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    Cai Lei was selected as one of the "Top Ten Science and Technology News Figures", and the computing power economy and Black Myth Wukong were selected as the "Top Ten Science and Technology Hot Words".

    On January 7, 2025, the China Association for Science and Technology News held a press conference at the National Science and Technology Communication Center, at which the “Top Ten Science and Technology News Events”, “Top Ten Science and Technology News Figures” and “Top Ten Science and Technology Buzzwords” of 2024 were announced.

    The top 10 science and technology news events of 2024:

    The "Three Science and Technology Conferences" were held together, and General Secretary Xi Jinping delivered an important speech, emphasizing that we should anchor the strategic goal of building a strong country in science and technology by 2035, strengthen top-level design and overall planning, and accelerate the realization of high-level scientific and technological self-reliance.

    Interpretation: On June 24, 2024, the National Science and Technology Conference, the National Science and Technology Awards Conference and the Conference of Academicians of the Two Academies were grandly opened in Beijing. General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized at the conference that we must fully recognize the strategic leading position and fundamental supporting role of science and technology, anchor the strategic goal of building a strong country in science and technology by 2035, strengthen top-level design and overall planning, and accelerate the realization of high-level scientific and technological self-reliance.

    Chang'e-6 achieved the world's first automatic sample return from the far side of the moon, receiving wide acclaim worldwide.

    Interpretation: At 6:23 on June 2, 2024, the Chang'e-6 lander and ascender combination, supported by the Queqiao-2 relay satellite, successfully landed in the pre-selected landing area of the South Pole-Aitken Basin on the far side of the moon, starting the first sample collection mission on the far side of the moon by a human probe. The Chang'e-6 mission is the most technologically advanced lunar exploration mission in China's space history to date, breaking through the design and control technology of the lunar retrograde orbit, the intelligent sampling technology on the far side of the moon, and the take-off and ascent technology on the far side of the moon, achieving the world's first automatic sampling and return on the far side of the moon, once again setting a world record for China's spaceflight.

    The completion of the Taklimakan border control project is a feat in the history of human desertification control.

    Interpretation: On the morning of November 28, 2024, the Taklimakan Desert edge blocking battle achieved the "closure" of the blank area, successfully building the world's longest desert-encircling green ecological barrier, which is a memorable moment in the history of my country's sand control and desertification prevention. This desert-encircling green ecological barrier, which took more than 40 years to build, protects the ecosystem south of the Tianshan Mountains in Xinjiang, creates better production and living conditions for local residents, and demonstrates my country's ecological governance scientific and technological strength and organizational capabilities.

    The newly revised "Science Popularization Law of the People's Republic of China" was voted and passed by the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, providing a more sound legal guarantee for the high-quality development of science popularization in the new era.

    Interpretation: On November 4, 2024, the draft amendment to the Science and Technology Popularization Law was submitted to the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress for deliberation for the first time. This is the first revision of the Science and Technology Popularization Law since it was promulgated and implemented in 2002. When explaining the draft amendment to the Standing Committee meeting, Yin Hejun, Minister of Science and Technology, introduced that as my country enters a new stage of development, there are still problems in the popularization of science, such as insufficient understanding of the importance of popular science work, lack of initiative, insufficient supply of high-quality popular science products and services, lagging behind in the construction of the popular science team, and relatively weak popular science infrastructure. It is necessary to revise the current Science and Technology Popularization Law. The 13th meeting of the 14th National People's Congress Standing Committee voted to pass the newly revised Science and Technology Popularization Law on December 25, which will come into effect on the date of promulgation. It is stipulated that September of each year is the National Science Popularization Month.

    Chinese scientists are leading the international big science project on human proteome, demonstrating my country's global influence in the field of life science research.

    Interpretation: In December 2024, Nature magazine published online a white paper on the Human Proteome Navigation International Big Science Project (referred to as the "π-HuB" project), which was initiated by Chinese scientists and co-signed by scientists from 18 countries. This marks the further improvement of China's status, academic influence and organizational leadership in the field of global life sciences. It also demonstrates the important contribution of Chinese proteomics research in promoting global scientific and technological cooperation, building a human health community and a community with a shared future for mankind. This is another international scientific project to crack the "holy book" of human structure after the publication of the draft of the human genome in 2001. The project will provide new theories, technologies and methods for human health management, precise disease prevention and control, diagnosis and treatment, and scientific health care.

    The first domestically produced mobile operating system was released, achieving independent control over domestically produced operating systems.

    Interpretation: On October 22, 2024, my country's first domestically produced mobile operating system, Huawei's native Hongmeng operating system, was officially released. This is also the world's third largest mobile operating system after Apple's iOS and Android systems. According to reports, the Hongmeng system that has been released before has to be compatible with some Android applications because the system base still uses some AOSP open source code. The native Hongmeng released this time has achieved full self-development of the system base, and the system's fluency, performance, and security features have been significantly improved, and the domestic operating system has been independently controlled. It is understood that there are currently more than 15,000 Hongmeng native applications and meta-services on the shelves, covering 18 industries, and general office applications cover more than 38 million companies across the country.

    For the first time, Chinese scientists have observed a new antimatter hypernucleus - "anti-hyperhydrogen-4", which has pushed human exploration of antimatter one step forward.

    Interpretation: According to news on August 21, 2024, researchers from the Institute of Modern Physics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and other institutions participated in the RHIC-STAR international collaborative experimental research and observed for the first time a new antimatter hypernucleus in relativistic heavy ion gold-gold collisions - antihyperhydrogen-4, which is the heaviest antimatter hypernucleus discovered experimentally so far. Antimatter is rare, and antimatter nuclei and antimatter hypernuclei (i.e., nuclei containing hyperons such as Lambda) formed by further combination of several antibaryons are even more difficult to produce. Since the "negative energy solution" of the Dirac equation in 1928 predicted the existence of antimatter, scientists have only discovered 6 antimatter (hyper) nuclei in nearly a century.

    my country's independently developed 300MW F-class heavy-duty gas turbine was successfully ignited in Shanghai, which is of great significance to ensuring my country's energy security and green development.

    Interpretation: On October 7, 2024, the 300MW F-class heavy-duty gas turbine independently developed by my country was successfully ignited for the first time in Shanghai Lingang. The 300MW F-class heavy-duty gas turbine is the largest power and highest technical grade heavy-duty gas turbine independently developed by my country for the first time, and its technical indicators are basically equivalent to the international mainstream F-class heavy-duty gas turbine. The new technologies, new materials and new processes it adopts have a significant driving and radiating effect on the progress of basic disciplines and industrial technology development of my country's gas turbines, and are of great significance to ensuring my country's energy security and green development.

    The Chinese Scientists Museum opened to create a spiritual palace for science and technology workers.

    Interpretation: On May 30, 2024, the National Science and Technology Workers' Day, the China Scientists Museum will be officially open to the public. It is the world's first museum established for scientists in the name of the country. By displaying precious historical materials such as scientists' letters, manuscripts, and scientific instruments, it concretizes the abstract spirit of scientists, allowing people to experience the scientists' patriotism, innovation, truth-seeking, and dedication up close, so that they can be better inherited and promoted. The China Scientists Museum is a national museum that promotes the spirit of scientists, builds a spiritual hall for science and technology workers, and shows the style and achievements of Chinese scientists to the world. At the same time, it is also an important base for popular science education, which helps to form a strong atmosphere of respecting knowledge, advocating innovation, respecting talents, and loving science in the whole society.

    The main construction of the Jiangmen neutrino experiment detector has been completed, and the question "Are neutrinos ghosts?" has become a hot search, sparking people's interest in basic research.

    Interpretation: After more than nine years of construction, the main body of the Jiangmen Neutrino Experiment detector was completed on November 20, 2024, and is scheduled to be officially put into operation the following year. The Jiangmen Neutrino Experiment has the primary scientific goal of measuring the mass order of the three types of neutrinos. When neutrinos enter the detector and interact with the liquid scintillator, they will emit extremely weak light, which can be captured by tens of thousands of photomultiplier tubes and provided to scientists for analysis and research. At the same time, the question "Are neutrinos ghosts?" continued to be a hot search within a few days, sparking people's interest in basic research. At the same time, this topic also produced a number of popular science works about neutrinos.

    The 2024 "Top 10 Technology Newsmakers":

    Li Zhensheng, winner of the "Medal of the Republic" for his outstanding contribution to national food security

    Interpretation: On the occasion of the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China, Li Zhensheng, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, was awarded the "Medal of the Republic". He has worked in the northwest of the motherland for 31 years, cultivating and promoting disease-resistant and high-yield distant hybrid wheat; he has organized and carried out a number of major agricultural science and technology research projects to help my country's grain production increase significantly. In his more than 70 years of scientific career, Li Zhensheng has always regarded "giving back to the country" as his life pursuit, and has been working tirelessly to "enable the Chinese people to have enough food and eat well." In 2024, the Central Document No. 1 again mentioned "ensuring national food security." As the founder of distant hybrid breeding of wheat in my country and an expert in agricultural development strategy, Academician Li Zhensheng has used his lifelong research to continuously practice the scientific and technological responsibility of ensuring that the Chinese people can hold their own rice bowls.

    Wu Guanghui, an outstanding aircraft designer in China's aviation field

    Interpretation: Academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, currently Chief Scientist of Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China, Ltd., and Chief Designer of C919 large passenger aircraft series, is an outstanding aircraft designer in China's aviation field. He has served as Chief Designer of 4 types of military and civilian aircraft. From the first domestically developed early warning aircraft KJ-2000, to the first jet regional airliner ARJ21 and large passenger aircraft C919, he has been engaged in aircraft design and research and development for more than 40 years, making pioneering contributions to the development of China's aviation industry. In 2024, Wu Guanghui won the Shanghai Science and Technology Meritorious Service Award; in December of the same year, C919 had carried more than 1 million passengers in total.

    Lu Shengmei (female), winner of the national honorary title of "People's Medical Worker", who has demonstrated the benevolence of doctors with half a century of perseverance

    Interpretation: In 2024, on the occasion of the Double Ninth Festival, General Secretary Xi Jinping wrote back to the representatives of the elderly volunteers of the "Silver Age Action", gave them cordial encouragement, and extended sincere greetings to the elderly across the country. Lu Shengmei, who is over 80 years old and still sticks to her post, is one of them. Lu Shengmei is the former vice president and chief physician of Jiaxian People's Hospital in Shaanxi Province. For more than 50 years, she has repeatedly given up the opportunity to return to Beijing, rooted in Jiaxian County, northern Shaanxi, founded the first regular pediatrics in Jiaxian County, created the Aiying Hospital, promoted new methods of delivery, scientific parenting, and implemented child immunization. She made outstanding contributions to the establishment of a Class II Class A hospital and protected the lives and health of the people of Jiaxian County with the benevolence of a doctor. After retirement, Lu Shengmei has seen more than 150,000 patients for free medical treatment. In addition to free medical treatment, Lu Shengmei also formed a volunteer service team to send warmth and love to left-behind children, poor students, etc., and led more people around her to participate in public welfare activities.

    Li Qi, the chief scientist of the China Sky Eye, is the first person to win an international physics award for his domestic academic achievements

    Interpretation: On the afternoon of July 9, 2024, Li Di, chief scientist of the "China Sky Eye", was awarded the Marcel Grossmann Individual Award for leading his team to use the "China Sky Eye" FAST to achieve precise measurements of interstellar magnetic fields and promote the study of fast radio bursts into the high-statistical era and other creative achievements. The Marcel Grossmann Award is one of the most important awards in the international physics community. Past winners include 6 Nobel Prize winners, including several Chinese scientists such as Yang Zhenning, Li Zhengdao, and Qiu Chengtong. Li Di is the first scientist to win this award for his academic achievements in China. As of November 2024, the number of pulsars discovered by the "China Sky Eye" has exceeded 1,000, exceeding the total number of pulsars discovered by other international telescopes in the same period.

    Online science popularization has become popular, with more than 30 million fans, and Zhang Chenliang, director of the China National Geographic Media Center

    Interpretation: In 2024, online science popularization frequently "goes viral". Many official institutions are aware of the importance of online science popularization. Currently, more than 800 scientific research units, nearly 10,000 official accounts of universities and colleges have settled in the Bilibili video platform, which has a large number of young audiences. Zhang Chenliang, deputy editor-in-chief of the youth version of "National Geographic China" magazine "Bowu" and director of the National Geographic China Media Integration Center, is one of them. His Douyin account @无限小亮的科学日常 currently has nearly 25 million fans, and the number of fans on Bilibili has exceeded 9.9 million. In his "Internet Hot Biological Identification" series of short videos, you can not only learn about the scientific names, species and characteristics of flowers, birds, fish, insects, beasts and birds of prey, but also learn how to identify fake videos produced by marketing accounts.

    Wu Kai, chief scientist of CATL, who led the team to develop the world's leading high-performance lithium battery technology

    Interpretation: In 2024, my country's annual output of new energy vehicles exceeded 10 million for the first time. my country is also the first country in the world to reach an annual production of 10 million new energy vehicles. The heroes behind this are inseparable from a group of scientific and technological personnel who have promoted the development of lithium battery technology. Wu Kai, chief scientist of CATL, has made important contributions to the development of China's lithium battery technology. He led the team from scratch, broke the patent barriers of Japan and South Korea in the field of lithium batteries, led China's lithium battery technology to break through, and developed the world's leading high-performance lithium battery technology and DPPB-level ultra-large-scale manufacturing technology. Wu Kai was awarded the title of "National Outstanding Engineer" and the 2024 Science and Technology Innovation Award of the Ho Leung Ho Lee Foundation.

    Shan Xinghua (female), the chief researcher of the China Academy of Railway Sciences, is a "model of the times" who led the creation of the 12306 railway ticketing system and brought great convenience to passengers in ticket purchase and travel.

    Interpretation: Shan Xinghua, chief researcher of the China Academy of Railway Sciences and deputy chief engineer of the Institute of Electronic Computing Technology, is known as the "mother of 12306" and "the woman who empowers the country with technology and helps everyone get tickets during the Spring Festival travel rush". She has promoted the development of electronic ticket technology, making railway tickets officially enter the "paperless" era, and shortening the average ticket checking time for passengers by two-thirds. On December 9, 2024, the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee awarded Comrade Shan Xinghua the title of "Model of the Times".

    Shi Weiyun, the lead developer of the first bioengineered cornea that brings hope to corneal blind patients

    Interpretation: Shi Weiyun, winner of the "2024 China Power Person of the Year", deputy to the National People's Congress, and dean of the Eye Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, is known as the "fire thief" in the darkness. He presided over the development of my country's first bioengineered cornea and the first artificial cornea product. These innovations have brought hope of regaining sight to corneal blind patients. His research results not only solved the problem of the shortage of corneal donor materials in my country, but also reduced the economic burden on patients because the price of domestic artificial corneas is much lower than similar foreign products. In addition, Shi Weiyun also actively participated in public welfare activities to promote the development and popularization of ophthalmic medical technology. Through the charity donation of professional books, expert lectures, free clinics and rounds, he helped grassroots ophthalmologists improve their professional knowledge and diagnosis and treatment techniques, and jointly promoted the improvement of the overall level of eye health in China.

    Zhang Yubo, the "Bee Doctor" who has been rooted in the mountains for 5 years and has developed innovative solar IoT lattice beehives to help villagers increase their income and become rich

    Interpretation: Zhang Yubo is a doctor of ecology from Beijing Forestry University, known as "Dr. Bee". At the beginning of 2019, he resigned from the Chinese Academy of Environmental Sciences and founded the "Panda Valley Family Farm" in Pingwu County, where he has been rooted in the mountains for 5 years. He innovatively developed solar IoT lattice beehives, making beekeeping a pillar industry for improving the local ecology and increasing villagers' income; he also actively explored industrial development models, integrating agricultural product production, nature conservation education, and forest experience to achieve common prosperity for villagers. His deeds have been reported by many media and he was selected into the "China Good People List" in 2024.

    Cai Lei, former vice president of JD.com, who fought against ALS and joined hands with scientific research teams and pharmaceutical companies to challenge the rare disease that had remained unsolved for nearly 200 years

    Interpretation: Cai Lei was a senior executive of several listed companies and also a fighter against ALS. In 2024, with the collaboration of Cai Lei's team, the antisense oligonucleotide treatment for interleukin 17B has successfully entered the animal experiment stage. Cai Lei said that this is not only the discovery of a target, but also the efficient advancement of preclinical research and drug development. On July 15, 2024, Cai Lei signed a donation agreement with the West Lake Education Foundation to support the relevant scientific research team of West Lake University to continue research on ALS. Over the past four years, Cai Lei has invested a lot of energy and financial resources, and joined hands with patients, scientists, doctors and pharmaceutical companies around the world to challenge this rare disease that has not had a major breakthrough in nearly 200 years, and is regarded as a spiritual pillar by patients.

    The top ten technology buzzwords of 2024 are:

    High-level scientific and technological self-reliance

    Interpretation: When science and technology flourish, the nation flourishes; when science and technology are strong, the country is strong. General Secretary Xi Jinping stressed the need to accelerate the realization of high-level scientific and technological self-reliance and self-strengthening at the "Three Science and Technology Conferences", and set the direction, goals and timetable for China's future scientific and technological development.

    New quality productivity

    Interpretation: In 2024, "new quality productivity" was written into the Chinese government work report and listed as the first of the ten major tasks for 2024. New quality productivity has become the development engine in various fields, promoting the transformation and upgrading of China's economy and high-quality development.

    Scientist Spirit

    Interpretation: On May 30, 2024, the China Scientists Museum was officially opened to the public, inspiring the whole society to respect the spirit of scientists. The spirit of scientists has rich connotations - the patriotic spirit of caring for the motherland and serving the people, the innovative spirit of climbing to the top and daring to be the first, the realistic spirit of pursuing truth and rigorous scholarship, the dedication spirit of being indifferent to fame and fortune and concentrating on research, the collaborative spirit of pooling wisdom to tackle key problems and working together in unity, and the educational spirit of being willing to be a stepping stone and encouraging future generations.

    Digital China

    Interpretation: In August 2024, the National Bureau of Statistics officially released the "Digital China Development Report (2023)", which shows that the development of Digital China is showing a good trend and the empowerment effect is more prominent. The construction of Digital China will resonate and work together with my country's accelerated development of new quality productivity, becoming an important engine for promoting quality change, efficiency change, and power change.

    Science and Technology Ethics

    Interpretation: In July 2024, "deepening the reform of the science and technology evaluation system, strengthening the governance of science and technology ethics, and strictly rectifying academic misconduct" was written into the "Decision" of the Third Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee. Important conferences such as the Global Artificial Intelligence Technology Conference and the World Internet Conference Wuzhen Summit held in 2024 have paid attention to the issue of science and technology ethics.

    Black Myth Wukong

    Interpretation: On August 20, 2024, "Black Myth: Wukong", known as the first 3A game in China, was launched globally. Currently, there are only a handful of countries that can independently develop 3A games, and China has always been considered to have no real 3A games. "Black Myth: Wukong" itself has become a new coordinate point, marking the new depth of China's game industry.

    Artificial Intelligence+

    Interpretation: As an important driving force for the new round of scientific and technological revolution and industrial transformation, artificial intelligence has been deeply integrated with many industries. Among the three major Nobel Prizes in 2024, two are related to artificial intelligence research, showing that artificial intelligence has become an important tool for promoting basic science.

    Low altitude economy

    Interpretation: In 2024, the low-altitude economy was written into the government work report for the first time, and the Third Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee also specifically mentioned the development of the low-altitude economy. Many places across the country are vying to become "sky cities". The "2024 China Low-altitude Economy Industry Research Report" was released, showing that in 2023, the scale of China's low-altitude economy has reached 505.95 billion yuan, with a growth rate of 33.8%.

    Disruptive Technology

    Interpretation: At present, the global scientific community is deepening its research on major scientific issues, disruptive technologies are constantly emerging, and application experiments are continuously expanding. General Secretary Xi Jinping has emphasized that we should strengthen scientific and technological innovation, especially original and disruptive scientific and technological innovation, and accelerate the realization of high-level scientific and technological self-reliance. In the process of developing new quality productivity, original and disruptive scientific and technological innovation is increasingly showing a key role.

    Hashrate Economy

    Interpretation: Looking back at 2024, the data on the development of my country's computing power is particularly impressive: my country's total computing power has reached 246EFlops, there are more than 13,000 computing power application projects, and the total scale of computing power center racks in use exceeds 8.3 million standard racks. The total scale of computing power ranks among the top in the world... Today, computing power has become a new quality of productivity in the digital economy era. It is a basic element to enable the digital transformation of industries and is of great significance to promoting the construction of Digital China and realizing Chinese-style modernization.

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