"I always feel that the essence of innovation is curiosity. Just like a child, you must keep asking questions and ask the world for answers. In the process of seeking answers, you must have the spirit of independent exploration and criticism, and you must not trust authority .”
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When it comes to Zhou Tao, a professor at the University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, most people are not unfamiliar with his name, "genius boy", "academic master", "the youngest professor in Sichuan Province"... He has many shining names.
Zhou Tao has "run" faster than others since he was a child. He likes to learn ahead of time, and he didn't have too many bumps on the road to school. At the age of 12, he studied in Chengdu No. 7 Middle School. Because of his talent in physics and computers, he successfully entered the zero-zero class set up by the University of Science and Technology of China for top-notch students. Due to his outstanding performance in scientific research, he became a member of the Physics Department of the University of Science and Technology of China and the University of Fribourg, Switzerland. Joint training of doctoral students.
When he was studying for a Ph.D., Zhou Tao made an important decision in his life, changing his research direction from pure theory to researching and solving applied problems.
"In fact, the objects described by statistical physics are 'many' individuals between 'few' and 'infinitely many'. Many objects in economic and social systems, such as crowds, web pages, commodities, etc., happen to be many but It is not infinite. Therefore, we can use the method of statistical mechanics to describe and analyze the real social and economic system, and solve the bottleneck of the development of the information society, so as to obtain practical value.” Zhou Tao said that this is in line with his previous theoretical research direction .
Culture is the foundation of retaining people. Although people have gone far, the roots have never been broken. After completing his doctoral studies, his "Sichuan spleen and stomach" and Chinese habits led him back to his hometown. It's a natural selection, he said.
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In 2012, Zhou Tao translated "The Age of Big Data" by "Father of Big Data" Schoenberg into Chinese, which quickly aroused the attention of big data in China, and some even called him "the first person in China to introduce "big data". ".
Zhou Tao said that it is actually a paradox to introduce the concept of "big data" in the era of big data. Because in the era of big data, we have a more timely grasp of international cutting-edge information. In fact, before the translation of "The Era of Big Data", there were some piecemeal studies in China, but the government, industry and the public were not yet sensitive to "big data". After the translation was published in 2012, it activated the attention of the whole country to the concept of big data. "Actually, I just translated a book, not to mention the introduction. Big data has its own 'potential energy', just like a shot put that is gradually lifted up. At a certain point in time, only such a book is needed It can be activated, let it fall, and its power will manifest itself."
With the advent of the digital economy era, people's use of data has shifted from "valuation" in the previous decade to "factorization", making data a factor of production.
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Over the years, Zhou Tao's team has done a lot of research on data elementization.
"The issue of data right confirmation and data pricing is the focus of data elementization. We conduct research on how to register and confirm data products, how to automatically evaluate and price data, and how to establish a data sharing incentive mechanism to promote the formation of A set of policy proposals for public data services to provide services for the subjects of digital transactions." He said.
In addition, Zhou Tao also used his professional knowledge to allow big data to achieve efficient flow adjustment and help optimize the allocation of epidemic prevention resources.
Since 2020, Zhou Tao has served as an expert in the Epidemiology Group of the Sichuan Provincial Epidemic Prevention and Control Headquarters and the leader of the Chengdu Epidemic Prevention and Control Headquarters Information Construction Expert Group, participating in the estimation of key parameters of epidemic dynamics and the design of prevention and control strategies. .
Zhou Tao said that big data can help the government make decisions, evaluate the risks of different scenarios on the epidemic and the impact on the economy and society, and give priority to closing or controlling places that have more effective contact and lower economic and social impacts that may spread the disease. , not only controlling the epidemic but also ensuring development.
It has always been Zhou Tao's creed to maintain children's curiosity and thirst for knowledge. "I always feel that the essence of innovation is curiosity. Just like a child, you must keep asking questions and ask the world for answers. In the process of seeking answers, you must have the spirit of independent exploration and criticism, and you must not trust authority .”
When Zhou Tao thinks about problems, he often divides "big" problems layer by layer through the method of reductionism, and decomposes them into some small essential problems. He believes that this kind of deconstructive thinking is an important magic weapon. "Innovation first is to point to the origin and find the most basic problems; second is to point to the frontier and understand the latest progress."
Zhou Tao said: "The frontier of technology is like a beach on the seashore. Good problems are pearls, and mediocre problems are gravel."
Zhou Tao wears a simple T-shirt and jeans, and his office is full of his sporting goods. In his laboratory and office, there is a small air mattress, where he often rests. All of these make Zhou Tao look like a hardworking "newcomer in the workplace".
Today, Zhou Tao still maintains the habit of reading more than 200 books every year. He said that only by realizing the vastness of the world, the insignificance of human beings, and the profoundness of thought can we maintain a proper sense of alienation from society and not pay attention to the gains and losses of a city or a pool when doing research. Such a life will be happier.