Chinese scientists to play more important role: Nobel winner Higgs

Chinese scientists will play an increasingly important role in the world in future, 2013 Nobel Laureate in Physics Peter Higgs said on Saturday.

Higgs made the statement in an exclusive interview with Xinhua immediately after a joint press conference at the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences in central Stockholm, where this year's laureates in Physics, Chemistry and Economics made their first joint public appearance.

The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences has decided on Oct. 8 to award the Nobel Prize in Physics for 2013 to Peter Higgs and Francois Englert, "for the theoretical discovery of a mechanism that contributes to our understanding of the origin of mass of subatomic particles." Both of them will be awarded on Tuesday.

Higgs said, in the course of his career, he had met and interacted with many impressive Chinese scientists with similar interests.

"My impression is, at present time, the development of science in China is really being encouraged a lot and it's clear that Chinese scientists are going to play a more and more important role in the world in future," said Higgs.

Asked to make some suggestions to young Chinese scientific talents, he said: "I suppose, the best way forward for this is to getting involved in active research group of some sort whatever interests then develop their career in that way."

Higgs said in the internet age, young people should also study well basic sciences, which Chinese students appear to be good at.

He said acquiring basic scientific knowledge was necessary "for pushing the fundamental science further," and the process in which one came across problems, solved them, and led to "useful practical application".

"I think it is part of the way in which our society has to develop through science and its applications," said Higgs.

Commenting on the application of the Higgs boson, also known as the "God particle", which was discovered last year after a decades-long search, Higgs said he believed "it isn't a candidate for any kind of weapons."

"When it comes to the application of science, usually (there are) peaceful applications and not so peaceful applications. I think it's just really a matter of educating people to make the right choices of what I do with the scientific results," he said.