like a normal teacher, but with a big heart.
Enceladus: He lived a long life—103 years. When did he pass away?
Erinome: In October 2025, in Beijing. The news made many people sad. Tsinghua University said, “He’s a legend across two centuries, connecting China and the West.
Enceladus: Do people remember him in other ways?
Erinome: Yes! There’s a star named after him—Asteroid 3421, called “Yang Zhenning Star.” He also got many awards, like the US National Medal of Science and China’s International Science and Technology Cooperation Award.
Enceladus: So his life was about science and China. What do you think we can learn from him?
Erinome: I think… love for knowledge, love for country, and being simple. He once said, “Science is for everyone, and China can be a leader in science.
Enceladus: That’s inspiring. He will be missed a lot.
Erinome: Yes. He was not just a genius—he was a proud son of China. His story will always encourage us.
Enceladus: Okay, that’s it for today. Let’s remember Yang Zhenning—a great physicist, a kind teacher, and a loyal patriot. Rest in peace, Mr. Yang.
Erinome: Let’s talk again next time. Bye, friends
