Charles Kao

The father of fiber optics and former vice-chancellor of the Chinese University has another interest — ceramics.

By Jerry Guo

If the 29 patents for his discoveries belonged to him instead of the corp-oration he worked for, Prof. Charles K. Kao would probably be one of the richest men in the world. In 1960, after many years of preparation, Prof. Kao started his research on fiber optics in London. When he first put forward his theory of “optical communication”, almost no one believed in its feasibility. But Prof. Kao was fully confident in his theory, strongly believing that signal loss could be greatly reduced through optic- fiber transmission. In 1966, as the chief author, he published a paper on the theory and application of pure glass fibers to communication that earned worldwide attention. When the first optical fiber systems came out in 1981, they were widely considered as a watershed for global telecommunications and information technology. His determination led to his success, and now he is recognized internationally as the “Father of Fiber Optic Communications”. Although he practically catalyzed a technology revolution, he did not become a wealthy man from his contributions. " No regrets at all,” he said. “I seek knowledge, but not money.” Though Prof. Kao is a prominent scientist in the field of electrical engineering and optical communications, his passion for science and technology started from his interest in chemistry. Doing chemical experiments was his favorite hobby. “I’m pretty fond of playing, and science is full of fun,” said Prof. Kao. He made many things while he was young, including fire extinguishers and fireworks. Among all, the most fascinating one might be mini-bombs. “I was so naughty that I once threw bombs to frighten cats and dogs to flee,” said Prof. Kao. However, doing experiments was sometimes risky and even life-threatening. “Once, I felt dizzy when I was producing chlorine without recognizing its toxicity. Fortunately, I stopped in time or you may not see me now,” he said, laughing. Besides doing experiments, Prof. Kao also loves ceramics. He took up ceramics about 20 years ago. He combines the passion of art with the reason of science in his artworks. “Ceramics greatly attracts me because of the challenge and surprise. It is difficult to control the color and the shape, so the result is always unpredictable. “And I like the feeling of having close contact with mud. It releases me from pressure and intensity of work.” Prof. Kao is still enthusiastic about contributing to the advancement of science. He did not give himself a true retirement. Said he: “Life is short, and there is always something worth doing. “It is crucial that we lead a full life and try our best to bequeath something to the next generation and make the world better.” Obvioiusly, Prof. Kao has achieved many scientific accomplishments, but he also tries his best to make the grade and fulfill his responsibility to family as well. “If needed a grade, of course, I could pass,” he said with a bright smile. Prof. Kao has a son and a daughter, both living and working in Silicon Valley in the United States. Prof. Kao and his wife visit them every year. In front of his children, the great scientist will not hesitate to take off his suit, put on an apron, and take on the role of father, preparing a big dinner for them. But he admitted that when he was fully engaged in work, he couldn't always fully perform his duty to family. “Sometimes when I am extremely busy, I have to leave my children to my wife. Therefore, her understanding and support are important to me,” said Prof. Kao. The marriage of Prof. Kao and his wife had greatly increased their understanding of each other. “Understanding is indispensable to our marriage. Without it, we could hardly remain happy together for such a long time.” Mr. Kao said that at the beginning of their love, Mrs. Kao had attempted to give him a trial. “She asked me not to see her for half a year, and if we both missed each other and felt painful during the separation, our love would prove to be true,” said Prof. Kao. Though Prof. Kao was able to overcome any difficulty in his pursuit of science, this challenge was an exception. Said he: “I couldn’t accept it. I insisted that if there were no confidence between us at first, there wouldn’t be anything after half a year. She should be confident of my love.” This moved Mrs. Kao. Even without this trial, their love still lasted for more than 40 years. Prof. Kao has been interviewed by Varsity before, in 1994. After all these years, he said, “The new version of Varsity seems to be more flexible in design. I think it has become much more professional.” He also gave advice to prospective journalists. “Reporting news both thoroughly and accurately is important today, especially for the print media which are less limited by time and length.” said Prof. Kao. “I hope the Varsity staff can make full use of this magazine to strive for the highest quality of journalism.”

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