One of China’s most brilliant scientists and a mastermind behind the country’s hypersonic weapons has been left red-faced after a steamy webcam blunder.
Candid footage of science guru professor Fang Daining, 64, and a glamorous young woman in a blue dress has gone viral across Chinese social media after they were caught smooching during an online conference.
Professor Fang, considered one of China’s smartest scientists, was setting up his webcam for the virtual conference when the woman, who appears to be several decades his junior, appears in shot wearing a figure-hugging blue dress.
The young woman can then be seen to smother the eminent prof in kisses - the pair blissfully unaware that they can be seen by the whole conference.
The footage then shows the woman’s horrified realisation that the camera is live, as she notices their image on screen before she rapidly ducks out of shot.
Professor Daining is considered to be one of China's most brilliant scientists, whose research was vital to the country's hypersonic weapons technology.
He is a senior member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and a former vice president of the Beijing Institute of Technology (BIT).
A spokesperson for BIT said: "The school is paying extra attention to this incident and has launched an official investigation.
"The relevant situation is being verified. The investigation result will be announced at a proper time to respond to social concerns."
It is currently not clear when the incident took place, but the video began circulating widely on 9th October.
The woman is believed to be a postdoctoral researcher, but her identity is currently unknown.
The official site of BIT's Institute of Advanced Structure Technology, where Fang sits as an honorary president and lead scientist, was shut down on 10th October, local media reported.
Fang has not commented on the matter.
BIT is one of a number of Chinese universities sanctioned by the United States for involvement in military research.
Fang is a leading specialist in hypersonic research and ultra-high-temperature materials.
He was BIT's vice president from 2015 to 2018.
Fang was the first in China to independently develop a series of ultra-high temperature testing instruments, which became one of the main testing platforms for China's aerospace industry, according to international publisher Springer.
Much of the material in his research could be applied to hypersonic vehicles.
Fang was elected as an academic of the US National Academy of Engineering for his scientific contributions in February 2022.
He is the only academic from a mainland Chinese university out of the 133 elected members, which include entrepreneur Elon Musk.
