On 18 October, 2014, in the CAS Academic Hall, Professor Samuel C.C. Ting, Nobel laureate in physics, presented an academic report, “the Discovery of the J/ψ Meson” to mark the 40th anniversary of its discovery.
CAS President Bai Chunli made a welcome speech. He highly praised the significance of discovering the J/ψ Meson as a milestone for the development of high energy physics. Prof. Bai introduced Chinese research based on Prof. Ting’s discovery including research at CAS. He encouraged researchers to work together with more confidence, to fully integrate various resources including major science platforms, to enhance fundamental scientific research and thereby enhance innovation. He quoted an aphorism of Confucius to show his respect to Prof. Ting for his exploration of dark matter. The report was hosted by CAS Vice-president Zhan Wenlong.
During his report, Prof. Ting reviewed the discovery of the J/ψ Meson, discussing the character of its research and the likely trends of future development. He also introduced the latest experimental results of the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer in the International Space Station, providing more accurate experimental data for the detection and discovery of dark matter and understanding of the structure and evolution of the Universe.
Prof. Ting was presented with a UCAS Honorary Professorship certificate by Prof. Bai on behalf of CAS.
During the Q&A, Prof. Ting said the reason underlying his achievement was not his talent, but because of his strong interest. When asked about the value of family education, he thanked his parents, especially his mother, for her continuous support and encouragement, and said with a smile that the secret of success is to have good parents. During his interaction with the audience, Prof. Ting was frank and humorous.
Over 500 people attended the academic report, including leaders and experts from State Bureau of Foreign Experts Affairs, the National Natural Science Foundation of China and CAS headquarters, as well as scientific researchers from various CAS institutes.
By Tan Yudong
