I usually get inspiration from various places, but today, I will talk about a person who inspires me. The person who inspires me is Professor Kim Sang-wook, a Korean physics professor. He majored in physics at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) and is currently serving as a professor of physics at Kyunghee University. Professor Kim is currently teaching an online physics lecture at Kyung Hee University, which is considered one of the best lectures.
The first time I came to know Professor Sangwook Kim was by chance when I saw a program in which he appeared, and I began to be influenced by him from then on. The name of the program was ‘Ulseulbeomjab.’ When drug-related news or incidents were happening due to the drug problem, I happened to see a section on Alseulbeomjab that taught scientific knowledge about drugs.
At first, I came across this program out of curiosity, and after that, I continued to watch it to learn scientific knowledge that I could not usually learn. However, as I continued to watch, my eyes began to fall on Professor Kim Sang-wook, who appeared in this program. I don’t know when he became interested in the professor, but I felt that the professor looked happier than anyone else when talking about science and that he was similar to me and seemed to be a person who really loved science. So from then on, without realizing it, I began researching the professor through interviews and YouTube and even bought and read his books.
The professor has written many books, but one of them is called ‘Trembling and Echoing.’ This book is not just about physics but also about how physicists view the world and how to communicate. People who are not familiar with this book may think it is just a complex and dry science book. But when you actually read it, is this really a science book? You will think: This book tells us how the discipline of science looks at the world and how we should lead our lives.
And this book is not just a science-related book but a book that contains everything from literature, art, and philosophy. Perhaps that’s why it is easier to cross the threshold of unfamiliar science books through friendly and warm language not often used in science books. In other words, you will be able to read this book comfortably even if you do not have any science-related knowledge.
Also, I was able to find a commonality in the evaluations of people who read this book. ‘It’s a liberal arts book, but the book is hot,’ ‘If I had learned physics from Professor Sangwook Kim, I would have treated physics kindly,’ ‘It’s so different from the physics I learned in school that I doubt if it’s the physics I know,’ all of them are hard and fun.
My perception of ‘physics,’ which I thought did not exist, has changed dramatically. In this way, the professor is opening a way for people who dislike or find science difficult or even those who do not know much about science to take a step closer to the study of science in an easy, comfortable, and fun way. So, after seeing this professor, I felt like I wanted to contribute to helping people who don’t know much about this field become interested in it.
As I got to know the professor like this, he suddenly became my role model, and as I began to use the professor as my role model, I started to want to learn more and be like him. At the same time, I was influenced by the professor in various ways.
First of all, I only like science and have a hard time with or avoiding other subjects. However, although Professor Sangwook Kim is a scientist, he is very interested in and has extensive knowledge in various fields such as history, art, and humanities. And he breaks down prejudice against science by combining knowledge from multiple fields with science. So, I decided to take an interest in and study various fields, not just science.
Secondly, my dream was also greatly influenced by the professor. Until now, my dream was simply to major in science because I liked it, go to graduate school, complete my master’s and doctorate programs, and become a professor or get a job related to my major. However, Professor Kim Sang-wook taught science in an easy-to-understand manner, even for ordinary people who knew nothing about science, and I had a new dream of becoming a professor who, like him, could help people who were not interested in science or found science difficult to learn science in an easy and fun way.
After setting these goals, I made various efforts to achieve them. First, I began to study more about science because I felt that in order to become a person who provides knowledge to others, my knowledge must be accurate and extensive. I simply studied science textbooks and workbooks in the past, but now I have started watching science-related programs, books, and news.
Like you, I am trying to share various types of scientific knowledge with people by writing short science newspapers so that the general public can easily access various aspects of science. I also taught science to friends around me who didn’t know much about science or who needed help. When I heard that a friend I helped got a perfect score on a science test, I was very proud and thought it would be great if I could help more people and achieve good results for them.
In this way, I am working hard to positively influence other people due to the positive influence of my professor. I want to continue working hard to achieve my goals and become a person who positively impacts the world. And I want to become a great professor who truly loves science like you.
By: Yunhee Baek
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