How the book came to be

The idea took root in 2019, when Lumibay invited Qian to develop a general education physics course. As the content expanded, it naturally evolved into a book, complete with chapters, exercises, and recommended reading.

The process took six years. Throughout, Qian remained uncompromising about quality, recalls Chen Lin, founder of Lumibay's Master Class.

"Professor Qian's profound sense of mission deeply touched us. He hoped that more young Chinese people would engage in scientific research, so he invited us to shoot a documentary about scientific exploration and research at CERN. This way, young viewers can stay connected to the frontiers of global science," Chen says.

In 2019, Chen's team traveled to CERN, where Qian personally guided them through the collider and the scientists' workspaces.