The top student must be diligent.

Chapter 167 National Natural Science First Prize!

The National Science and Technology Awards Conference is the most important event in China's scientific community and also the conference that all scientific and technological talents in the country are most concerned about.

Five major scientific awards will be presented at this conference, including the National Highest Science and Technology Award, the Natural Science Award, the Technological Invention Award, the Science and Technology Progress Award, and the International Science and Technology Cooperation Award.

Among them, the Natural Science Award, Technological Invention Award and Science and Technology Progress Award are known as the three major awards in China. It can be said that they are related to the titles and honors of domestic scientific researchers.

For example, if you want to be selected as a Young Outstanding Scientist, then a natural science award or a technological invention award is basically indispensable. Even if you do not have these awards, there must be at least some achievements of the same level.

In addition, these awards also greatly affect the subject evaluation of major universities. If a school wins more awards in this regard, then the scores that can be raised in the subject evaluation will be higher.

Of course, subject evaluation and the like have little to do with research institutes.

Looking at the invitation letter in his hand, Xiao Yi asked in confusion: "Why did you suddenly send me an invitation letter?"

"The conference will be held on the 2nd of next month, so it's normal to send you an invitation letter now. Anyway, you can just follow us to attend the meeting."

Xi Lan smiled and said, "I guess you should have a chance to win some award."

Xiao Yi touched his cheek.

It might work?

"Xiao Yi should go with our Institute of Physics by then, so you should stay at the Institute of Mathematics."

At this time, Pang Cheng next to him started arguing with Xi Lan again.

And Xi Lan, unsurprisingly, declared the School of Mathematics' sovereignty over Xiao Yi, saying that their Institute of Physics was just a "spare tire".

Just like that, the two big guys in the eyes of others started quarreling again.

Xiao Yi and Xu Zhiqiang looked at each other and finally shook their heads helplessly.

…

Time passed quickly again and it was November 11nd.

The National Science and Technology Awards Conference was also officially held on this day.

The meeting was held in the Great Hall of the People, and martial law had already been imposed near the Great Hall of the People.

After all, among those who will be present today, there are almost thousands of the best scientists in the Republic, in addition to various senior leaders, so martial law must be imposed.

At this time, several queues had formed in front of the entrance of the Great Hall of the People, and participants were entering the venue in an orderly manner.

At a glance, the academicians can basically be called outstanding young scientists. There are as many as dogs in the Yangtze River Delta, and primitive people are everywhere.

These scholars also greeted each other and at the same time tried to find out if the other party had any chance of winning the award.

All of a sudden, these big names in the eyes of other people seemed to have turned into students, and now it was the time when they had just finished their exams and the results were about to be released.

"Academician Wang, I'm afraid you'll at least win the first prize of the National Natural Science Award this time!"

"Hey, what is Academician Liu talking about? My project is really bad, but I won the first prize of the National Natural Science Foundation of China. I would be very lucky to get an improvement award."

"Hey, isn't this Professor Sun? Long time no see, long time no see. Can you tell me something? Are you aiming for the first prize this time?"

"Hey, Professor Zhao, are you kidding me? If I can win the first prize today, I will treat you to a meal at Shangjing Restaurant. Do you agree?"

……

Xiao Yi was standing in a queue, waiting to enter the conference hall.

If his expression looked a little strange, listening to the Yangtze River Scholars and academicians around him denying to each other that they could win the award, he always felt like he was back in high school.

Well, I can only say that humility is a long-standing fine virtue of the Chinese nation.

It's just...

Well, you are already a professor, why be so modest? If you think you can win the award, just say it openly!
Xiao Yi shook his head, expressing no comment on their behavior.

Then at this moment, someone suddenly called him: "Hey, Xiao Yi, you are here too."

When he turned around, he unexpectedly saw many acquaintances from the Institute of High Energy Physics, and the person who called him was Tang Yifang.

"Academician Tang." Xiao Yi nodded at them.

Tang Yifang asked with a smile: "I'm afraid you can win the first prize in the National Natural Science Award this time you come."

Ah this...

Xiao Yi was stunned for a moment. He never expected that this question would fall upon him again.

Ok……

He chose to play the fine tradition of the Chinese nation and said modestly: "No, no, how is this possible?"

"Don't pretend, kid. Let's not talk about the twin prime conjecture. Just think about the commotion caused by the Goldbach conjecture. It would be unreasonable not to give you the first prize."

"No way~ That's not happening. It won't happen, it won't happen."

Xiao Yi just denied three times in a row.

The people around them immediately started laughing.

The team began to move forward at this time. Tang Yifang also came to the entrance. He didn't say much to Xiao Yi. After passing the security check, he entered the conference hall.

Soon, all the participants entered the conference hall, and the award ceremony was still held in the auditorium with a capacity of 10,000 people.

The last time Xiao Yi came here was the last time.

I came here because of the report on the Goldbach conjecture.

Ok……

There was more than half a year between them.

Time flies by so fast.

Under the guidance of the staff, they took their seats one after another. Xiao Yi finally sat in the middle of the Institute of Physics and the Institute of Mathematics. This way, it seemed that he could be from both the Institute of Physics and the Institute of Mathematics.

Well, it avoided Academician Xi Lan and Academician Pang Cheng from arguing over him again.

And just like that, time passed quickly.

The conference officially began at ten o'clock in the morning.

The senior leaders came in and delivered speeches, expressing encouragement for the current state of scientific and technological development in China. After the speeches, the award ceremony officially began.

"Next, we will officially enter the award ceremony. The first award will be the Republic's National Highest Science and Technology Award!"

The host announced from the front.

"The winners of the National Highest Science and Technology Award are Academician Gu Songfen and Academician Wang Dazhong!"

The whole audience burst into applause, paying the highest respects to the two winners of the highest awards.

Xiao Yi also clapped vigorously, expressing his sincere respect to the two winners.

Every winner of the highest science and technology award has played an extremely important role in the development of the Republic.

It was they who did not choose to go abroad to enjoy wealth and glory during the poorest time of the Republic, but resolutely stayed in the country, laying a solid scientific foundation in some important directions for the newly started Republic.

For such people, Xiao Yi always regards them as the people he respects the most.

Just like the two winners of this year's award.

Academician Gu Songfen, an aircraft aerodynamicist, established the aerodynamic design system of new Chinese aircraft and pioneered the independent development of fighter jets in my country. He was the chief designer of the J-8 series fighter jets, and the J-8II is known as the "handsome man in the sky". Academician Wang Dazhong is an important founder of China's nuclear energy technology, laying an important technical foundation for my country to gradually move towards the forefront of the world in the field of advanced nuclear energy. Today, China can become a world leader in nuclear energy technology, and Academician Wang has made an indelible contribution.

Afterwards, the two winners of the highest award appeared on the rostrum to accept the awards bestowed by the leaders. Among them was a golden medal, which shone brightly around the necks of these two veteran academicians.

Soon, the award ceremony for the highest prize was over, and the next came the turn of the three major prizes, which were also the awards that many scientists present paid the most attention to.

The first award to be presented is the Natural Science Award.

In the audience, many scholars who looked smiling became nervous at this moment.

The Natural Science Award can be said to be the highlight of the entire award ceremony, even more so than the highest science and technology award, because everyone knows that the winners of the highest award must be the older generation of scientific and technological workers, and only awards like the Natural Science Award are something they have the chance to win.

In addition, the Natural Science Award is also recognized as the most valuable of the three major awards, so how could they not care?

The grades during student days can only represent a single achievement, but the awards nowadays represent hundreds of thousands, even millions of dollars, as well as their future.

So, even though everyone was saying they didn’t win the prize just now, when it really came to this point, they were really concerned.

The host on the stage was not in a hurry to start at this time. It seemed that he waited for the audience to gather their emotions before he finally opened his mouth and said, "The next award is the first prize of the National Natural Science Award!"

“First up is the first winner!”

Everyone held their breath and waited quietly for the host to give the award.

"In 1742, a letter was sent out, which started the research on prime number in the mathematical community..."

As soon as the first sentence was spoken, everyone in the audience suddenly widened their eyes.

math?

This should be the Goldbach conjecture, right?

Sure enough, the host's next words verified their guess.

"This letter is the famous letter sent by Goldbach to the great mathematician Euler, which raises a question: any integer greater than 5 can be written as the sum of three prime numbers."

"After many years of changes, the question finally evolved into whether any even number greater than 2 can be expressed as the sum of two prime numbers. This is a very simple statement, so simple that even elementary school students who have just mastered the concept of prime numbers can understand this problem."

"But it is this problem that has troubled the mathematical community for hundreds of years."

"Until this year, Xiao Yi, a famous Chinese mathematician, carefully studied the achievements of his predecessors, summarized all the ideas, and made a series of innovations. He finally successfully proved the Goldbach conjecture, taking off the jewel in the crown of number theory and creating history in the mathematical community. It is considered one of the greatest achievements in the mathematical community in all these years, and it is also a major breakthrough in the scientific community."

"Mathematics is the foundation of all sciences. Therefore, according to the decision of the Natural Science Award Jury, Xiao Yi is awarded the first prize of the Natural Science Award!"

After he finished speaking, the host applauded.

After hesitating for a moment, the audience finally applauded.

Obviously, for most people, this news is still a bit too shocking.

Although the news that Xiao Yi's proof of the Goldbach conjecture would win the first prize in natural sciences had spread a long time ago, but according to various rumors, most people thought it would take at least a year or two, right?

They had never heard of such a thing in the past where a project completed in the same year could win an award in the same year, let alone a first prize...

In the end, who could have thought that this would actually happen at this awards ceremony?
In addition to being shocked, people also turned their eyes to the row of seats where Xiao Yi was sitting. The seats of their School of Mathematics and Institute of Physics were quite close to the front.

Of course, Xiao Yi, as the protagonist at this time, was pointing at himself in confusion as he listened to the applause coming from all around him.

"I?"

Although, he had prepared himself mentally before participating, thinking that he might have a chance to win the prize.

But who would have thought that after the two highest science and technology awards were just presented, the third award of the event would go to him, which really caught him off guard.

"Good boy, why are you still standing there? Come on stage and receive your award."

Pang Cheng, who was sitting next to him, patted his shoulder and said unhappily.

Wow, this guy actually won the first prize in natural science. It's impossible not to be jealous.

Their Institute of Physics has won several first prizes in natural sciences, and the most recent one was in 18. The discovery of the quantum anomalous Hall effect is considered to be a Nobel Prize-level achievement.

It’s a pity that this achievement has nothing to do with him, the director.

Of course, the last time was in 2013, when the Institute of Physics’ discovery on iron-based superconductors won them the first prize, and this time Pang Cheng was in the research team.

However, he was not the leader of the team at that time, let alone becoming an independent winner of the first prize like Xiao Yi.

However, he was not the only one who felt jealous. Everyone in the audience felt jealous.

Xiao Yi also came back to his senses at this time, then nodded, quickly stood up, and walked onto the podium amid applause.

On the rostrum, the old leader in charge of awarding the prize smiled, walked up to Xiao Yi and patted him on the shoulder, saying, "Xiao Yi, you are very good."

"I have never seen such an outstanding young person as you. I hope you can continue to exert your abilities and produce more results."

Hearing the words of the old leader, Xiao Yidun felt flattered and said repeatedly: "Thank you, I will work hard."

"Yes." The old leader nodded with satisfaction, and then did not rush to present the award. He said to the photographer over there: "Come, take a separate photo for us first."

The photographer quickly stepped forward and took a photo of the two of them.

Perhaps, this photo will be included in history books decades later and admired by countless future generations.

Afterwards, the old leader finally began to award the first prize to Xiao Yi.

The first prize winner only receives a certificate and a prize of 30 yuan.

Of course, the bonus is basically just a bonus. For such a major award, honor is the most important thing.

After the awards were just presented, a group photo was taken. Finally, his award ceremony was over.

He returned to the stage once again amid applause. Along the way, researchers from various universities and research institutes sent him congratulations.

Xiao Yi also greeted them individually.

When he was first selected as an outstanding young scientist, there were some voices opposing him, but up to now, such voices have disappeared.

Even the Cui Yuanhao whom he met at Academician Pang Cheng's place no longer dared to say anything in front of him.

After all, strength is king.

When he returned to his seat, people from the School of Mathematics and the Institute of Physics on his left and right strongly urged him to treat them to a meal. Of course, he did not refuse and said that he would treat them to a big dinner when he returned home tonight.

The award ceremony continued.

What surprised everyone next was that there were three first prizes this year. The other two first prizes were for nano-confined catalysis and the creation and application of ordered mesoporous polymers and carbon materials.

These are all quite important achievements.

But no matter what, the fact that three yolks appeared in the first prize was a historical achievement.

As all the first prizes have been awarded, it is now the turn of the second prize.

The value of the second prize is relatively lower, because compared to the three first prizes, there are as many as 44 research groups winning the second prize, which is a gap of more than ten times.

Of course, no matter how valuable it is, it is still an award after all, and it is also an encouragement for every winner.

In this way, as time passed, all the natural science awards were awarded, and then other awards gradually came to the fore.

It wasn't until a few hours later that all the awards were presented.

As the news came out, it immediately sparked a discussion on the Internet.

What people discussed more was why Xiao Yi's twin prime conjecture did not win the prize!
(End of this chapter)