In graduate school, he began asking probing questions that would influence his scientific approach for the rest of his life. But his curiosity was too much for his own good while growing up in his native Fukein, China, he said. The boy was not prepared for exams. The scientist's academic prowess flourished only after he became a researcher. And a school often demands that we excel in that collection - the regurgitation of facts.
Research stems from a creative idea.
Success depends on knowing which questions should be asked, Tang said. If your question is too daring - ahead of your time, your technology is not ready to answer it. Sometimes I wonder why somebody even pays me for what I do. It seems unreasonable that I get so much fun out of it. Scientific investigation is also based on competition.