Steven Chu, vice president of the world's top scientist forum | WLA: There are always accidents in life, and if you are unhappy, you may not have done the right work

The 3rd World Top Scientists Forum has set up a "Master Lecture Hall on Scientific Attitudes". In the first lecture hall held at noon today, Steven Chu, vice president of the World Association of Top Scientists, president of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and Chinese physicist, shared his life experience with young scientists around the life choices and career choices that are crucial to scientists.

In his view, it is very simple to want to be happy, one is to earn "enough" money, and when you live a simple enough life, you will not be bound by money; the second is to be good enough for friends, neighbors, and family, they will be good to you; and the third is to do things that benefit the world.

I never worried about the future because I enjoyed it

From the "young and crazy" period, Chu has taken many risks: "When I was young, I made some chemicals used to make bombs and rockets, of course, I don't recommend anyone to imitate them at will. But as he grew older, the 72-year-old Chu began to think about what he wanted to accomplish next in the limited journey of life. He considers himself lucky, "For the next 10 or 20 years, I still want to do something that I've been doing for the last 40 years." ”

Recalling the choice of physics, his father and brother had a huge influence on Chu — Chu's father "spoke" to the three brothers very early, hoping that they would all become scientists. Later, my father was no longer convinced, and he said to Steven Chu, "If you want to be a physicist, you have to be very smart, but I'm not sure if you're smart enough." But you are also good at drawing, have you considered studying engineering? His father's words largely determined The fate of Steven Chu, but instead of studying engineering, it strengthened his dream of becoming a physicist. Whether it was his father's worries about his future or his brother's experience of changing careers, it did not affect Chu's love of scientific research in the slightest.

Perhaps in the eyes of most people, Steven Chu was lucky enough to embark on a smooth path in life; but he believes that more importantly, "I never worried about the future, because I enjoyed it." Countless young people are thinking: What will we do in the future? Worried about how much money you can make? Do you make enough money? Steven Chu gave a new definition of the "freedom of wealth" that young people expect: there is clothing to wear, there is a house to live in, there is a car to work, there is no need for luxury, then you will feel free from the shackles of wealth.

"I've been driving this car for 19 years now, and I hope to drive it for another decade, but most of the time I choose to ride a bike, which also makes me feel very comfortable."

There are always accidents in life, do what you really want to do

Since 1987, Chu has taught at Stanford University, the birthplace of Silicon Valley and the cradle of entrepreneurs, but he has never been interested in entrepreneurial profits, and even though many colleagues have their own companies, Chu still believes that "that will affect what I really like to do, that is, science."

Faced with a variety of life choices, Chu asked: What is the real thing that can bring happiness? What does happiness mean? "Happiness means food and clothing, safety, health, no real worries about money, and getting rich or famous doesn't really get happiness. In fact, the bits and pieces of life and work can bring the most satisfaction. Your goal should not be to make people look up to you, but to enjoy what you are doing; if you don't like what you are doing now, you may be in the wrong position or in the wrong job. ”

Chu teased helplessly and interestingly that at the graduation ceremony, students may quickly forget the instructions of the elders, but it is necessary to spend ten or twenty minutes to tell these young people who are about to embark on the journey of life what is most important to them - "First of all, in order to be happy, you must be able to share happiness with others, bring happiness to others rather than pain." There's also a type of , I call 'global empathy, which is not limited to your friends, family, or community. ”

In the past two decades, out of interest, Chu began to pay attention to the issue of climate change, in the process, friends suggested that he apply for the "Berkeley National Laboratory Director" position, in the next four or five years, Chu took the initiative to give part of his research field and experience to this laboratory, but in his planning, in a few years, he will return to the laboratory he loves and continue the daily life of a scientist.

A phone call from then-U.S. President Barack Obama pressed the slow button for Steven Chu's return to science: as Secretary of the U.S. Department of Energy. Prior to this, Chu had turned down President George W. Bush's invitation to "serve as the president's scientific adviser" because he preferred to be a scientist rather than an adviser. Chu met with Obama for an hour and then officially assumed the post of Secretary of Energy two weeks later. So he had to leave his research team behind and start a new career in Washington.

The Department of Energy is like a giant research organization, and despite the recession of 2008, the Department of Energy's annual budget is still as high as $26 billion. Chu originally thought that after several years of serving in china, he would still return to the path of the scientist he loved, but this experience taught him more about how the world works, how academia interacts with the industry and integrates innovation, and he also has more thinking about the future direction.

Under the influence of his wife, Chu decided to resign as secretary of the Energy Department. Although he had countless good positions to choose from before returning to California: university president, director of research institutes, directors of companies, etc., Steven Chu spent half a year releasing his heart and finding new areas of research, including biology and biomedicine. Once, an old colleague invited him to join the battery company he founded, Chu Steven was not convinced of the significance of his joining, but from time to time he asked why not to do this or that, so as to design a better battery suggestion, the two immediately made a decision in the conversation, began to explore the long-term cooperation of new battery ideas.

The field was entirely new to Steven Chu, who also continued to dabble in biological research, trying to develop a new type of optical probe to complete experiments that had not been completed since then. Once again, knowing nothing about materials science or nanoscience, Steven Chu and his team made up their minds to explore, and they eventually succeeded in inventing new ways to make better particles.

If you're unhappy, maybe you're not doing the right job

Returning to the topic of "what exactly do you want to do", scientific research is still Chu's most firm and short answer. He recalled that the energy minister's job was huge, working more than 70 hours a week, so he had to give up hobbies and leisure time. Even so, he co-authored more than 30 papers with members of the research team and worked late into the weekend. In fact, there is no financial return on these studies, and thinking about science and doing research has always been his favorite thing for Steven Chu. Thirty or forty years of research work made him sigh: "The best thing is that when you realize that your life's work is exactly your hobby, not to mention that you can get paid from it." 」 ”

For attendees or video viewers, Chu noted, "You don't necessarily have to do scientific research, but I believe you're at least interested in science." But being interested in science means having fun and learning about science in the process of learning, not because your goal is to become a well-known professor or a great scientist. Your happiness must come from the practical work of scientific research, and if you do not get happiness in your daily work, you may not be doing the right work. ”

Author: Shen Xiangsha