Abstract: Quantum Chromodynamics (QCD) is the fundamental theory for the strong interaction between quarks and gluons. Over the past 50 years, QCD has undergone extensive scrutiny across various experiments and has successfully explained experimental data. However, due to the asymptotic freedom and confinement features of QCD, the question of how complex QCD systems, such as atomic nuclei and neutron stars, arise as emergent phenomena remains a mystery today. To address this intriguing question, several puzzles including the spin structure of the proton, high gluon density physics, quark/gluon structure of nucleons and nuclei, and hadronization, need to be investigated and eventually put together. Heavy quarks, i.e. charm and bottom quarks, serve as excellent tools for solving these QCD puzzles. In this colloquium, I will discuss heavy quark observables in the CMS experiment at the Large Hadron Collider, the PHENIX and sPHENIX experiments at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider, and the EPIC experiment at the future Electron-Ion Collider. Furthermore, cutting-edge technologies, such as machine learning, Field Programmable Gate Array integrated circuits, and high-performance computing, which facilitate the achievement of these scientific goals will be presented.
