Chinese teen idol praised by Stephen Hawking

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Wang Junkai, also known as Karry Wang, the lead singer of China’s most popular boy band TFboys, has been commended by Professor Stephen Hawking for demonstrating “thoughts and curiosities regarding the future” after raising questions concerning earth civilization and receiving replies from the celebrated theoretical physicist.

Wang Junkai putting his thoughts about the future to Professor Hawking /Weibo Screenshot

“Dear Professor Hawking, I’m Karry Wang from China. It is my great honor to raise questions about the future to you,” the 18-year-old greeted Hawking in English at the beginning of recorded footage posted Friday on Weibo, China’s answer to Twitter.

“In your speeches, you have presented recommendations many times about the necessity of exploring alien immigrants to continue our earth civilization,” noted Wang, who then posed the question, “What shall we do to prepare for this?”

Wang Junkai posing his question about alien immigration to Professor Hawking /Weibo Screenshot

Besides inquiries into the universe, the teen idol also expressed his thirst for the professor’s incisive insights on protecting traditional culture “while exploring the future and developing science and technology at the same time.”

Professor Hawking praised Wang Junkai in a Weibo Post. /Weibo Screenshot

Having noticed the video clip by the inquisitive Chinese young celebrity, the esteemed physicist soon replied on his official Weibo page by presenting his outlook on the questions along with his admiration of Wang’s scientific reflections in both English and Chinese.

“I’m not suggesting that the whole population moves to a new planet,” Hawking responded in a video, adding that it entails more imagination as to “how we will live in the future” and “what might be done to alleviate today’s problems” before the possible human emigration.

Professor Hawking answering Wang Junkai's questions /Weibo Screenshot

The professor further said that there is no need to worry about disappearance of the traditional culture as the arts and music are “human-oriented” and would be “meaningless to alien species.”

Saying the “excellent question” from Wang Junkai has granted him “insight into Chinese millennials on their thoughts and curiosities regarding the future,” Hawking encouraged more curiosity and confidence in pursuing science and innovative ideas from Chinese teenagers in the Weibo post.

The interaction between the Chinese celebrity and the world-famous cosmologist attracted widespread attention on China’s social media. Netizens were agog with appreciation of the teen’s probing demeanor as well as the professor’s pioneering perspectives.

Wang Junkai (L) with the other two members of the TFboys boyband /Weibo Photo

“Wang Junkai has showcased the curiosity and confidence of China's millennial generation,” @tianranziranshaonian commented under the idol’s inquiry Weibo post which had been retweeted over 500,000 times as of Saturday morning.

“Thanks so much Professor Hawking [for sharing your insights]. It is our young people’s responsibility to always believe in science and dream about the future,” @eyiyouyoua noted, echoing Hawking’s Weibo answers.

Wang Junkai earned a Guinness World Records title for the “most retweeted Weibo post” in 2015. /Photo from the official website of Guinness World Records

Wang Junkai, who has enjoyed immense popularity in China as the lead singer of the three-member TFboys band with more than 32 million followers on Weibo, shot to international fame in 2015 after his birthday message was reposted for a staggering 42 million times and earned him a Guinness World Records title for the “most retweeted Weibo post.”