The world of science mourns the loss of Tsung-Dao Lee, the trailblazing Chinese-American physicist and Nobel laureate, who passed away in San Francisco at 97. A visionary in quantum physics and astrophysics, Lee’s work reshaped our understanding of the universe .
Born in Shanghai in 1926, Lee’s journey took him from China’s National Southwest Associated University to the University of Chicago, where he studied under legendary physicist Enrico Fermi. His groundbreaking 1950 thesis on white dwarf stars foreshadowed a career marked by bold discoveries .
Lee’s legacy spans decades, from pioneering research in particle theory to leadership roles at Columbia and Princeton. He became Columbia’s youngest full professor at 29 and later its Enrico Fermi Professor of Physics. His 1957 Nobel Prize—shared with Chen Ning Yang—revolutionized physics by challenging fundamental symmetry laws, a triumph celebrated globally .
Colleagues remember him as a ‘once-in-a-generation mind’ who bridged East and West, inspiring young scientists to chase the unknown. As one admirer tweeted: ‘He showed us the stars—and how to reach them.’
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