Youngsters learn about experience of Zhongshan Station scientists

Hong Kong students scrambled to question the nation’s top polar scientists about the working and living environments in Antarctica, during a video dialogue on Wednesday.

The Xue Long 2, China’s first domestically built polar icebreaker, kicked off its five-day visit to Hong Kong on Monday. On the third day of its visit, two scientists from the vessel joined the sharing session with over 250 students from more than 20 local secondary schools in an event at the Hong Kong Science Museum.

Li Zhengyang and Yang Huigen, members of China’s 40th Antarctic expedition team, shared their research experience in the Earth’s southern end, including challenging weather and the “rewarding” natural landscapes, such as the Aurora.

The session provided students a valuable opportunity to communicate with three Chinese mainland polar scientists at the Zhongshan Station — the nation’s second Antarctica research base, built in 1989 — via a 25-minute video call.

Conducting the online dialogue with Hong Kong students were Hu Zejun, head of the Zhongshan Station and a professor of space physics at the Polar Research Institute of China; Ji Tuo, associate professor of astronomy at the Polar Research Institute of China, who is responsible for astronomical observations; and Wang Anliang, a senior engineer responsible for sea-ice mechanics and dynamics.

Students from the SKH All Saints’ Middle School asked the scientists if they got lonely on the isolated station, triggering the three experts to share their experiences, leaving an indelible impression on the students with their perseverance and dedication.

A student from the Christian Alliance College asked what it takes to be a polar researcher. Hu said scientists often recruit university students to participate in their research projects. If people are interested in taking part in such projects, they can contact scholars to see if there are some opportunities, Hu said.

A student from the SKH Holy Trinity Church Secondary School asked the scientists if they use artificial intelligence technology in their work. Wang answered that AI technologies will be used in data processing, but the data collection is still done manually because of the reliability of the data collected in extreme environments. However, he said, he believes that this is a good development direction, and it will be better if AI can replace humans in the extreme outdoor environment in the future.

The Zhongshan Station researchers also shared their experiences of the polar days and polar nights. In November and December, the station has a polar day, meaning continuous daylight for 54 consecutive days. Beginning in May, the station will experience a polar night, with 58 consecutive days of darkness.

Esme Sze, a student from HKUGA College, said she was inspired to strive for environment protection, especially after seeing photos of Antarctica’s mesmerizing starry skies shared by the researchers. She reflected on the severe light pollution in Hong Kong, which often obscures such celestial spectacles.

Addressing the exchange session, Hong Kong Secretary for Education Christine Choi Yuk-lin encouraged students to integrate their newfound knowledge with various academic disciplines.

Choi also urged the students to seize the valuable opportunity of communicating with the nation’s top scientists, and to take them as role models in enriching knowledge.

Contact the writers at lindaxi@chinadailyhk.com