Cao Yuan, a 22-year-old Chinese doctoral student in physics, was on top of most important scientists named by the journalNaturein 2018 for (discover) a "magic angle" in graphene (石墨烯).
Cao's discovery takes a huge step in the decades-long search for superconductors (超导体) in the world. Why was Cao able to make the discovery? His teachers think it is Cao's independent learning ability and interest in doing experiments matter. His high school physics teacher said Cao had a strong ability to study on (he) own and was brave to challenge teachers and ask difficult questions. "Cao is (deep) curious about laboratory equipment," his college teacher toldNature. "Every time I go into Cao's office, it's a huge mess, with computers (pull) apart and pieces of telescope all over his desk."
At 14 he (admit) into the University of Science and Technology of China's School of the Gifted Young, a special school to cultivate (teenager) into world-class talents. But Cao doesn't think himself special and often stresses that he is just an ordinary kid who (love) reading about science and doing experiments. "After all, we are all humans, with shortcomings and emotions," he once said.
