Free PDF: The Genius Workout — 50 brain teasers + the 25 highest IQs in history.
Blog

Yang Chen-Ning: Biography, Achievements & Lasting Legacy

Yang Chen-Ning (simplified Chinese: 杨振宁; traditional Chinese: 楊振寧; pinyin: Yáng Zhènníng; October 1, 1922 – October 18, 2025) also known as C.N. Yang and Franklin Yang, was a Chinese-American theoretical physicist who made significant contributions to statistical mechanics, integrable systems, gauge theory, particle physics and condensed matter physics.

Yang is known for his collaboration with Robert Mills in 1954 in developing non-abelian gauge theory, widely known as the Yang–Mills theory, which describes the nuclear forces in the Standard Model of particle physics.

Life and Career

Yang and Tsung-Dao Lee received the 1957 Nobel Prize in Physics for their work on parity non-conservation of the weak interaction, which was confirmed by the Wu experiment in 1956. The two proposed that the conservation of parity, a physical law observed to hold in all other physical processes, is violated in weak nuclear reactions – those nuclear processes that result in the emission of beta or alpha particles.

Key Facts

Legacy and Impact

The influence of Yang Chen-Ning extends far beyond their own lifetime. They fundamentally shaped our understanding of the natural world, and their discoveries and theories remain foundational to this day.

Discover more brilliant minds in Science

Explore Science Geniuses

Explore More

Read the full profile of Yang Chen-Ning

View Yang Chen-Ning's Profile →

Explore more geniuses

1,300+ articles · 1,300+ biographies · English

Browse all

Trending Comparisons

Albert Einstein vs Isaac NewtonLeonardo Da Vinci vs Nikola TeslaMarie Curie vs Stephen HawkingAda Lovelace vs Alan TuringBobby Fischer vs John Von Neumann

Top IQ Rankings

Highest IQ in HistorySmartest People Alive TodayHighest IQ Child ProdigiesGreatest PhysicistsGreatest Mathematicians

Child prodigies

Gregory SmithMacaulay CulkinRay UshikuboWilliam Maillis
Child prodigies →Highest IQ child prodigies →

Play & come back tomorrow

🔥 Daily Genius Challenge · Genius trivia
Whose brain was removed and studied for decades after death?
🧠 Which Genius Are You?📊 Free IQ Test