On the afternoon of April 27th, the "Yuhang District Public Welfare Science Popularization Lecture Hall" was held in the Cangqian Campus of Hangzhou Normal University, and nearly 400 astronomy enthusiasts from Hangzhou gathered together. They include gray-haired elders and elementary and middle school students dressed in various school uniforms. They came to listen to a lecture by Gou Lijun, professor of astronomy at the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, executive editor of the Chinese National Astronomical Journal, and vice chairman of the Beijing Astronomical Society.
Seeing so many people spontaneously come to listen to the lecture, Li Defeng, vice chairman of the Yuhang District Science and Technology Association, said, "I was surprised. He said: "Everyone looks like they're chasing stars, but this time it's good that they're chasing stars in science." ”
Those who are familiar with Gou Lijun know that he has a special identity - because of his deep research on science fiction movies, he once served as an astronomical scientific consultant for the movie "The Wandering Earth 2". His online name is "Black Hole Visitor", and he often communicates with teenagers in the form of popular science on the Internet.
In fact, two years before the first discovery of gravitational waves, it appeared in the sci-fi blockbuster "Interstellar". In this lecture, Gou Lijun started with a classic science fiction movie "Interstellar" released ten years ago, and showed the students the mutually reinforcing relationship between science fiction and science through the survey of gravitational waves and the discovery of black holes.
The layman looks at the bustle, and the insider looks at the doorway. Gou Lijun also combined empirical data and scientific analysis conclusions, taking "The Wandering Earth" as an example, and explained the astronomical knowledge involved in the movie in detail to the astronomy enthusiasts present, and vividly and interestingly explained the scientific knowledge such as solar helium flash and faint blue dot. At the same time, he also said that although the plot in the movie is fictional, it reflects the desire and courage of human beings to explore the universe and find a new home. Song from the School of Information of Hangzhou Normal University gave a thumbs up to Mr. Gou's way of watching movies with a scientific eye, "It turns out that science fiction movies can still be watched like this." ”
During the lecture, Gou Lijun also talked about his views on "what is the relationship between popular science and science", and he explained in detail how popular science activities can help the general public understand and accept complex scientific theories. He believes that popular science is not only the transmission of knowledge, but also an important means to stimulate the public's interest in science, especially in stimulating young people's interest in science and cultivating future scientists. He called for more social resources and attention to be devoted to popular science education for young people, so as to improve the society's overall understanding of science and its ability to cope with future challenges. He also encouraged the younger generation to continue to explore the unknown, stay curious, and at the same time keep their feet on the ground, and use scientific methods to verify and realize those seemingly unattainable dreams.
In the interactive session, Gou Lijun answered questions such as "how to embark on the road of astronomy" and "how can I learn these astronomy knowledge". In his opinion, his desire for the stars and his strong interest in the subject drove him to the path of astronomy, and the best way to stay interested and answer his doubts was to read astronomy books, attend relevant popular science lectures, and find answers through the Internet.