How to make "raindrop power generation" come true? What fields can the Invisible Cloak be used in the future? What are the challenges faced in the research of biomimetic surfaces? How to make the skin of robots closer to human perception of small temperature differences? On April 29th, the 2024 Zhongguancun Forum Annual Meeting "New Cornerstone Science Forum" was held. During this period, multiple scientists discussed the original innovation of materials science from scratch. Wang Zhukai, Associate Vice President of the Hong Kong Polytechnic University, emphasized the importance of basic research in an interview after the meeting. He believes that a lot of work is due to breakthroughs in basic research, which have brought about some applications. "It is precisely because of these breakthroughs in basic research that various black and hard technologies have emerged. The two complement each other," he said. Speaking of the materials science that the forum focuses on, Wang Zhunkai pointed out that in the current context of the dual carbon era, further deepening the foundation and application exploration of advanced thermal functional materials, accelerating the industrialization of future technology, will become the cornerstone of promoting disruptive changes in the new quality industry. He also pointed out that the New Cornerstone Science Forum not only showcases the latest research progress of advanced thermal functional materials, but also promotes in-depth exchanges in multiple fields and dimensions, and provides research experience for young scientists and constructive suggestions for their future research and development. (Lai Xin She)