The Joy of Reading: How Books Inspire My Curiosity

Reading has always been my favorite hobby. No matter where I am—at the beach, in the mountains, or riding the subway—I always carry a book with me. I make it a goal to read for at least 30 minutes every day. For me, reading is not just a pastime; it’s a way to learn new things, discover different perspectives, and find inspiration in essays and fiction.
Recently, I started reading a book about Erwin Schrödinger, the famous physicist. Although his book was published nearly a century ago, his ideas remain influential in fields like mathematics, science, and even artificial intelligence. I have only read a few chapters so far, but I am already fascinated by his brilliant thinking.
The book begins with an introduction to Schrödinger and explores his thoughts on nature, focusing especially on ancient Greek philosophy. This aspect interests me because, in Korea, philosophy and natural principles are often overlooked. Learning about how Schrödinger’s theories are rooted in Greek history and even older ideas makes me appreciate the value of classic knowledge from philosophers and scientists.
As I read, I am also picking up new scientific vocabulary, such as “quark,” “lepton,” and “gluon.” Since my major is linguistics, these words are new and intriguing to me, especially because of their unique pronunciations. I even imagine that if I ever create my own brand, I might use names like “Quark” or “Lepton.”
Ultimately, I hope to be a small but meaningful part of the universe, like a tiny piece of dust. If I ever establish a place or a brand, I want its name to reflect my passion for learning and the way I use my mind. Reading continues to inspire me every day, fueling my curiosity and creativity.

Nature and the Greeks and Science and Humanism, Cambridge University Press (1996)

Four Lectures on Wave Mechanics, Delivered at the Royal Institution, London, on 5th, 7th, 12th, and 14th March, 1928

What Is Life? The Physical Aspect of the Living Cell is a 1944 science book written for the lay reader by the physicist Erwin Schrödinger. The book was based on a course of public lectures delivered by Schrödinger in February 1943, under the auspices of the Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies, where he was Director of Theoretical Physics, at Trinity College, Dublin. The lectures attracted an audience of about 400, who were warned "that the subject-matter was a difficult one and that the lectures could not be termed popular, even though the physicist’s most dreaded weapon, mathematical deduction, would hardly be utilized."[1] Schrödinger's lecture focused on one important question: "how can the events in space and time which take place within the spatial boundary of a living organism be accounted for by physics and chemistry?"

In the book, Schrödinger introduced the idea of an "aperiodic solid" that contained genetic information in its configuration of covalent chemical bonds. In the 1940s, this idea stimulated enthusiasm for discovering the chemical basis of genetic inheritance. Although the existence of some form of hereditary information had been hypothesized since 1869, its role in reproduction and its helical shape were still unknown at the time of Schrödinger's lecture. In 1953, James D. Watson and Francis Crick jointly proposed the double helix structure of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) on the basis of, amongst other theoretical insights, X-ray diffraction experiments conducted by Rosalind Franklin. They both credited Schrödinger's book with presenting an early theoretical description of how the storage of genetic information would work, and each independently acknowledged the book as a source of inspiration for their initial researches.