"Do you know what the human body is made of?" Li Xin, a researcher at the Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, still vividly remembers the first biology class in high school. "Our eyes, nose, lips, eyelashes, and hair are all made of proteins. Our bodies, like other living organisms, are composed of proteins."
"As egg whites turn white when boiled, they are called proteins. But eyelashes are clearly black. How can they also be proteins?" Below the stage, young Li Xin listened intently, his mind spinning as the biology teacher explained.
That year, China reintroduced biology into the college entrance examination, with a full score of 30 points included in the total score. When Li Xin was filling out his college preferences, the words of his teacher, Chang, echoed in his ears: "The 21st century belongs to biology." With a score of 29.6 in the biology exam, Li Xin chose biology without hesitation. Since entering the biology department of Nankai University in 1981, he has been exploring the world of biology for over forty years.
Recently, Li Xin was honored as one of the "Top Ten Popular Science Figures of China in 2023," marking the first time this award has been given to a scientist in the field of marine biology.
Upon learning of the award, Li Xin was particularly excited: "This award carries a lot of weight for me! It is not only recognition but also affirmation and encouragement for my years of dedication to popular science. Research and popularization of science are equally important and should advance hand in hand!"
Li Xin is presenting an award on stage.
Li Xin followed the "Jiaolong" to explore the sea.
Where does the journey of popular science begin?
"This finger is missing a small piece." During an interview, Li Xin extended his left thumb to show the reporter, "It's a small matter." As time passed, Li Xin remained calm and composed.
The absence of a small section of his finger seemed abrupt, with the clear wound bearing vivid memories.
Let's rewind to April 17, 1996. On this day, the Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, established the Laboratory of Marine Organism Classification and System Evolution, appointing Li Xin as the director of the laboratory.
"At that time, there were fewer and fewer people engaged in biological taxonomy research, and the country was facing a shortage." Li Xin explained, "Taxonomy is the foundation of biology, its importance goes without saying. Marine organism taxonomy faced a similar situation. Academicians Zeng Chengkui and Liu Ruiyu recognized the severity of this issue and made great efforts to salvage this discipline."
Thus, the youngest "newcomer" in taxonomy at the institute, Li Xin, took on this heavy responsibility and, along with 17 teachers specializing in different groups of marine organisms, started from scratch to establish the classification laboratory.
As the journey progressed step by step, two years later, the construction of a new specimen museum became a concern for Li Xin, involving the daily tasks of securing funding and equipment.
In 2002, on an ordinary day, Li Xin assisted in moving the specimen museum. Amidst sweating profusely, a sudden, immense pain struck as his thumb was sliced off by the sharp corner of a heavy specimen cabinet! Blood gushed out...
Li Xin still remembers the excruciating pain that ran through his fingers.
"Feel wronged?" "Even if wronged, the work must go on! The specimen museum is the livelihood of taxonomists. To conduct taxonomy, specimens must be the basis, preserved well, enduring the test of time, this is being accountable to science."
In every building of the institute, every step Li Xin took back and forth recorded his dedication and responsible attitude.
"At that time, specimens were scattered in various buildings of the institute, each building's specimens in disarray." Every day, Li Xin shuttled among them. Here, he meticulously counted and categorized the specimens with a focused expression, then turned around and hurried to the next building.
While changing specimen cabinets, Li Xin did something else: he replaced all the toxic formalin preservatives for invertebrate specimens with harmless alcohol to protect researchers.
"At that time, there were two spaces in my mind, one considering the storage location and types of a vast number of specimens, the other envisioning new storage designs."
That year, Li Xin, who had always been a prolific author at the institute, only published one paper. His entire focus and energy were devoted to the specimen museum, which had now become the largest in Asia.
Li Xin is visiting the French National Museum of Natural History in Paris, where he receives deep-sea shrimp samples from Dr. Crosnier.
The museum has a dedicated exhibition hall showcasing a variety of marine specimens with diverse forms and shapes for visitors to admire.
Merely observing these marine creatures is not enough to truly grasp their wonders! Providing explanations adds another layer of responsibility. As the first director of the classification department and museum curator, Li Xin takes the lead in personally welcoming visitors. With his extensive research on marine biodiversity, he introduces his marine "treasures" with great enthusiasm.
"Look at this thing that looks like a scallop, it's called a giant clam," Li Xin explains, demonstrating the closing motion of a scallop with his hands held together. "I heard from local fishermen in Hainan Island that in the past, there were large giant clams on the coral reefs by the sea. People would bring them home and polish the edges smooth."
Then, Li Xin opens his hands again, mimicking the two halves of a giant clam. One hand slightly curled with the back raised, the other hand pointing and gesturing, "It has a curved groove inside that can hold water. Some people use it as a baby's bathtub, while the other half serves as a feeding trough for pigs!" Always finding creative ways, he vividly and patiently introduces marine specimens to the young students who come to learn.
"If you visit the museum at the Oceanographic Institute, be sure to find Professor Li. His explanations are so interesting!" Gradually, Li Xin's engaging storytelling style spreads by word of mouth, attracting more visitors who come specifically to listen to his lessons. And thus, his journey of popular science unfolds.
Li Xin led the young scientists from the Mountain Eagle Academy on a research expedition.
Is there a trick to effective science communication?
"One must have dreams, what if they come true? Haha!" Li Xin couldn't help but smile, his face lighting up like a child who had just gotten their favorite candy.
"In 1994, I started working with deep-sea samples. Later, I helped the French National Museum identify samples from the deep seas of the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean, including those from Madagascar and Polynesia. Spending time reading literature and observing, I noticed how different deep-sea samples were from shallow-water ones. At that time, I thought to myself, one day I must go to the deep sea and see for myself why they look the way they do." In 2013, after five rounds of selection, Li Xin was successfully chosen as one of the six scientists on China's first manned deep-sea submersible, the "Jiaolong," on its maiden voyage. His dream of "exploring the deep sea" had indeed become a reality!
As the first scientist to dive to 3,700 meters aboard the "Jiaolong" to conduct deep-sea scientific research, Li Xin was captivated during the more than nine hours spent on the seabed.
Li Xin is emerging from the "Jiaolong" submersible.
Unlike the colorful creatures of shallow waters, the deep-sea environment is dark and gloomy, with most organisms displaying only shades of red and white. Glowing plankton, swimming sea cucumbers, sponges as beautiful as snow lotus, and cold coral reefs resembling bushes - "the difference between imagination and reality is huge," he continuously captures and records with his camera.
The photos and videos he captures are incorporated into his popular science lectures themed "Exploring the Deep Sea with Jiaolong," and he is frequently invited to various places to share his experiences.
He has given over 200 lectures.
During his lectures, Li Xin pays special attention to interacting with the audience, carefully collecting their questions. Each PowerPoint presentation is modified based on the audience composition and newly collected questions, even adjusting his tone of speech continuously.
His popular science lectures have become increasingly attractive and refined, and he has become more adept at delivering them.
Every year, the flowers bloom similarly, but the people change year after year. Starting from the initial "Mysterious Ocean World" to over ten popular science themes like "Exploring the Deep Sea with Jiaolong," he tailors each event with different versions based on the audience.
For younger audiences, he includes more images and videos, using vivid visuals to provide an introductory level of scientific enlightenment, helping children truly understand and care for the ocean. For older children, he appropriately introduces principles, abilities, and new achievements in Chinese marine science, ensuring that science and patriotic education truly resonate with them.
Over the past thirty years, Li Xin has traveled to over 20 provinces and cities nationwide, conducting over 500 lectures. Each lecture is more popular than the last! What's the secret behind the success of his popular science lectures?
"Interaction with the audience!" Li Xin gestures, winking, "Engagement is the key."
The baptism of the return of the deep-sea warrior.
When talking about the "Jiaolong" submersible, he would pause halfway, pointing to the picture on the screen and ask, "Guess why these sailors are going to the top of the Jiaolong, what are they going to do?"
Several active students in the front row raised their hands boldly to guess, but were repeatedly laughed at by Li Xinzheng, saying they were wrong. The students in the back row, who were originally listless and looking down, involuntarily raised their heads and joined this guessing game.
With each person speaking, everyone's attention was quietly taken back by Li Xinzheng.
"Look, there are cables hanging on the Jiaolong. The sailors sit in a kayak and approach the submersible to untie the cables. Only then can the Jiaolong be free to dive. After surfacing at the end of the dive, the sailors need to climb up again to hang the cables and retrieve them back to the mother ship." "Oh..." Underneath, students with curious eyes blinked and thoughtfully watched the screen, being drawn into a new world.
In Li Xinzheng's popular science classroom, although the experiences were "run-of-the-mill," the explanatory style was "guess, guess, guess, guess," with different combinations of language and images, making it a creatively engaging experience.
Li Xin is giving a popular science lecture at Xiuming Elementary School in Hong Kong.
Soaring on the "two wings" of scientific research and popular science
Scientific research and popular science, just one word apart!
"Scientific research pursues higher goals, striving upwards to climb peaks; popular science aims for broader horizons, hoping to reach more audiences, lay a solid foundation among the masses, and enhance the overall scientific literacy of the public," said Li Xin. "Popular science is fundamental. The more the public understands natural phenomena and grasps scientific theories, the stronger the foundation for scientific research, leading to higher starting points in research, achieving higher levels of research outcomes, and better application of research results in national development."
In Li Xin's view, scientific research and science popularization are like "two wings." Scientists engaging in popular science can convey cutting-edge research and theoretical knowledge to the public through lectures, which is a unique advantage.
"Everything Has Its Reason - Physics in the Ocean" is a physics enlightenment popular science book co-authored by Li Xin and popular science writer Zhang Li. It is one of the books in the recently published "Everything Has Its Reason" popular science series by the Electronics Industry Press. "This series of books is particularly scientific, different from ordinary popular science books, and has received wide acclaim since its publication," several media outlets have commented.
The images displayed in the popular science lectures are all taken by Li Xin during sampling. Unknown physical phenomena are never casually speculated upon. Every word is based on personal experience and solid research, creating a lecture experience that truly immerses the audience and has earned Li Xin a following of "fans."
Li Xin is diving to collect coral reef samples.
While serving as a scientific consultant for the "Magical Library - Ocean X Program," Li Xin received a visit from a young fan named Wu Zicheng from Yunnan Normal University Affiliated Primary School. Impressed by Li Xin, Wu Zicheng greeted him with a proper Young Pioneers salute and confidently introduced himself as a fan.
"Before he left, I gave him two sets of my popular science books," Li Xin expressed his genuine satisfaction. "Later, his mother even sent me photos of him reading these popular science books regularly."
After attending a lecture on "Marvelous Marine Life," Qu Hanxue, a graduate of China Ocean University, proactively applied to become Li Xin's graduate student and completed a Ph.D. under his guidance.
While people love hearing stories of seeds blossoming into flowers, the moments of planting seeds often go unnoticed, leaving uncertainty about whether they will bloom.
Even though we may understand how Li Xin embarked on the path of popular science, one may still wonder: as a scientist burdened with heavy research tasks at the international forefront, why does he persist in conducting popular science lectures that are more accessible to the public?
In fact, when Li Xin initially started giving popular science lectures, he faced constant skepticism.
Some said it was for money, others claimed it was a distraction from his main work, and some felt it was a waste of talent.
In reality, the lecture fees hardly cover the travel expenses.
China, being a maritime power with jurisdiction over approximately 3 million square kilometers of ocean, is not yet a maritime powerhouse. Compared to other fields, the level of marine science research in China is still relatively low, akin to elementary school level.
"The more elementary the field, the more it needs promotion. Only by explaining its natural laws and operations can more people appreciate the fun and importance of the ocean, raising awareness and fostering a genuine love and protection for the ocean," Li Xin emphasized with a solemn expression, driven by a pure sense of responsibility towards the ocean and marine science.
Nourished by a solid foundation in scientific research, Li Xin's efforts have made marine research, once considered distant and inaccessible, more approachable to the public.
Li Xin is giving a popular science lecture in Beijing.
Speaking about the future plans for these two paths, Li Xin said, "In the field of ecology research, we need to put in more effort and enhance our research level on the ecology of large benthic organisms. As for popular science, I want to write more popular science books. This can reach a wider audience than just lectures, allowing more people to experience the true charm of the ocean."
See, the seed of protecting and caring for the ocean has spread along the path he has walked.
