2009 Nobel Laureate Gao Kun: I'm a man of the world

But the letter also stressed Gao's multinational characteristics. "Gao Kun was born in Shanghai, China. In 1966, he did research at Standard Telecommunication Laboratories (STL) in Harlow, UK. Later, he went to the US and was engaged in research of fiber optics in the following 20 years at International Telephone and Telegraph Corporation (ITT). And he later developed fiber optics into a commercial technology. Finally, he came to CUHK, Hong Kong in 1987 to pass on his knowledge and expertise to a new generation of students and to promote science and technology applications in industry and business circles. He has travelled to many different countries. Charles is a genuine cosmopolite!"

Accompanying the news that Professor Gao Kun had won the Nobel Prize, there are also rumors saying that he has been hit by "senile dementia." And some reports even said that because of senile dementia, Professor Gao Kun has already forgotten about his life-long research in fiber optics which would benefit the whole mankind.

As a result, in addition to the excitement about Professor Gao's winning of the Nobel Prize, people were also very concerned about the professor's health. Not long ago, Gao's wife Huang Meiyun said that Professor Gao Kun would definitely go to Sweden to receive the award. This was, after all, a hard-won honor.

Admitting that he suffers from Alzheimer's Disease

"We would like to thank all who are concerned about Charles' health." In the open letter, the couple admitted that Gao Kun now suffers from Alzheimer's Disease. Although they were distressed about this fact, they remained calm. "Unfortunately, there is no cure for Alzheimer's Disease at present. Charles shares this problem Alzheimer's Disease with other eminent persons, Ronald Reagan, Margaret Thatcher, to name a few."

"Charles keeps fit by playing tennis and doing some other exercises. He does not smoke. He has a balanced diet. And he has good sleeping habits. Despite the memory loss, he enjoys life." In the open letter, the couple made the first formal response to people's concern, hoping they should not be too worried.

"Now you know who the father of optical fibers is. And it is optical fibers that enable all the information, both true and false, good and bad, to circulate on the Internet." At the end of the letter, the pioneer in the basic communication technology, expressed his worry about the potential hazard which his research achievements would bright to society.

Translated by LOTO