Physics demands discipline, but students are inspired by their research
Physics demands discipline, but students are inspired by the research that they undertake, writes Heidi Chik Wiseman
Victor Lam Ho-tat says he is not a genius. Yet even Albert Einstein, a scientist he admires, might be impressed with the young man.
Only 18 years of age, he has developed a ground-breaking theory - a simple and effective way to compare the robustness of two similar networks, such as that of power cables and the internet. This will help avert crises and save lives.
Today Lam will fly to Poland and Canada to present his latest research into network reliability at academic conferences as the youngest ever representative of the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST).
My peers opted for business degrees, but I went for something fun
"Physics answers a lot of questions. If we stop all research in physics, humans will stop advancing," he says. "I have fun when I'm doing research."
Lam recalls reading cartoons about science when he was eight, and names various popular science books that he has enjoyed reading, such as Does God Play Dice? and those by renowned British physicist Stephen Hawking.
He was inspired by good teachers who nurtured his gift in mathematics and physics. Lam grew up in Shenzhen after his parents, both from Hong Kong, relocated there for work.
He won a gold medal in the junior section of the International Mathematical Olympiad in 2008, while he was attending the Second Foreign Languages School of Nanshan. By the first semester of Year Nine at Shenzhen Middle School, he had completed the secondary school physics curriculum.