Zhengzhan Shang 尚正斩
I am a scientific communicator and a researcher who is working on theoretical models and numerical simulations of solar and stellar dynamos. In simpler terms, I study how stars generate and maintain their magnetic fields—by solving equations that are generally unimpressed by human intuition.
I was born and raised in China and developed my interest in physics and astronomy during middle school—somewhat unexpectedly—by watching the U.S. sitcom The Big Bang Theory (for which I owe sincere thanks to the creators, cast, and everyone involved).
Ironically, physics and mathematics were not exactly my strongest school subjects back then—despite universal agreement that they were “very important.” Nevertheless, armed with persistence and a tolerance for confusion, I went on to earn a B.Sc. from the University of Wisconsin–Stevens Point in the United States, an M.Sc. from Georg-August-Universität Göttingen (University of Göttingen) in Germany, and is currently pursuing my Ph.D. at Universität Graz (University of Graz) in Austria.
我是一名科学传播者，也是一名从事太阳与恒星发电机理论模型与数值模拟研究的科研人员。通俗一点说，我研究的是恒星如何产生并维持它们的磁场——主要方式是与那些通常并不怎么“尊重人类直觉”的方程打交道。
我在中国出生并长大，在中学时期通过观看美国情景喜剧《生活大爆炸》——颇为出人意料地——对物理和天文学产生了兴趣。在此，我对该剧的创作者、演员以及所有幕后工作人员表示由衷的感谢。
颇具讽刺意味的是，尽管大家普遍认为物理和数学“非常重要”，它们在当时却并不是我最擅长的学科。不过，凭借着坚持不懈的精神以及对“困惑状态”的高度容忍度，我先后获得了美国威斯康星大学史蒂文斯角分校的理学学士学位、德国哥廷根大学的理学硕士学位，目前正在奥地利格拉茨大学攻读博士学位。
Life Before I Chose Suffering: The Cooler (and Slightly Unhinged) Chapters
Things I did, places I went, and situations I willingly entered before becoming a researcher. These moments shaped who I am today, added deeply unnecessary but beautiful chaos to my life, and are lovingly recalled whenever PhD life becomes unbearable.
在我主动选择受苦之前：那些更酷（而且略微失控）的章节
在成为科研人员之前，我做过的事、去过的地方，以及我自愿跳进去的各种“人生情境”。这些经历塑造了今天的我，为我的生活加入了大量并非必要、却异常美丽的混乱，并且在博士生活变得难以忍受时，被我反复、深情地回忆起来。
Mascot
I once served as a university mascot at the University of Wisconsin–Stevens Point, where his job description included attending sporting events, other campus happenings, and aggressively hyping up crowds—often with more enthusiasm than athletic skill required.
吉祥物
我曾担任威斯康星大学史蒂文斯角分校的吉祥物，工作内容包括出现在各类体育赛事和校园活动中，并对观众进行高强度“情绪煽动”——通常热情远超所需的运动技能水平。
Cheerleader
I was also part of the University of Wisconsin–Stevens Point Cheerleading Team during the 2018–2019 season, further cementing my résumé as someone who is suspiciously comfortable yelling in public spaces.
啦啦队
我还在 2018–2019 赛季加入了威斯康星大学史蒂文斯角分校啦啦队，进一步巩固了我那份“在公共场合大声喊叫却异常自在”的履历。
Life Model
In 2017, during my bachelor's studies, I became a life model. Officially, it was because I found the experience “artistically fascinating.” Unofficially—and more accurately—I really needed the money. The hardest part was enduring the Wisconsin winter cold (not the only thing that was hard—holding the same pose for long periods was also a challenge).
人体模特
2017 年，在攻读本科学位期间，我成为了一名人体模特。官方说法是：我觉得这段经历“在艺术上非常有意义”。非官方但更真实的原因是：我真的很需要这笔钱。最难熬的是威斯康星州的寒冬（当然，难的并不只有寒冷——长时间保持同一个姿势同样是个考验）。
Standup Comedy
In 2018, I tried stand-up comedy at two open-mic nights. I enjoyed it far more than expected and will almost certainly do it again if the opportunity—and the audience’s tolerance—presents itself.
单口喜剧
2018 年，我在两场开放麦活动中尝试了单口喜剧。结果比我预期中喜欢得多，如果未来机会合适、观众的心理承受能力也足够，我很可能会再次登台。
Theatre
Shang also worked as an actor in the English Drama Workshop production of "Airness" at the ThOP (Theater im OP) in Göttingen (you can find production info here, and review here). He spent over nine months with the production, culminating in 11 performances across June and July 2023—proving once and for all that physics students are, in fact, capable of sustained eye contact and emotional range.
Mascot