Lecture of Nobel Prize winning scientist sparks thoughts

The auditorium of Shanghai Science Hall was a full house Saturday afternoon as Nobel Prize Laureate in Physics of 1999, Gerard t’Hooft, gave a lecture on science and how it led human beings to where we are today.

More than 200 students from universities across the city attended the lecture chaired by He Xiaogang, professor of physics from Shanghai Jiao Tong University.

t’Hooft sharply pointed out that physics is now a worldwide enterprise which means certain competition between scientists and countries on the same subject is inevitable.

Seizing the chance to communicate and sum up the wrongs of others to find the right is what keeps science moving, he said.

He also argued that Asian countries are now catching up with Western ones, and that more breakthroughs may take place in China as the government continues to increase its investment in science.