Recently, at the High Magnetic Field Science Center of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei Institute of Physical Sciences, the water-cooled magnet independently developed by the Chinese scientific research team produced a 420200 gauss (i.e. 42.02 tesla) steady magnetic field, setting a new world record for water-cooled magnets. Steady state strong magnetic field is an extreme condition required for conducting cutting-edge research in material science and a powerful tool for promoting major scientific discoveries. The successful development of this magnet provides better experimental conditions for scientists to explore new phenomena and reveal new laws, and lays a key technical foundation for the construction of higher field strength steady-state magnets in China. The significant technological breakthrough in China's steady-state strong magnetic field experimental equipment is an important manifestation of scientific research's "move towards extreme conditions". In recent years, with the continuous advancement of theoretical models and experimental techniques, scientists have pushed experimental conditions to unprecedented limits. Under extreme conditions such as ultra-high temperature, ultra-low temperature, ultra-high pressure, and ultra strong magnetic field, a large number of scientific phenomena and laws have been revealed, greatly expanding the cognitive boundaries of human beings and promoting economic and social development. Under extreme conditions, it can reveal the basic laws of nature, new states of matter, and the ultimate adaptability of life. What are extreme conditions? What extreme conditions can scientists create? What are the effects of these extreme conditions? Extreme conditions refer to individual or comprehensive physical conditions artificially created in the laboratory that reach or approach the current technological limit, and their effects are different yet interrelated. Advancing towards extreme conditions in scientific research allows for in-depth exploration of the natural world under such conditions. Under extreme conditions, scientists can reveal the basic laws of nature, new states of matter, and the extreme adaptability of life, thereby promoting the development of multiple disciplines such as physics, chemistry, materials science, biology, and helping to achieve technological breakthroughs. In the field of material science, we can understand the state of matter as a 'function' of basic physical parameters such as temperature, magnetic field, pressure, etc. For example, water will become gaseous or solid with temperature changes, graphite will turn into diamond under high temperature and pressure, and many minerals are also formed in the high-temperature and high-pressure environment inside the Earth Cheng Jinguang, Deputy Director of Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, introduced. Under some extreme conditions, many substances can exhibit states that are difficult to occur in conventional environments Cheng Jinguang said, "When we expand these extreme conditions, we will observe many new states of matter and new physical phenomena. By regulating the states of matter under extreme conditions, we greatly expand the boundaries of human cognition." As early as more than 100 years ago, Dutch scientists discovered that the resistance of helium gas suddenly disappeared, that is, the superconducting state, by liquefying it and cooling mercury to minus 268.98 degrees Celsius. The discovery of superconductivity has changed human understanding of the material world and promoted the development of technology in fields such as energy, transportation, information, and healthcare. In recent years, scientific research under extreme conditions has achieved fruitful results. For example, under high temperature and high pressure conditions, scientists have successfully synthesized new superconducting materials, providing new possibilities for power transmission and electronic device development; Under ultra-low temperature conditions, peculiar phenomena such as quantum entanglement have been observed, laying the foundation for the development of cutting-edge technologies such as quantum computing and quantum secure communication; Global scientists have achieved many significant results in scientific research under steady-state strong magnetic field conditions, which have been comprehensively applied in physics, chemistry, materials, life and health, and engineering technology. In the field of materials science where Cheng Jinguang is engaged, exploring new material systems with peculiar physical properties is a powerful driving force for the development of condensed matter physics. High voltage technology is playing an increasingly important role in the study of modern condensed matter physics Cheng Jinguang introduced that as a thermodynamic parameter equally important as temperature, high pressure can largely determine the direction and rate of many solid-state reactions. Under high temperature and high pressure conditions, many new materials that do not exist under normal pressure conditions can be synthesized. By applying high pressure, it is also possible to change the crucial parameter that determines the physical properties of materials - the interatomic distance, thus enabling precise control of physical properties; Combining ultra-high hydrostatic pressure with extreme conditions such as extremely low temperatures and strong magnetic fields can explore the response of materials under these extreme conditions, revealing many peculiar and potentially valuable physical phenomena. The implementation of extreme conditions often requires complex experimental equipment and exquisite experimental techniques. Recently, the comprehensive extreme condition experimental device located in Huairou Science City, Beijing, opened its second round of general project solicitation this year. The comprehensive extreme condition experimental device is the first national major scientific and technological infrastructure to start construction in Huairou Science City, Beijing, and is also an internationally leading experimental device that integrates multiple extreme conditions. It was contracted by the Institute of Physics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and co built by Jilin University, and officially started construction in September 2017. Here, there is a strong magnetic field 600000 times higher than the Earth's magnetic field, an ultra-high pressure close to the Earth's center, an extremely low temperature close to absolute zero (minus 273.15 degrees Celsius), and an ultrafast light field that "cuts" time to only one billionth of a second... In recent years, innovative breakthroughs have been made through polar conditions, which have become an important paradigm in scientific research. Cheng Jinguang believes that "with the development of science, the means of regulating the state of things have become more precise and complex, and many important scientific discoveries rely on breakthroughs in extreme conditions." "In the era of big science, building advanced extreme condition experimental facilities, creating extreme temperatures, extreme pressures, super strong magnetic fields and other extreme states, can help discover new substances, reveal new laws, and open up new applications," said Chen Zhi, director of the Institute of Science, Technology and Economic and Social Development at the China Academy of Science and Technology Development Strategy. In recent years, China has accelerated the construction of major scientific and technological infrastructure, and large scientific facilities have become increasingly complete, providing strong guarantees for conducting scientific research under extreme conditions. In the view of Professor Yin Panchao from South China University of Technology, establishing and developing experimental devices that integrate multiple extreme conditions will provide an important support platform for improving China's scientific research level and achieving major original breakthroughs. Scientific research under extreme conditions often involves interdisciplinary collaboration, requiring scientists from different fields to work closely together. Ma Yugang, academician of the CAS Member and vice president of Fudan University, believes that scientific research under extreme conditions should pay attention to cooperation, and actively promote interdisciplinary integration by establishing some multidisciplinary laboratories and research teams. Not only do we need to achieve individual extreme conditions, but we also need to integrate different extreme conditions Cheng Jinguang gave an example that there are up to 20 experimental stations in the comprehensive extreme condition experimental device, and the vast majority of these stations combine 2 to 3 extreme conditions together. By utilizing these comprehensive extreme conditions, cutting-edge research can be conducted in fields such as material synthesis, physical property characterization, quantum control, and ultrafast processes. The implementation of extreme conditions often requires complex experimental equipment and exquisite experimental techniques. Ma Yugang stated that physics is an experimental science, and many instruments and devices that involve extreme conditions are precision instruments and high-precision special equipment. Therefore, we must attach great importance to independent innovation in scientific research instruments and equipment. In addition, scientific research under extreme conditions requires composite talents who understand both experiments and theory, and talent cultivation should also be fully valued. While establishing and developing experimental devices that integrate various extreme conditions, it is also necessary to actively cultivate talents based on these scientific research platforms Ma Yugang said. In recent years, there has been a profound transformation in scientific research paradigms. In Ma Yugang's view, new research methods and approaches such as large-scale computing power and machine learning have had a significant impact on scientific research under extreme conditions. Through artificial intelligence assisted computing and other means, it is already possible to simulate some extreme conditions well. We need to use these new scientific research paradigms to further deepen scientific research under extreme conditions. Extreme conditions provide support for technological innovation and serve the high-quality development of the economy and society. Extreme conditions not only play a huge role in scientific research, but also provide support for technological innovation. "In recent years, many breakthroughs in the field of energy and materials have been made with the expansion of extreme conditions. In addition, strategic high-tech fields such as deep space, deep sea, and deep earth are also areas where extreme conditions appear more frequently and are widely used." Ma Yugang introduced, "For example, neutrino research can also be done in the deep sea environment, and life science exploration can be carried out under deep earth conditions. In short, extreme conditions have opened up Xintiandi for many fields." Scientific research under extreme conditions also actively serves high-quality economic and social development. For example, the widely used structural analysis and non-invasive imaging techniques in the medical field, such as nuclear magnetic resonance technology, are applications that have emerged under strong magnetic field conditions. For example, after the steady-state strong magnetic field experimental device in China was put into full operation, the achievements derived from the research and development device and the multiple achievements generated by the research based on the device, such as combined scanning probe microscopy technology and national Class I anti-cancer innovative targeted drugs, have been successfully transformed and applied. In Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, relying on the upcoming construction of the extremely weak magnetic large scientific device, Fang Jiancheng, an academician of the CAS Member and professor of Beijing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, led the team to build a zero magnetic space scale prototype, focused on tackling key technologies such as magnetic shielding, and promoted the transformation of related achievements. Compared to achievements in strong magnetic fields, the scientific community still knows very little about weak magnetic conditions. In recent years, he and his team have conducted basic research in zero magnetic medicine, biology, chemistry, basic physics, and materials science under zero and near zero magnetic extreme conditions, resulting in a number of original achievements and the practical application of technology. Experts say that the prospects for scientific research under extreme conditions are extremely broad. Looking ahead to the future, the advancement of scientific research towards extreme conditions will continue to drive the development of multiple disciplines, allowing scientists to delve deeper into scientific questions such as the state of matter, life behavior, and cosmic evolution under extreme conditions. At the same time, scientific research on extreme conditions will also provide important support for innovation in fields such as new materials and new energy. (New Society)