When you decide to do something, the most important thing is to persevere. If you persist for a long time to a certain extent, quantitative changes will lead to qualitative changes
At the recent "New Book Launch of Volume 3 (Quantum Mechanics) of Zhang Chaoyang's Physics Class" event at the National Library of China, Zhang Chaoyang, founder, chairman and CEO of Sohu, and a physics PhD, said that it is important to follow the "10000 hour theory" when talking about his insistence on live streaming physics classes for nearly three years.
Zhang Chaoyang launches new book on knowledge points "Phonons and Solid Specific Heat"
Quantum mechanics has already been covered in the first volume, which describes the formation and development process of basic quantum mechanics. The third volume is about higher-order calculations of the entire quantum mechanics. Zhang Chaoyang conducted detailed derivations and calculations on the topic of "Phonons and Solid Specific Heat" in the book, analyzing the behavior of solid specific heat at the low-temperature limit.
Zhang Chaoyang believes that phonons and the specific heat of solids are milestone topics in quantum mechanics.
Solids are composed of atoms or molecules arranged neatly, and when heated, they absorb heat and vibrate. Solids use this vibration to store energy. Einstein compared lattice vibrations to harmonic oscillators, explaining for the first time why the specific heat at low temperatures approaches zero and absolute zero cannot be reached. But Debye discovered flaws in Einstein's model at low temperatures and made corrections to the dispersion relationship of vibrational energy levels. Zhang Chaoyang explained Debye's improvement through the energy level diagram on the blackboard: the gap between the energy levels of sound waves is not a fixed constant, and the corresponding energy level gap of low frequency sound waves is also low. This allows solids to more effectively convert thermal energy into internal energy at low temperatures, thereby increasing specific heat.
Zhang Chaoyang demonstrates using a unique method that the energy level spacing of resonators with different k values varies
At the scene, a student asked about the internet meme "Don't make a decision, quantum mechanics". Zhang Chaoyang explained that this sentence reflects the wide application of quantum mechanics. For example, many problems on Earth, such as material properties, the behavior of liquid helium, and even some high-tech exploration projects, are related to quantum mechanics. He cited the recent news of Boeing's mission being delayed due to a liquid helium leak as an example. The booster of the space shuttle needs to be cooled with liquid helium, which is due to the fact that helium can remain liquid at low temperatures and pressures, and the fact that helium does not solidify at low temperatures involves quantum mechanics principles.
The series of books has been collected by the National Library of China
As an advanced work in the popular science book series "Zhang Chaoyang's Physics Class", the third volume of the new book focuses on quantum mechanics, from the unknown atomic nucleus to the unattainable white dwarf, from the details of atomic and molecular structure to the macroscopic laws of material state transformation, from the classic case of double pendulum to the cutting-edge technology of nuclear magnetic resonance, spanning multiple disciplines such as solid-state physics, structural chemistry, astronomy, etc., with richer content.
The third volume of the new book is divided into thirteen chapters, organized from the 129th to 184th sessions of Sohu Video Physics Live Course. Zhang Chaoyang introduced that the book starts from interesting questions and provides different tour routes and scenery of the ancient city of physics, which can be used as auxiliary reading materials outside of university science and engineering textbooks. Sun Changpu, an academician of the CAS Member, recommended that this book uses a different and simple perspective of traditional textbooks - the evolution of wave packets, and tells the basic spirit of quantum mechanics in simple terms.
Compared to the previous two volumes, the third volume of "Zhang Chaoyang's Physics Class" utilizes more mathematical tools, including partial differential equations, matrix diagonalization, variation, etc., showcasing the beauty of the integration of mathematics and physics. In addition, this volume is no longer limited to explaining several concepts and particles, but presents the full picture of quantum mechanics from the connection between macro and micro, the unsolved mysteries of quantum mechanics, to the application of modern technology, layer by layer, comprehensively and from multiple angles. As Duan Wenhui, an academician of the CAS Member, said, the third volume of Zhang Chaoyang's Physics Course is "a letter of a physicist exploring the quantum world".
The first, second, and third volumes of "Zhang Chaoyang's Physics Class" have been collected by the National Library of China
In the past three years of live streaming, "Zhang Chaoyang's Physics Course" has conducted more than 220 sessions, with an online duration of over 21000 minutes, forming a three-dimensional dissemination matrix that integrates live streaming, playback, short videos, text, and books. The content has gradually penetrated into more vertical professional fields, becoming a representative force of physics and science popularization in China. The collection of volumes one, two, and three of "Zhang Chaoyang's Physics Class" by the National Library, known as the "Cultural Palace," is a strong recognition of its professional value and widespread influence.
When doing science popularization, one should avoid oversimplifying or exaggerating metaphors
After the event, Zhang Chaoyang was interviewed by the media. He pointed out that the way knowledge is disseminated is undergoing fundamental changes. Nowadays, many scientific studies are no longer limited to professional journals, but enter the public eye through self media and short videos. In line with this trend, anyone who has a skill in a certain field and persists in doing it will become particularly professional, and also become an internet celebrity and an expert in this field
How to view mystical definitions such as "Schr ö dinger's cat", "Maxwell's demon", and "quantum entanglement"? Zhang Chaoyang believes that when the audience truly understands the essence of science, they will find that the joy goes far beyond the surface mystery. When doing science popularization, one should avoid using overly simplified or exaggerated metaphors, as this can mislead the public into misunderstanding science. Therefore, he insisted on using accurate and hardcore deduction explanations in physics live broadcasts, forming a unique style.
He also mentioned that 'Zhang Chaoyang's Physics Class' first became popular in the' follow stream 'of Sohu videos, as many natural scientists and engineering knowledge influencers have joined the' follow stream 'driven by physics classes. In addition, there are many groups of doctors, Kpop dance loved by young people, and Chinese style Hanfu also have high popularity. Sohu Video, as a knowledge dissemination platform for live streaming and short videos, will also hold an autumn host conference in Qinhuangdao on September 22nd.
As a heavy user of Sohu Video, Zhang Chaoyang often proposes technical improvement suggestions. In his opinion, business leaders must personally use the product to understand its development direction and daily iterations. He said that Sohu Video's live streaming software is very user-friendly, and many features are not available on other platforms.