BEIJING, Dec. 7 (Xinhua) -- British chemist David Evans has never expected his longtime interest in China would give him the chance to ignite the curiosity of tens of thousands of Chinese children in science.
"There are two things I am most curious about: chemistry and China," Evans, 62, often told colleagues and friends.
A professor at the Beijing University of Chemical Technology (BUCT), Evans is also an online personality on popular Chinese video-sharing apps like Kuaishou and Bilibili.
To popularize science, he has been posting videos of various chemistry experiments since 2018, and his most popular experiment has attracted about 20 million hits on video-sharing apps.
"These videos are shot for children who have few opportunities to experience chemistry experiment activities, especially those living in rural and remote areas," Evans said, adding that "I hope my experiments can ignite their interests in science."
Besides posting videos online, the British chemist set up the program "Fun with Science" in 2011, introducing chemical experiments and scientific knowledge to children in China.
His first event was at a school for the children of migrant workers in the Beijing suburbs. "When I was showing the children the magic of chemistry, I saw curiosity in their eyes. They were just like me when I was a child many years ago," Evans said.
Soon the project expanded to more parts of China. Evans has so far visited more than 300 cities across 30 provinces, delivering over 600 lectures to 200,000 primary and middle school students.
The British chemist, who has brought so many surprises and joy to his audience, is constantly surprised at the rapid development of China.
Evans has been interested in China since childhood. In the early 1970s, before China's reform and opening-up, he saw the country as a "country full of mysteries." He subscribed to the magazine Beijing Review to learn about China.
After undergraduate and postgraduate studies at Oxford University, Evans began to teach at the University of Exeter. In 1996 when Evans was invited to work at the BUCT, he accepted the offer and settled in Beijing.
Many of his friends thought he was "crazy," but Evans said they just saw the difficulties but ignored the great development potential of China.
"I wanted to seize the chance to learn more about China, just as I wanted to learn more about chemistry," he said.
During his stay in China, the British chemist achieved great academic success. He developed additives used in greenhouse plastic film and asphalt, contributing to China's development.
As the COVID-19 pandemic is under control in China, Evans has resumed his mission of spreading scientific knowledge across China. Facing a busy December schedule, he said he feels full of vitality.
"As long as I am healthy enough and qualified, I will keep myself on this magical journey," he said. Enditem
