The team that discovered gravitational waves includes a Shanghai native: Only applied to the Astronomy Department of Nanjing University for the college entrance examination.

On February 11th, local time in the United States, researchers from the California Institute of Technology, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO) announced in Washington that they had detected gravitational waves.

A reporter from The Paper (www.thepaper.cn) learned that among the over 1,000 scientists involved in constructing, maintaining instruments, and analyzing data, there is a native Shanghai resident, Hu Yiming. He graduated from Chongming High School in 2007, holds a postdoctoral degree from Tsinghua University, and is currently conducting research at the Max Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics in Germany. He is also a member of the LIGO Scientific Collaboration.

On February 16th, a reporter from the Pengpu News interviewed Hu Yiming, who is currently working in Germany, as well as his former homeroom teacher and related mentor teachers from Chongming High School. In their eyes, Hu Yiming has an intense passion for astronomy, almost self-taught, frequently challenging the teachers with professional astronomy questions at a university level. When he filled out his college application, he listed only one choice: the Astronomy Department of Nanjing University, stating that he would rather retake the exam than not attend that department. "He is the most persistent and determined student I have ever taught," his homeroom teacher said.

Some astronomical questions stump teachers.

In 2006, visited the Xinglong Astronomical Observatory in Beijing, home to a 2.16-meter optical astronomical telescope.

Hu Yiming is a native of Chongming, Shanghai, and has attended school there since elementary school.

Xiao Li was Hu Yiming's geography teacher during his freshman year in high school. She still remembers, when she introduced the first part of high school geography about the universe and celestial bodies, Hu Yiming stunned her with a mouthful of professional astronomical terminology.

In high school, astronomy was just a superficial introduction to some basic knowledge, but upon hearing him, I knew he had a strong interest in astronomy and possessed a robust theoretical foundation. He often reads "Astronomy Enthusiasts," says Xiang Li.

Zhang Shilü was the instructor for Hu Yiming during his participation in the astronomy competition and has since retired. He told the reporter, "Upon hearing about the significant progress in the gravitational wave detection project that Hu Yiming is involved in, I was so excited that I couldn't sleep the whole night."

Zhang Shilü remembers that in early 2006, Hu Yiming approached him to discuss attending the Beijing Astronomical Olympic Competition and sought his assistance. "The astronomical questions he asked were highly professional, and some I could resolve, but many frequently stumped me, reaching the level of university-level inquiries. I could only advise him on where to find professional resources for this field."

On May 1, 2006, with full financial support from the school, Zhang Shilü accompanied Hu Yiming to participate in the Beijing Astronomical Olympic Invitational Tournament in Beijing. Prior to this, he had achieved impressive results, securing the second place in the Shanghai region of the 2005 National High School Astronomical Olympic Competition and the first place in the 2006 competition. "But I was still worried at the time because our rural school had limited astronomical observation equipment and lacked operational experience. I was concerned about potential issues during the operation, but he was calm, experienced, and fearless," said Zhang Shilü.

"Although participating in such an Olympic competition no longer offers bonus points for the college entrance exam, we still fully support him in pursuing his hobbies. On the train ride back from the Beijing competition, I gave him a telescope as a token of encouragement," said Zhang Shilu.

In November 2006, selected for the national team, Hu Yiming attended the 11th International Astronomical Olympiad in Mumbai, India, and won a bronze medal.

Zhang Shilü told the reporter that Hu Yiming, besides having a strong interest in astronomy, is also willing to encourage his classmates to join the exploration of the starry sky. The school's then-under-construction planetarium was partly due to his promotion, and after he was admitted to university, he would give astronomy lectures to his junior and senior schoolmates every summer break.

Chongming Middle School Astronomical Observatory in Shanghai

College Entrance Exam Application "Shocks" the Public

In 2014, Hu Yiming took a photo at the Rikchav Observatory.

Zhao Haibing was Hu Yiming's homeroom teacher and math teacher during his sophomore and junior years of high school. In Zhao's memory, the science experiment class of that year was exceptionally talented, with many students now pursuing postdoctoral studies in universities at home and abroad, just like Hu Yiming. "Hu Yiming's absolute strength in academic performance was not the best, but he developed a passion for astronomy from his high school days and has excelled in personal development and expertise in the field, which left a deep impression on me."

Zhao Haibing recalls that during the first semester of senior high school, Hu Yiming suddenly told him that he would be representing the national team to participate in the International Astronomical Olympiad in India. He was the only one from Shanghai and would be gone for about two to three weeks. "I was a bit worried at the time, as the college entrance examination was approaching, and I feared he might fall behind in his studies. However, fortunately, his academic performance did not decline after his return, and he also continued to participate in the astronomy club activities."

What truly startled Zhao Haibing was when filling out college applications before the college entrance examination. "As the application forms were submitted, I noticed something was off. While everyone else meticulously filled out their preferences, he had only chosen one school and one major: the Department of Astronomy at Nanjing University. Moreover, that year, the Department of Astronomy at Nanjing University was only accepting one student." Zhao Haibing explained.

Zhao Haibing said, "I immediately had a heart-to-heart with him, reminding him that he had filled out too few college application forms, and if he didn't get accepted, he would be disqualified. His parents were also against it when they found out, considering it too risky, and they advised him to add a few more majors behind the Nanjing University Astronomy Department." "However, Hu Yiming told me that, besides the astronomy major, he didn't want to study any other major, not even at Fudan or Jiao Tong Universities, and he even said that if he didn't get accepted, he would retake the exam next year for the astronomy major."

Zhao Haibing told the reporter that although Hu Yiming's score was good, he ranked second in the astronomy major. However, due to his experience in the astronomy competition, Nanjing University specifically added an extra slot, and Hu Yiming was thus "narrowly" admitted.

In Zhao Haibing's view, Hu Yiming's greatest trait is his unwavering determination and perseverance once he sets his sights on a goal, a spirit that he has seen most vividly among all the students he has taught. What is even more commendable is that while his more talented peers would typically choose the most popular majors at the time to fill out their college applications, he chose to endure solitude. Despite his academic achievements that would have easily qualified him for prestigious universities like Fudan or Jiaotong, he deliberately chose the obscure astronomy major, giving no thought to future job prospects or monthly earnings.

In Zhao Haibing's view, Hu Yiming is extremely passionate about astronomy, yet he excels in other subjects as well, without any weaknesses. Moreover, his interests are quite diverse. "We asked him to sing or perform a skit, and he would come out and do it immediately, without any shyness, let alone the need for rehearsal."

"He's a child with high emotional and intellectual intelligence, with a lively mind. Sometimes I criticize him in class, but he still greets me with a cheerful smile after school, not taking it to heart at all. He often visits his teachers during holidays and festivals. Last October, during the centennial school anniversary, he even took a photo with me and told me he's currently pursuing a postdoctoral degree abroad." Zhao Haibing said.

High school students complete astronomy book in the library

Hu Yiming's former principal at Chongming Middle School, Dong Yaotang, also has a deep impression of him. "According to his father, Hu Yiming wanted his father to buy him a telescope in junior high school, which was quite expensive at the time. Both of his parents were ordinary workers, and their financial situation was not very comfortable. However, his father strongly supported him and promptly purchased the telescope. Since then, Hu Yiming has been gazing at the stars every night."

After joining Chongming High School, he devoured all the astronomy books in the library, and a teacher told me that with Hu Yiming's current astronomical knowledge, we can no longer guide him, Dong Yaotang said. "I believe that since this child possesses such a talent and a strong interest, we should fully support him. When he was in his second year of high school, 18 academicians from the Chinese Academy of Sciences visited Chongming for an inspection. I specifically asked the local leaders to invite the academicians to our school for a signing ceremony. At the time, I saw Hu Yiming buy a new notebook and asked Ye Shuhua to sign it. I think exposing children to famous scientists from a young age can be a powerful catalyst for their lifelong development and is very beneficial."

Dong Yao Tang told the reporter that upon learning Hu Yiming had only applied for Nanjing University's Department of Astronomy for his college entrance exam, he sought him out for a heart-to-heart talk. "He told me that he was determined to study at Nanjing University's Department of Astronomy, and if he didn't get in this year, he would try again next year, and the year after that if necessary. Upon hearing this, I found his aspirations to be lofty and his resolve unwavering. Therefore, I didn't try to persuade him further, and in my excitement, I even wrote a letter to the president of Nanjing University."

Dong Yao tang told the reporter that in the letter, he described Hu Yiming's deep passion for astronomy from childhood to adulthood, along with his achievements. After writing and printing it, he felt it wasn't enough and added a line at the bottom: "If you admit Hu Yiming, it is more valuable than admitting ten or twenty students who merely aim to pass the college entrance exam and find a way out in the future."

"I believe the individual shines brightly in many aspects. I hope this letter will draw great attention and provide them with more opportunities for acceptance," said Dong Yao Tang.

Although years have passed since graduation, Hu Yiming still maintains contact with the school principal. "Once, while he was abroad, he even called me specifically to say, 'Principal Dong, I won't let you down,' which really touched me," said Dong Yao Tang.

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OceanNet, February 15, 2016, 10:18 PM

Photo of the team that discovered gravitational waves, with Luo Jialun in the second row from the right.

February 11, 2016, the U.S. National Science Foundation, along with experts from the California Institute of Technology, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and the LIGO Scientific Collaboration, announced to the world that the United States' LIGO (Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory) had directly detected gravitational waves for the first time, causing a global sensation.

In the discovery team of gravitational waves, there is a senior student from Guangzhou, Luo Jialun, currently studying at Carleton College in the United States. As one of the team members, he participated in the highly-anticipated press conference. At the event, he, along with the team leader, Professor Nelson Christensen, conducted interviews with the media.

Luo Jialun graduated from Tianhe High School in Guangzhou in 2012. On February 14th, his mentor, Tan Huan, told a journalist that Luo Jialun's ability to join the LIGO team and make contributions lies in his high IQ and EQ. More importantly, since his middle school days, Luo Jialun has always been one step ahead of others in thinking.

Believing in Relativity, joined the Gravitational Wave Team as a sophomore

On the morning of February 15th, Luo Jialun was interviewed via video at his lab in the United States. He explained that over a thousand people participated in the work of detecting gravitational waves, and his team, consisting of more than 50 members, was primarily responsible for data processing of the detector measurements.

"Someone said detecting gravitational waves is like me throwing a stone in Shanghai and you detecting the ripples it causes in America." Luo Jialun so described the arduousness of the detection work. The instruments have detected thousands of data points, and Luo Jialun's team needs to run programs to analyze which of the detected gravitational wave candidate signals are genuine gravitational waves. Through statistical analysis, they find statistically significant data, ultimately identifying a gravitational wave with a reliability of 99.99995% as introduced in "Physical Review Letters."

Discussing the process of joining the LIGO team, Luo Jialun modestly expressed his fortune. "I began my journey to search for 'gravitational waves' in the summer of 2013, following a research team during my sophomore year. As an undergraduate, the work I did was relatively simple. The most rewarding was when I, along with a Ph.D. senior, derived a formula for approximating a celestial event's numerical value, which we eventually published. This formula is actually one form of gravitational waves. Although the form detected in this instance was not this one, the formula we derived adds an additional method to verify gravitational wave signals," Luo Jialun said.

But in the eyes of his high school physics teacher, Tan Hua, Luo Jialun's achievements today are not solely due to luck. "He is an extremely persistent individual. Detecting gravitational waves is actually a very arduous task, and some people have dropped out to pursue other projects that were once considered more promising. He once told me that staying up until 2 or 3 in the morning was a common occurrence for this project," Tan Hua said.

Prior to the LIGO upgrade, the team led by Luo Jialun had been searching for gravitational waves in the fifth and sixth datasets; following the equipment upgrade, they focused on identifying the spectral counterparts of gravitational waves, aiming to enhance the reliability of gravitational wave detections, and ultimately found gravitational waves, confirming Einstein's prediction from a century ago. "The search for gravitational waves has spanned decades, and I believe it requires faith to undertake such a task. If you are steadfastly convinced of the theory of relativity and the existence of gravitational waves, then whether or not they can be detected is merely a matter of time," said Luo Jialun.

When discussing the process of the discovery of gravitational waves, Luo Jialun said that universities from all over the United States were involved in the project, which was on a massive scale, divided into different teams, and this was one of the reasons they were able to detect gravitational waves. He found that his international peers had very bold ideas. "They are very daring, starting with a bold hypothesis and then arguing for its feasibility. Compared to me, who received basic education in China, my advantage lies in my patience, which is also crucial in the process of data analysis."

Fearless in self-promotion, praised as "high in both IQ and EQ."

During the interview, Luo Jialun maintained a smile and was accommodating to the on-site journalists. He also enthusiastically held his phone, walking and introducing his lab and colleagues to the reporters through the lens. When he told his colleagues that "I am being interviewed by some domestic media," they all waved to the camera in greeting, showing that he has a good rapport with people in everyday life.

Tang Hua speaks with pride about her protege. "He is a true academic star, always ranking among the top in exams. What sets this child apart is his ability to think one step ahead. For instance, during physics class, when I discussed the effects of interacting equal-mass substances, he would ponder what happens with unequal-mass interactions." Tang reveals that Luo Jialun had already developed a keen interest in general relativity during high school, purchasing numerous books on the subject. Due to his exceptional talent in physics, teachers provided him with ample freedom. "We are quite open with these outstanding students. Since they understand what the teacher is teaching, we allow them to pursue more in-depth learning in class and even skip assigned homework." Tang says. During senior year, Luo Jialun had already decided to study abroad. So, he brought back English physics textbooks to school, while the teacher discussed college entrance exam content on stage, he read the English versions below.

What truly impressed Tan Hao was Luo Jialun's sunny optimism. "He has a very good personality and is always willing to cooperate with teachers in class. During his senior year, he missed one or two months of school to prepare for his overseas exam, and I could clearly feel the class became quieter. Whenever he was present, he would actively respond to the teacher's questions, help his classmates think, in short, whenever he was there, I felt the class was particularly comfortable." Tan Hao said. Luo Jialun joined the school's robotics club from the beginning of high school, and in the eyes of his instructor Guo Zhijiu, he is a very proactive and opportunistic person. "It was him who volunteered to be the club president, and I believe that his proactive nature is what allowed him to join the gravitational wave team and eventually participate as one of the paper authors in the press conference," Guo Zhijiu said.

Mom: Progressive Education Makes Children Better

Lo Jialun's mother, Li Yuehai, told the reporter that the family wholeheartedly supports their child's interests, "As a child, Jialun was particularly fond of books about astronomy. If he liked a book, we would buy it for him, even if it cost 180 yuan. We would also accompany him at night to stargaze and observe the moon. The parents built a small laboratory at home for Jialun, purchased some test tubes and flasks, and taught him some simple experiments."

Li Yuehai believes that "open-minded education" is the one thing she did right in family education. "During the college entrance examination, my child was admitted to Sun Yat-sen University and foreign universities simultaneously. Choosing to study abroad was his own decision. In fact, since his sophomore year, he had expressed his desire to study in the United States, and for parents, it was just about providing financial support." Li Yuehai said, "I have always trusted my child since he was young, and I believe he will eventually need to make his own decisions. A more open-minded education from a young age can better prepare him for survival in society later on."

For the future, Luo Jialun said he plans to continue his studies in a master's and doctoral program, and he does not rule out returning to China for development after graduation, citing the reason as "all the good food is in China."