Future Forum Science Symposium discusses cutting-edge technologies

Focusing on the development of frontier science and its industrial application, the Future Forum Science Symposium 2018 was held in Beijing on Saturday and Sunday.

More than 80 top scientists from across the world participated in 12 seminars on important scientific fields, including the development of Moore's Law, blockchain's encryption technology, artificial intelligence and other hot topics.

The symposium invited professors and experts in various fields, such as bioscience, computer science, immunology and chemical engineering to share their academic achievements and conduct cross-disciplinary research. Both frontier science technology and practical application were discussed at the forum.

The subjects discussed at the symposium showed the latest trend of technology and its interdisciplinarity. From a sci-fi perspective, for example, the ideal internet allows humans to communicate anytime and anywhere, regardless of physical limitations, said Nicholas W. McKeown, a professor at Stanford University.

For this goal, one of the key technologies is "network programmability". In other words, people in the future can have network service even without feeling it, which requires a higher bandwidth, a lower latency, and more stable service quality. Future internet research may focus on various subdivision scenarios, combining research on the Internet of Things and big data, as well as AR and VR, the professor added.

Li Xiangyang, a professor at the University of Science and Technology of China, said the symposium gathered a large number of leading experts. "Professors like Jennifer L. Rexford from Princeton University and Nicholas W. McKeown from Stanford University are authorities who have been dedicated to their own research fields for years," Li said.

The Future Science Price Ceremony also was held during the symposium. Aimed at recognizing scientific breakthroughs and innovations in science and technology, the Future Science Prize, which includes Life Science Prize, Physical Science Prize and Mathematics and Computer Science Prize, is the first private science prize jointly established by scientists and entrepreneurs in China, according to its official website. Yuan Longping, the renowned agricultural scientist in China, and six other scientists and professors won this year's prizes.