Since 2005, on a weekend in May each year, research institutes and universities affiliated with the Chinese Academy of Sciences have been "opening their doors to welcome guests," providing access to national-level research facilities, organizing "hardcore" science popularization activities, and allowing frontline scientific workers, represented by academicians, to interact face-to-face with the public, especially inspiring curiosity and exploration among young people towards science.
On May 18-19, the eagerly awaited 20th anniversary of the Chinese Academy of Sciences' Public Science Day arrived, with this year's theme being "Twenty Years of Forge, A New Scientific Journey."
The 20th Public Science Day of the Chinese Academy of Sciences kicks off with "Nourishing".
"Twenty years, more experienced"
On the morning of May 18th, the main event of the 20th anniversary of Public Science Day was held at the Academic Hall of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.
On the steps in front of the Academic Hall, the development process of technological innovation and popular science flying together was displayed along the way. Inside the Academic Hall, Academician Chen Runsheng dialogues with young people, initiating a quest for science; Academician Zhai Mingguo explains to the public the most familiar and unfamiliar aspects of the Earth; scientists and AI virtual beings jointly explore the future of artificial intelligence...
On May 18th, at the 20th-anniversary celebration of the Chinese Academy of Sciences Public Science Day, Academician Chen Runsheng engaged in a dialogue with young people through recitation.
"Compared to 20 years ago, today, technology is advancing rapidly, people's understanding of science and the level of natural sciences are increasing, the essence of science is constantly enriching, and scientists' experience in popularizing science has also become more abundant. The popular science work system of the Chinese Academy of Sciences has also become more mature," Chen Runsheng told Science China Press.
Zhou Dejin, a third-level staff member of the Academy's Department of Academic Affairs, stated that over the past 20 years, the Chinese Academy of Sciences Public Science Day has evolved from exploration to innovation in practice. Researchers have shifted from passive participation to eager involvement, and the audience has transformed from casual observers to deeply engaged participants. The activities have grown from a few thousand offline participants to over a billion online viewers. The content and forms of popular science activities are increasingly diverse, with depth and breadth advancing in parallel. It has developed into a nationwide brand of popular science activities with high public participation, wide coverage, and significant social impact, serving as an important channel for the public to understand technological advancements and interact with scientists, as well as a crucial platform for disseminating scientific knowledge.
Extensive openness with nearly 400,000 offline participants
Near the academic auditorium, the Institute of Chemistry, Institute of Acoustics, National Center for Nanoscience and Technology, Institute of Process Engineering, and the Documentation and Information Center welcomed groups of adults and children early in the morning. They explored the beauty of chemistry, delved into the mysteries of sound, navigated the nano-world, learned about carbon processes, and viewed the achievements of the Chinese Academy of Sciences...
Over a hundred research institutes of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and three affiliated universities opened their doors to the public. National major scientific infrastructure such as the Beijing Electron-Positron Collider, the all-superconducting Tokamak nuclear fusion experimental device, and the Shanghai Synchrotron Radiation Facility, as well as national key laboratories like high-field laser physics and efficient low-carbon utilization of coal, and national field scientific observation research stations like the Changshu farmland ecosystem and the Cele Desert grassland ecosystem, revealed their usual "mysterious veil." The results of the Second Comprehensive Scientific Expedition to the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and the Third Comprehensive Scientific Expedition to Xinjiang were showcased, providing opportunities for students from various regions in Tibet to visit multiple high-altitude science popularization bases and field stations for on-site learning.
At the Cele Desert Grassland Ecosystem National Field Scientific Observation and Research Station in Xinjiang, researchers are explaining to the public an experiment on cultivating camel thorn seeds, a windbreak and sand-fixing plant in arid areas.
It is reported that this year, 127 institutions of the Chinese Academy of Sciences organized over 500 popular science activities, with more than 50 academicians participating. They opened 74 research sites, including national key laboratories, and conducted over 150 popular science lectures. Over 6,000 researchers and graduate student volunteers participated, with nearly 400,000 people attending on-site and over a billion participating online.
On May 18th, the Shanghai Astronomical Observatory of the Chinese Academy of Sciences opened the Tianma Telescope.
"Expanding Horizons" Lead the Way in Popular Science
Despite being held for 20 years, this year's Public Science Day still saw the emergence of many new forms of popular science, with the "expanding horizons" leading the way in popular science.
The Tianjin Industrial Biotechnology Research Institute designed four routes for the transformation of carbon dioxide into a "transformation game," showcasing the power of "biological manufacturing";
The Aerospace Information Innovation Research Institute prepared the new Z-60 remote sensing aircraft for the public, who could also visit the "Extreme Vision No. III" airship, have close contact with innovative physical achievements such as non-contact health monitoring devices, implantable brain-machine interfaces, and other innovative production elements;
The Space Application Engineering and Technology Center specially launched the activity "Sharing a Seed Between Heaven and Earth - Youth and Astronauts Raising Zebrafish Together," while also introducing the immersive guided tour drama "When Ten Thousand Households Enter the Heavenly Palace" in the Dreaming of the Stars Exhibition Hall;
The Institute of Metal Research hosted the first immersive large-scale real-life scientific exploration drama "The Return of Shi Changxu," where participants can delve into the touching story of Mr. Shi Changxu's dedication to science for the country and get to know cutting-edge achievements in the field of materials...
The Institute of Metal Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, launches the first immersive large-scale real-scene scientific exploration script killing game "The Return of Shi Changxu".
More international elements in communication and cooperation
Against the backdrop of deepening international cooperation, Public Science Day is incorporating more and more international elements.
On May 18th, international students visited the China Academy of Sciences to learn about achievements in the "dual carbon" field. The above pictures are all provided by the Chinese Academy of Sciences.
This year's Public Science Day specially invited more than 40 international students and visiting scholars in Beijing to form a tour group, customize exclusive routes, and lead them to deeply participate in the 20th-anniversary main event. The Qinghai-Tibet Plateau Research Institute invited Nepalese high school students to the Kathmandu Science and Education Center of the Chinese Academy of Sciences to visit research observation and testing sites and facilities. The Wuhan Botanical Garden, taking the "Kunming Framework" as an opportunity, launched the theme activity "Biodiversity Conservation, Botanical Garden in Action" with the support of the China-Africa Joint Research Center of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.
"Participating in today's activities is very meaningful to me. The popularization of science and the importance of science to social development should be more widely promoted. I hope that similar activities can also be organized in our country, and I will bring some of the experiences from this event to my country, colleagues, and friends," said Marta, a visiting scholar from the Institute for the History of Natural Sciences at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, from Serbia.
