Popular science works are an important embodiment of scientific and technological strength and innovation ability. In the 2024 Jiangsu Province "National Science Day" and the 36th Jiangsu Province Science Publicity Week main event, the Provincial Association for Science and Technology released 266 annual Jiangsu Province outstanding science popularization works, these works bring together the province's high-quality science resources, highlight the demonstrative, innovative, and mass nature, and vividly show the achievements of the development of Jiangsu science popularization.
In order to encourage more scientific and technological workers and all walks of life to support and participate in the cause of popular science, disseminate scientific knowledge, promote the spirit of science, vigorously create a social atmosphere of loving science and advocating innovation, and comprehensively improve the scientific quality of the whole people, the Provincial Association for Science and Technology, together with the Propaganda Department of the Provincial Party Committee, the Provincial Department of Science and Technology, the Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism, the Provincial Radio and Television Bureau, the Provincial Press and Publication Bureau, the Provincial Youth League Committee, Jiangsu Phoenix Publishing and Media Group and other departments jointly held the 2024 popular science works selection activity. The event has received great attention and positive response from various local departments, and more than 1,600 works have been received, covering popular science books, short popular science works, popular science film and television animation, graphic design and space design, artificial intelligence generative art, popular science photography, etc. The 266 outstanding works released this time were selected from them.
Science reaches the public and establishes scientific dreams
Popular science works are an important manifestation of science entering the public and the public understanding of science. In recent years, many scientific researchers, including academicians of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Chinese Academy of Sciences, have actively participated in the popularization of science, introducing scientific discoveries, technological progress and innovative theories to the public in an easy-to-understand manner, helping the public understand the latest development of science and technology, enhancing scientific awareness, and improving citizens' scientific literacy.
From the first car off the assembly line, the successful explosion of the first atomic bomb, the first artificial synthesis of crystalline bovine insulin, to the "Shenzhou" flight, the supercomputer "Fawei", China's "Sky Eye", the first flight of a large aircraft, and the Beidou network...... Led by Wang Huijun, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the popular science book "Science and Technology Power: Telling Young People about China's Major Contemporary Scientific and Technological Achievements" covers basic research, aerospace, information technology, materials and equipment, transportation, life medicine and other scientific fields, and reviews the profound impact of these scientific and technological achievements on economic and social development in a panoramic way. As a popular book for teenagers, while ensuring the scientific and rigorous content, this book strives to tell these splendid scientific and technological achievements and touching scientific research stories in easy-to-understand words, and is accompanied by exquisite illustrations to enhance readability and artistry, so that teenagers can establish scientific ideals in a relaxed reading atmosphere.
▲ "Science and Technology Power - Telling Young People about China's Major Contemporary Scientific and Technological Achievements"
"Plant Pompeii" is a coal-forming swamp forest about 300 million years ago discovered by the team of researcher Wang Jun, director of the Nanjing Institute of Geology and Paleontology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, in the Wuda coalfield of Inner Mongolia in 2003, and it is also the actual restoration of the world's largest area of ancient forest. The first prize work in the popular science film and television animation category "The Primeval Forest 300 Million Years Ago - Plant Pompeii" was introduced from the shocking scene of on-site restoration, and the scientific researchers came to the scene to tell the discovery process of "Plant Pompeii", which carried forward the spirit of exploration of scientists for ten years.
These excellent popular science works make the scientific research workers involved in the creation become the sowers and the guides of scientific dreams, so that scientific dreams can take root in people's hearts.
Prosper the culture of science and nurture the spirit of science
Popular science is a way of disseminating science and culture. High-quality popular science works can stimulate the public's interest and curiosity in science, especially young people, cultivate the scientific spirit of exploring the unknown and pursuing truth, enrich spiritual and cultural life, and promote the formation of a social atmosphere that advocates science and encourages innovation.
You can learn physics well without brushing questions! Nowadays, the popular "Science Grandma Wu" is not only seen on video websites, but also children can put "Grandma" in their schoolbags, carry them with them, and read carefully. The first prize work in the popular science book category, "Grandma Wu doesn't brush the questions· Science is really fun" series explained nearly 100 scientific knowledge to children in the form of comics, pictures and illustrations, including physical knowledge in life, mathematical knowledge, great powers, Tiangong lecture hall and the mysteries of the universe. The book continues the characteristics of Grandma Wu's scientific explanation video, and takes children to observe life, discover problems, think about phenomena and then explore the deep scientific laws in an experimental way as much as possible.
Artificial intelligence, represented by generative artificial intelligence (AIGC), is advancing by leaps and bounds, and is accelerating the evolution of a new round of technological revolution and industrial transformation. Among the popular science works, the short video of the first prize of artificial intelligence generative art "Green Environmental Protection, You and Me" is not only generated by a variety of AI technologies, but also the theme song is generated by AI.
▲ "Green Environmental Protection, You and Me" (excerpt)
Science fiction works are often forward-looking, can effectively disseminate scientific culture, and show the beauty of science in the future world. The first-prize work in the popular science book category "Science Fiction Road" (all six volumes) is translated from the "Science Fiction Road" series created by James · Gunn, a famous science fiction writer and science fiction researcher in United States. The book is a masterpiece of the history of science fiction literature in the world, systematically introducing the development and evolution of science fiction, an important category of literature, as well as representative works of different periods and countries, and presenting the vast overview of the development of science fiction literature in a rich and full way in front of readers from a cosmopolitan and inclusive perspective.
Cultivate new quality productivity and accelerate the transformation of achievements
How to transform the scientific research results on the "bookshelf" into social productivity? The release and promotion of popular science works can answer this question well. By showing the application value and social benefits of scientific and technological achievements to the public, popular science works can attract more investment, cooperation and attention, so as to promote the industrialization process of scientific and technological achievements and form a strong joint force of the whole society to jointly promote scientific and technological progress and economic and social development.
The transformation and improvement of the automobile industry, the standardized development of the steel industry, and the high-quality development of the textile industry ...... The first prize work in the popular science photography category "Looking at Jiangsu's New Quality Productivity" shows the struggle of scientific and technological workers on all fronts to promote the development of new quality productivity in the form of photos. The photographer approached Jiangsu's communication laboratories, automobile manufacturing intelligent assembly lines, intelligent robots and integrated circuit enterprises, and recorded them with a shutter, showing a vivid picture of the development of new quality productivity in our province.
▲ "Looking at Jiangsu's New Quality Productivity"
Accurately measuring the height of Mount Everest is a comprehensive surveying and mapping task that represents the development level of national surveying and mapping science and technology. The first prize work in the popular science book category "Climbing the Peak and Measuring the Pole: A Complete Documentary of the Elevation Measurement of Mount Everest in China in 2020" comprehensively introduces the whole process of the elevation measurement of Mount Everest in China in 2020, systematically describes the significance, methods and process of scientific surveying and mapping of Mount Everest in China, and scientifically reveals the causes, changes, future and global impact of Mount Everest. Let readers get a close experience of the Beidou satellite navigation system, domestic equipment, 5G technology, etc., which are independently built and operated by the mainland in the elevation measurement of Mount Everest, and lead the public to witness the tremendous development of China's science and technology from an unprecedented angle and way.
Scientific and technological innovation is inseparable from the popularization of science, and the construction of a strong country in science and technology and the realization of high-level scientific and technological self-reliance and self-improvement are inseparable from the improvement of the scientific quality of the whole people. In the future, the Provincial Association for Science and Technology will more extensively organize and mobilize the majority of scientific and technological workers and cultural workers, go deep into the front line of scientific research, promote the popularization of scientific research achievements, create colorful, vivid and lively excellent works, so that more popular science works can benefit the whole society, create a stronger atmosphere of innovation, and contribute to helping Jiangsu build a "strong, rich, beautiful and high" modern new Jiangsu in an all-round way. (Author: Xia Wenyan Editor: Xie Changmei)