"Dr. frustrated" Liu Benliang: I am a mutant in the scientific research community

Text | "China Newspaper" reporter Zhao Guangli

Liu Benliang is not a unhappy person.

When people reach middle age, they hold doctoral diplomas at home, but they are unlimited at home. After "picking up children every day", they do their own research -there is no special laboratory, just at home, just a computer.

Even so, his research "funding" was once relied on his wife to work with his father. What is even more embarrassing is that most people do not understand what he studies, and some people even think that he has "went into the demon" and has become a "civil science".

Such a embarrassment is unbearable. But he was able to get huge happiness from his research -recently, Liu Benliang, who was out of the "Rumor Storm", said in an exclusive interview with the China Science Journal: "I do scientific research purely for personal happiness, even though I feel that my mission (solving energy issues, the author's note) is related to everyone, but this happiness is essentially a person. "

He also said that this happiness has nothing to do with the evaluation of outsiders. In the past, he said, "The more positive others commented on me, the more I torment with it."

Not long ago, Liu Benliang was packaged as a "frustrated doctor" on the Internet for his monthly salary of 5,000 yuan in 2018 when he participated in the reality show "You You", and then rumored that he had developed in the United States. The US dollar, research results can only belong to the United States. " In this regard, Liu Benliang felt that the rumors were abominable, but the more terrible was hype.

But he also obviously felt "a lot of pressure": "The savings of work in the past few years have also been spent, and they need to replace the algorithms that are developing as soon as possible." He told the China Science News: " You should be able to change a lot of money, and you can recruit people to study together in the future. "

What kind of person Liu Benliang is? Is he "a civilian"? What did he go through today? The following is an exclusive interview.

Liu Benliang

The undergraduate proposed "new theory" was stunned.

"China Science Journal": When will the start of the theory of physical basic theory be fascinated?

Liu Benliang: As soon as he went to junior high school, the physics teacher told me: "The physics class can't fall in one church, otherwise it won't be able to learn anymore later." I regarded this to Gui, and I was afraid of missed. Later, I have always had good physical results.

I read the material engineering major in Shan University, but I went to the factory for a lap and found that I was not interested in mechanical processing. I felt that the casting process was not me. Physics theory loves to learn.

At that time, the research group of Professor Qin Jingyu of Shan Daqin had a high -temperature liquid X -ray diffraction instrument -it seemed to be the only one in the country at that time. It can be simply understood that the X -ray is irradiated into the metal with a liquid temperature, and the structure of the material can be seen. Since then, I don't think I like any liquid -based engineering technology, and I like to study the basic things such as atomic structure.

When I was undergraduate, I proposed a "layer consistent theory" to describe the "medium -range order" of liquid matter (Note: "Long -range order" in the crystal structure, "short -range order" in the crystal structure) Essence I feel this is a new theory. But the teacher corrected me, "You are not called a new theory. At most, you are called‘ views ’, and the new theory is bragging." Haha.

"China Science News": Do you remember which teacher said you?

Liu Benliang: It is Teacher Qin Jingyu.

"China Science News": You have been studying for so long, and you don't seem to like to publish a dissertation, or in other words, not good at publishing papers.

Liu Benliang: Sometimes I do n’t want to post it, and I ’m too lazy to send it.

I remember a female teacher in the material department, she just didn't like to publish a thesis. What she likes to do is to go to the factory to solve practical problems. She always said that the associate professor is very good, and there is no need to publish an article in order to review the professor. Now think about it, the teachers of the Materials Department at that time had great wisdom, especially for the "silly hat" like me.

"China Science Journal": So in the case of publishing papers, are you actually a bit influenced by these teachers?

Liu Benliang: It feels like. However, something happened later, which directly cracked down on my enthusiasm.

At that time, I was in Hong Kong and made a topic. I wanted to study a material that could turn scattered light into direct light -of course, this material should not exist, because it violated the second law of thermodynamics.

But I didn't know at the time, and there were all kinds of strange ideas in my mind. However, one day, I saw Nature's last article and found that similar ideas have not only thought about -already thought of it, or a well -known professor, and also posted on Nature. I thought at the time, why is this worth sending a natch? Since then, I have felt that this is the case.

I like to do "unreliable" research, but consciously "not a genius"

"China Science News": What kind of scientific research do you admire the most?

Liu Benliang: I feel that real scientific research is really able to make some major and primitive discoveries, which is a "root" research. Based on this discovery, others can calculate a lot of fine branches, can get many results and post many articles. For example, Einstein's theory of relativity, qualitative energy equation, etc. are like this.

"China Science News": How did you choose your research topic?

Liu Benliang: There is a particularly famous professor in the field of artificial intelligence. He proposed a reverse communication algorithm. He once said: If you choose a research topic, others say no, but you think you must do it, then congratulations, you choose the right. I particularly agree with this sentence. Therefore, I later tried to do cold nuclear fusion. Others felt that it was unreliable. I was interested. Of course, we already know that the initial cold nuclear fusion experiment is problematic, and now it is not done. However, the possibility of realizing a cold nuclear reaction cannot be ruled out now after the discovery of new physical knowledge in the future.

"China Science News": Why do you think of "solving energy problems"?

Liu Benliang: In fact, during my college, I thought that energy issues must be a big problem that the whole society is facing. At that time, I thought that this level of problems must be worthy of spending a lot of time to do it.

"China Science News": Do you think you are different from ordinary people?

Liu Benliang: When he was a kid, he saw a report saying that if a child can stare at the same thing for more than half an hour, the child may be genius. Later, my mother told me that when I was a kid, I stared at the leaves for a long time. I thought I was such a "genius" at that time. But later my academic performance told me that I should not (laugh).

I think I am a bit good at abstract thinking and abstract thinking. Teacher Qin Jingyu feels that I am very special. Many years later he joked with me, "You should also engage in some scientific research, but you are the best student I have ever seen."

With this self -feelings, I stepped into the "Destroyer" step by step.

"China Science Journal": Why is it "for the road"?

Liu Benliang: After eating a huge bitterness. You see I am so mixed now. Now I dare not contact Teacher Qin, I feel that I have no face to see him, and I have done nothing.

"China Science Journal": What opportunities will let you go to the Chinese University of Hong Kong to continue research?

Liu Benliang: This is also a way to go wild at the time. When I was undergraduate, I thought, I should go to a PhD abroad, and then I took GRE. A few of us applied for several American universities. I applied for three, all of which were famous universities such as MIT and Stanford University, and they all rejected me.

Later, I did not apply for American universities, because the application fee was too expensive -I was impressed by about $ 100, and I changed to apply for a school in Hong Kong.

After going to the interview, my later mentor asked me and went to Hong Kong to study in Chinese.

Liu Benliang graduated from Hong Kong's major interviewees in 2012

Self -ridicule is "disabled": society should support "scientific research refugees"

"China Science News": You seem to be difficult to integrate into the current scientific research system?

Liu Benliang: I actually watched this way: if it was put until 100 years ago, it was impossible to grow up like me. Even if you were lucky, he might not even wear pants. Nowadays, the society has developed very well, and the material is extremely rich. A bag of flour is only more than 100 yuan, so no matter how poor it is, life will not be frozen and hungry. And if you go out for a year, you can eat for many years, right?

Therefore, when these basic guarantees, this society is actually allowed to be like me without having to enter the so -called "system". To put it bluntly, you play with you, I play with me, do not have to stir together.

"China Science News": So do you think this is the inevitable result of social development?

Liu Benliang: Yes. And in the future, we may see that when social capital is richer, I feel more and more people like me.

"China Science News": There is also a voice now, to support "non -consensus research". But what you said will make people feel a little adventurous?

Liu Benliang: Isn't such adventure worth it? For researchers, they are also adventure. For example, I failed for 10 years, nothing happened, it doesn't matter, I do something else after 40 years old. But I do n’t regret it. I dare to do what I want to do the most.

"China Science News": Even if people reach middle age, they are still down or even poor. Don't regret it?

Liu Benliang: I am like this. Even if I am materially poor, I am very satisfied with my spirit. I think I am like a monk who reads the scriptures, which is close to a high state. In fact, the most important thing about scientific research is not the final result at all. I value the expansion of the spiritual world more. I think this is the most fundamental.

"China Science News": But as far as your situation is concerned, you also say that you are carrying a lot of pressure.

Liu Benliang: Yes. So my motivation is actually very strong. On the one hand, because of this great attraction, on the other hand, this pressure is forced to achieve the goal with the fastest and most effective way.

Of course, I also think that outside the institutions such as colleges and universities, there should be such a "relief system", just like the previous relief of the poor, to relieve "scientific research refugees" like us. Having said that, I think I can also be regarded as a "disabled person" in a sense.

Go into the magic? I am just a "mutant"

"China Science News": Did you find the door to solve energy problems now?

Liu Benliang: It can be said that the door has been seen for the first time. At about 16/17, I returned to the origin -I studied electromagnetics at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, drawn the magnetic stagnation line every day, and did a lot of electromagnetic computing. These tasks suddenly inspired me one day. There is a quantum driver in the middle, which involves the generation, absorption and release of energy, and requires different materials and systems. Of course, the most difficult thing is to find a technical path to achieve. "China Science News": The theory may be separated by thousands of mountains and rivers. Have you ever thought that you might not achieve your goals in your life?

Liu Benliang: I think this is okay.

Just like fishing, fishing a big fish. You always want to fight with big fish. In the process, you will need patience and energy, and then prove "I am strong." Even though I am weak, I just want to prove the power of thought. Can't achieve it? It's ok. The fishermen who really fight with the big fish will not care whether they can take a photo with the big fish in the end.

I now feel that I use a new science behind the solution of energy problems. I am better to make a lot of money now -I am writing an algorithm, and I feel that I can rely on it to realize it -and then attract a group of smart heads to study, develop and improve this theory.

"China Science News": Many people on the Internet now think that some of your puppets and ideas are a bit unrealistic, saying that you are "going into the demon". Would you like to respond?

Liu Benliang: I think in our scientific research ecosystem, sometimes some "mutant" is needed.

"China Science News": Do you define yourself as a "mutant"?

Liu Benliang: Although I have learned materials, my ability to make algorithms and programming has been developing. I talk about a genetic algorithm -I wrote this algorithm from beginning to end, also called genetic algorithm. This is the genetic algorithm. When solving the problem of combination optimization, not only does it have to choose operations, cross -computing, but also mutation operations. It is necessary to accelerate the global optimal solution through the "mutant operator".

Therefore, I think the scientific research ecology also needs some "mutation operators", like me, it is definitely "mutant operator" and "mutant".

"China Science News": You don't seem to worry about how others think of you.

Liu Benliang: I would think that if you are doing an avant -garde study, it will not be understood and recognized at the beginning, and then it proves that it may be right. Moreover, when many people oppose, I am particularly clean; if many people are sought after, I think it will be annoying. To put it plainly, the more the other people commented on me, the more I torment.

I also have pressure. The pressure is mainly from children. They grow up every day. Although I feel that it is not difficult to make money, and sometimes I want to make some money, but there is a master and secondary. If I let me choose again, I would rather use the best youth to try to solve the most important issue I think. Because the golden period that a person is willing to study is these ten years, and this village has no this shop.

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