Having wandered around the campus for quite a while, he recalled the word "physics." "Since it’s physics, perhaps I should... attend a physics class?"
In the biological science major at Yanhua University, physics is studied in the first year. By the second year, the main subjects are chemistry and biology.
This was sowhat regrettable.
Zhao Yi decided to head directly to the School of Sciences building, to look around and see if there were any ongoing physics classes.
In a large lecture hall on the third floor, he indeed found a physics class.
The thod was simple--
He spotted a familiar teacher, Professor Gao Yihua.
After peeking in through the back door, Zhao Yi carefully entered and took a seat silently at the back row.
Several students were sitting in the back row. Seeing soone enter, they assud he was late, and one tall skinny guy with a buzzcut reminded him, "Dude, you’re late. Attendance has been taken."
"Yeah."
Zhao Yi nodded at him in a friendly manner.
The tall, skinny guy was instantly shocked. He gasped in a whisper, dragging out the na, "Zhao —— Yi ——"
"Don’t interrupt the lecture," Zhao Yi gave him a reminder in return..
The tall, skinny guy quickly inford the people beside him, who then told the students in the front rows. Suddenly, a lot of eyes turned toward Zhao Yi. Luckily, no one dared to make any noises for fear of interrupting the lecture.
Up on the podium.
Professor Gao Yihua saw the commotion at the back, furrowing his brows. He assud a student had arrived late. He never liked lateness and had ntioned explicitly at the beginning of the term, "Those who arrive late won’t be allowed to sign in after class."
So basically, ’being late equals absence’.
This rule was rather strict. So students, realizing they were late, simply didn’t bother showing up at all.
Gao Yihua didn’t think much more about it and turned his attention back to the lecture. His students were second-year students from the Departnt of Mathematics, School of Sciences. Their physics classes were much more sophisticated than those for biological science majors, covering many concepts not discussed in the biological science physics classes.
Gao Yihua was very devoted to his teaching. He saw this as progress.
Last year, he was in charge of the physics class for biological science majors, and Zhao Yi was always there among his students. This sester, he decided to handle the classes for the mathematics departnt instead, teaching three different classes each week. Although his schedule was packed, he rather enjoyed it mainly because Zhao Yi was no longer there in his class to trouble him.
Gao Yihua was already losing himself to teaching. Occasionally, he would improvise during lectures.
For instance, right now.
Gao Yihua was teaching an introductory course in Quantum Physics when, for so reason, he digressed into the state of physics research in the country.
He brought up Zhao Yi.
"Zhao Yi, employing a thod heavily reliant on computation and data from particle collision experints, identified signals of a new example."
"This is an astounding accomplishnt because prior top physicists asserted that the current capability to test collision experints was inadequate to support finding the Higgs particle..."
"And the new particle Zhao Yi discovered is likely to be the Higgs particle..."
Gao Yihua’s freewheeling lecturing style was indeed quite interesting. He later talked about Yang Zhenning, a Chinese Nobel laureate, and his research—the Non-conservation of Parity.
"Parity."
"This term is highly specific to the field. It describes the multiplication of quantum numbers regarding a particle’s changing properties under space inversion, denoted as P. There are only two values, 1 and -1."
"If the wave function of a certain particle changes sign under space inversion transformation from r to -r, the particle has odd parity P = -1. But if the wave function remains unchanged under space inversion, the particle has even parity P = 1..."
After explaining a series of complex concepts, Gao Yihua switched to a simpler mode. "Non-conservation of Parity can be understood this way: there are two cars mirroring each other’s structure. The driver of Car A sits on the left front seat, with the gas pedal on his right; while the driver of Car B sits on the right front seat, with the gas pedal under his left foot."
"The driver of Car A turns the ignition key clockwise and uses his right foot to step on the gas pedal. The driver of Car B does exactly the sa, just swapping left and right."
"So, how will Car B move?"
"Most people might think that the two cars should move forward at exactly the sa speed. However, in the particle world, Car B will move at a completely different speed and possibly in a different direction!"
"This is Non-conservation of Parity!"
Gao Yihua was totally absorbed in his teaching, noticing that many students had understood, which made him feel a bit triumphant.
He scanned the lecture hall, his gaze suddenly freezing when it landed on the back row...
The figure at the back, resting his chin on his hand and intently gazing his way, seed vaguely familiar?
"Zhao Yi!"
Gao Yihua’s eyes widened instantly, his mouth half open. The triumph vanished from his face, replaced by an expression suggesting he was about to cry.
"Why..."
"You’re in your second year now, and I’m teaching the Departnt of Mathematics. How co I can still see you in my classroom?"
"Buddy..."
"Can’t you just let off the hook?!"
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