vstars Chapter 147, First Meeting
Chapter 147, First Meeting
The legendary top-notch steakhouse truly lives up to its reputation.
As the waiter in a vest approached carrying a tray, a rich, smoky aroma mixed with the spiciness of black pepper instantly wafted over.
The tomahawk steak that was served was almost as big as a cutting board, and as heavy as a weathered, dark rock.
Faced with this oppressive feeling of American ruggedness and calorie dominance, Lin Wan, Su Hui, and Su Hao all gasped in surprise, expressing their astonishment at their lack of experience.
Click.
Lin Wan expertly pulled out her phone and started snapping photos of the "cutting board" with practiced ease, all the while complaining:
"My goodness... Americans usually eat meat in such large chunks? How long would it take to finish that?"
Gudong.
A clear sound came from the side; it was Su Hui staring intently at the meat, frantically swallowing a large mouthful of saliva.
Lin Wan put down her phone and carefully picked up the gleaming knife and fork to start cutting the meat.
Surprisingly, the seemingly rough chunks of meat were cut into by the knife as easily as cutting through melted butter.
"This meat is so tender!"
In the short few seconds that Lin Wan was cutting the meat, Su Hui next to her had already entered "battle preparation" mode.
She gripped the knife and fork tightly in both hands, as if she were holding the Heaven-Slaying Sword and the Dragon-Slaying Saber.
After a while, when Lin Wan finally handed her a large piece of cut meat to her plate, the little girl took a big bite without hesitation.
The next second, an indescribable smile of happiness bloomed on her collagen-rich face, as if tiny flowers were blooming all over her back.
"Ah, it's so delicious!" Su Hui exclaimed indistinctly.
Seeing his sister's pathetic state, Su Hao shook his head and cut his own steak.
The moment you take your first bite, the thick chunks of meat break apart between your teeth, and the hot, sweet juices burst out in your mouth like a waterfall!
At first, seeing the exaggerated portion size, the three of them were apprehensive, wondering if they would stuff themselves to death at this table.
But when that pure, unadulterated aroma of meat is paired with a refreshing and palate-cleansing fresh vegetable salad and rich, creamy mashed potatoes...
The rich layers of flavor perfectly balanced the greasiness of the oil, making the three of them wield their knives and forks in a blur, completely unable to stop!
Before we knew it, the huge steak that we thought we could never finish was devoured in no time, leaving not a single scrap.
"Mom, I can't eat anymore, I really can't eat another bite."
Su Hui, like a salted fish that had lost its dreams, slumped back in her chair without any regard for her image, patting her round little belly.
Seeing his mother and sister's satisfied expressions, a gentle smile flashed in Su Hao's eyes.
He suddenly realized that it was truly wonderful that his mother and sister's first trip abroad had left them with such sparkling memories.
.......
The morning of the second session of the forum.
Although the morning breeze at MIT was still a bit chilly, the vibrant energy of a world-class university already permeated every red-brick path.
The top scholars, who had become acquainted with each other at the last exchange meeting, were now occupying various corners of the venue in twos and threes.
Some people, holding paper cups of coffee, exchanged opinions on the latest papers at a rapid pace;
Some people had furrowed brows, their fingers flying across tablets as they performed a final data model check before going on stage to speak.
Su Hao remained calm, bowed his head, neatly buttoned his coat, and stepped into the venue.
The theme of today's conference is "Interdisciplinary Research in Mathematics and Other Disciplines".
As the name suggests, it explores the ultimate logical discipline of "mathematics"...
When these fields collide with vastly different disciplines such as computer science, physics, life sciences, and art, they can generate entirely new insights that defy common sense.
For centuries, countless brilliant mathematicians have worked tirelessly to expand the boundaries of human knowledge.
As a result, modern mathematics has long since transcended the limitations of the Enlightenment era; it no longer simply means dry "numbers and formulas" on a blackboard.
In physics, it is the cornerstone language for constructing quantum mechanics and relativity, whether it is the Schrödinger equation or Einstein's gravitational field equations;
In life sciences, it is a lancet for deciphering intricate gene networks and protein folding topologies.
In the fields of economics and sociology, it has become the strongest cornerstone for predicting human decision-making and global market trends through game theory and statistical models.
In recent years, even the absolutely rigorous logic of mathematics has permeated the most emotional realms of art and creation like mercury seeping into the ground.
MIT, the world's premier institution for science and engineering, has consistently encouraged mathematicians to engage in such interdisciplinary and boundary-breaking endeavors.
Today's conference adopts a "free-for-all" format where researchers from various countries freely report their findings, with no restrictions on any field, emphasizing that everyone can showcase their unique talents.
Su Hao strolled over and sat down in his usual spot.
After politely greeting Yusuke and Maria, who were sitting next to him, he turned his attention to the podium and began to listen to the researchers' reports.
The first speaker to take the stage was a spirited French university student.
He presented a very novel study:
Using topological models to analyze the aesthetic balance in classical works of art.
The golden ratio hidden in Leonardo da Vinci's "Mona Lisa", the wild brushstrokes in Van Gogh's "Starry Night" that resemble the turbulent flow of fluid dynamics, and the abstract lines in Kandinsky's paintings that resemble the geodesics of the Riemannian manifold...
This guy ruthlessly categorized all of this art, which can only be understood intuitively and cannot be explained in words, into "the functionalization of geometric perception".
This practice of forcibly dragging emotion into the operating table of rationality was quite interesting even to Su Hao, who always had very high standards.
Subsequently, brilliant researchers from various countries took turns going on stage to showcase their hard work to the world.
The atmosphere at the venue began to veer wildly towards chaos and disorder.
Some researchers have deeply integrated mathematics and biology, using complex nonlinear partial differential equations to analyze the chaotic patterns of cell division.
There's an even more ingenious individual who directly combined mathematics and linguistics, attempting to use graph theory, a branch of mathematics that studies nodes and edges, to model the complex structure of human sentences.
The presentation session concluded when the last speaker stepped down from the podium.
The hall erupted in thunderous applause.
Immediately afterwards, Professor Whitman, the head of the mathematics department, walked up to the podium with a radiant smile and grabbed the microphone.
"A very, very excellent report."
Clearly, as a leading figure in the field of mathematics, he was very satisfied with these interdisciplinary studies, and his wrinkled face beamed with undisguised pride.
"The extraordinary achievements you have demonstrated today perfectly prove one fact:"
Mathematics, once confined to formulas on paper and considered dry by the world, is now expanding with unstoppable momentum into a universal language for all mankind and the world!
As an old-school mathematician, to witness firsthand how mathematics can interact so beautifully with such a diverse range of disciplines in this era is truly awe-inspiring!
This highly inflammatory speech drew another round of thunderous applause from the audience.
"Next!" Professor Whitman said with a smile, gesturing for her hand to be placed down.
"This is a time for free discussion and exchange of ideas with each speaker."
Please remember, at MIT, on such wonderful days, casual conversations often spark unexpected and great inspirations that change the world!