Turing laureate calls for more interdisciplinary collaboration to advance scientific research

Renowned computer scientist and Turing Award recipient Robert Tarjan has stressed the importance of interdisciplinary communication in advancing scientific research, and believes the just-concluded International Congress of Basic Science (ICBS) in Beijing has served as a crucial platform for fostering such collaboration.

The nearly two-week-long 2025 ICBS concluded on Friday after gathering hundreds of global experts, students and scholars in the fields of mathematics, physics, information science and engineering.

Held at the China National Convention Center, the event was attended by Four Fields Medalists, three Nobel Laureates, and two Turing Award winners.

It also saw six preeminent scientists honored with the Basic Science Lifetime Award - the highest distinction in fundamental research - in recognition of their enduring contributions to the scientific community.

In an exclusive interview released by China Media Group (CMG) on Friday, Tarjan shared his pride at being one of those to receive the honor.

"It's s an award for lifetime achievement, which is kind of different from an award for a specific accomplishment. So it gave me a chance to reflect on the long career I've had, and also to go back and think about the people who mentored me and supported me over the years, and to think about my parents who passed away, not recently, so it was emotional experience. The set of awardees is so amazing. It's just kind of a humbling experience to be in this group. You have Nobel Prize winners and Fields Medalists. It's the creme de la creme. It's quite amazing," he said.

Tarjan also emphasized the need for closer cooperation among peers in different scientific disciplines, which will help advance research and deliver more key breakthroughs.

"I think it's more about specific ideas, it's more about sharing the approach to research and trying to build a community. I think that's what this meeting is all about, not only within each field, but between fields. There is an opportunity for rich interactions between mathematicians and physicists and computer scientists. I think the possibilities are amazing. Scientific research is getting more and more interdisciplinary, and this meeting is a representative of that fact," he said.

Turing laureate calls for more interdisciplinary collaboration to advance scientific research

China's domestically developed T1200-grade ultra-high-strength carbon fiber holds broad application prospects in strategic emerging industries, according to its developer.

The country on Wednesday unveiled SYT80, a domestically developed T1200-grade ultra-high-strength carbon fiber, marking a major breakthrough in the China's high-performance carbon fiber technology.

This new material has achieved a hundred-tonne-level annual production capacity, making China the first nation to mass-produce this caliber of fiber, according to its developer, China National Building Material Group Co., Ltd. (CNBM).

Featuring lightweight and high-strength properties, the fiber's diameter is less than one-tenth that of a human hair, and yet its tensile strength is 10 times that of ordinary steel and its density is only one-quarter of steel's.

"Compared with the previous-generation T1100, T1200 has seen its tensile strength increase by more than 14 percent. With its ultimate lightweight and high-strength characteristics, T1200 can achieve weight reduction of over 10 percent for equipment in related fields. It holds broad application prospects in strategic emerging industries such as commercial aerospace, low-altitude economy, and humanoid robots," said Chen Qiufei, head of T1200 ultra-high-strength carbon fiber research and development at Zhongfu Shenying Carbon Fiber Company, a subsidiary of China National Building Material Group.

The new material also possesses many other outstanding properties.

As the fiber undergoes carbonization at nearly 2,000 degrees Celsius during production, its chemical properties remain stable and its corrosion resistance is excellent.

This fiber material also features strong fire and flame retardant properties, offering good safety performance.

The development of this fiber material demonstrates China's fully independent and controllable capabilities across the entire industrial chain of high-performance carbon fiber, spanning technologies and equipment as well as the transition from laboratory research to mass production, said Zhou Yuxian, chairman of CNBM.

China's high-strength carbon fiber shows strong potential in strategic emerging industries