Writer makes tough subject comically easy to grasp

Isn't it amazing to combine education with entertainment for children?

Imagine if primary school students could grasp abstract physics concepts effortlessly through reading funny comics crafted by experts.

That's where Big Bang in Physics: 128 Sessions of Physics Courses (Basic Edition), comes in. It's a set of seven booklets that introduces basic physics concepts via comics tailored for children.

Published by Zhejiang Science and Technology Publishing House, it's written by Li Jianlong and illustrated by the comic artists group, Niumao Xiaofendui, which has cooperated on other science comics for children, including one on the theme of frontier technology.

Li, 38, who has a doctorate in theoretical physics, has dedicated himself to promoting scientific knowledge via simple comics.

"I hope that children will become interested in physics after reading these engaging comics. When they learn the subject in the future, they will be able to comprehend it more easily," says Li, who lives in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province.

He has more than 1.46 million followers on Sina Weibo.

The content of the comics corresponds to that of the eighth-grade physics textbook for the first semester. He also designs a network diagram that connects all the phenomena and concepts.

When producing the content, Li took the most complicated concepts from the textbook and described his ideas very specifically with the illustrators.

Together, they've successfully transformed "the seemingly dull knowledge" into comic stories, making them easily understandable for children.

Li says the comics are mainly for students who struggle to grasp the subject or feel overwhelmed in class, helping them to improve their learning ability.

He emphasizes that while explaining abstract concepts of physics to children, it's crucial to make them more tangible and relatable.

"I need to present information in ways that children are accustomed to. This is where the use of analogies and wisecracks becomes an important teaching technique," he says.

For each topic, he doesn't introduce the main concepts at first, but starts by telling a story, in which a particular phenomenon is explained by a specific concept.

He's incorporated these concepts into different scenarios. Sometimes, when these scenarios extend beyond his area of expertise, he has to seek help from other experts to check whether there are inaccuracies in his descriptions.

Liu Cixin, author of sci-fi novel The Three-Body Problem, endorsed the publication, noting that "much of my sci-fi inspiration comes from physics, and a significant driving force behind the advancement of civilization also stems from physics... The book series successfully achieves the goal of bringing children closer to science and planting the seeds of curiosity for science in their minds".

Speaking about the current science books designed for children, Li believes that there's an increase in content addressing cutting-edge concepts, including artificial intelligence.

"Still, it takes time to cultivate the market of science popularization, and train more professionals. It's essential to encourage more sharing of experiences," he says.

"It's necessary to have children exposed to science at an early age, so that they will be unconsciously influenced to improve themselves by learning more about science. Also, in modern society, it's essential to have a grasp of science to live a more fulfilling life."

The central authorities recently issued an action plan for deepening the reform of the basic education curriculum, calling for the strengthening of teaching in science subjects and promoting science education nationwide.

According to Li, the crux of science popularization lies in first establishing a strong foundation in academic education. The authorities have been promoting science education, and for those who create science reading materials for children, good-quality content and brand building is imperative.

The advanced edition of Big Bang in Physics comics will be released soon, corresponding to the content of the eighth-grade physics textbook for the second semester. It will cover more complex physics knowledge.

Li also plans to publish similar science comics about chemistry and mathematics in the future.