On the afternoon of September 28, 2026, the Key Laboratory of Intelligent Manufacturing Technology (Ministry of Education) hosted a high-level academic lecture in Room 521, Science and Technology Building. The speaker was Academician Wang Quan, Chair Professor of The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Engineering and the Royal Society of Canada, and among the top 0.05% of global scholars. His lecture was titled Past, Present, and Future of Dynamics.
President Hao Zhifeng attended and presented a souvenir to Academician Wang Quan on behalf of the university. Lu Zhuobin, Party Secretary of the School of Engineering, Academician Shen Shuilong, Professor Nie Guohua, together with faculty and student representatives, were present. Professor Yu Ying, Vice Dean of the School of Engineering, chaired the event.
Starting with Plato’s Allegory of the Cave, Academician Wang guided the audience to rethink the essence of science and the limits of human cognition. From the perspective of scientific evolution, he divided the development of dynamics into two phases: deterministic mechanistic science from the 15th century to the late 19th century, and nonlinear, indeterministic science since then.
He reviewed landmark contributions by Copernicus, Kepler and Newton, and illustrated deterministic thinking via Laplace’s Demon to explain strict causality in classical science. Then he discussed challenges to traditional causality raised by the three-body problem, the butterfly effect and quantum mechanics. He noted that indeterminacy is not an end of research, but a frontier to expand human understanding and uncover new laws.
Drawing on Gödel’s incompleteness theorems, he reflected on scientific methodology and cognitive boundaries, as well as links between micro theories and the macro world. With engineering cases in aerospace, structural wind resistance and energy harvesting, he outlined fundamental and cutting-edge research questions in engineering dynamics.
On AI and big data, he remarked that AI excels at computation, induction and analysis within existing knowledge frameworks. Fundamental shifts in scientific paradigms, however, rely on original human insights and breakthrough thinking. He also stressed the value of on-site engineering experience for future research and innovation.
For talent development, he encouraged young faculty and students to sustain curiosity and free inquiry, break away from established frameworks, and study the history and methodology of science. Quoting Kant’s “the starry heavens above me and the moral law within me”, he urged everyone to pursue truth while upholding independent thinking and academic integrity.
A Q&A session followed. President Hao raised foundational questions in modern physics: whether indivisible fundamental building blocks of nature exist, and how microscopic physical laws scale to form a consistent description across different scales.
Academician Wang replied that the divisibility of matter is an age-old scientific and philosophical question. Kant explored it within transcendental rationality, yet no definitive answer is available with current knowledge. Solving it requires long-term collaboration among mathematicians, physicists and other researchers to develop better mathematical tools and theories for natural laws.
Faculty members then asked about AI applications in engineering, shield tunnel health monitoring and other topics. Academician Wang responded thoroughly and shared his outlook. The discussion was active with a vibrant academic atmosphere.
Professor Yu Ying closed the session. She commented that the lecture bridged the history of science, dynamics theory, philosophical reflection and engineering practice, prompting fresh thinking on the logic and methodology of dynamics research.
This lecture broadened participants’ academic horizons and deepened their grasp of the evolution and frontiers of dynamics. It inspired research innovation by integrating scientific history, methodology and engineering practice, boosted original innovation among young researchers, facilitated interdisciplinary integration, and supported talent training and disciplinary development of the laboratory.
Text & Photos: Liu Jinlong, Chen Bing
