"To me, scientific research is as important as breathing, and it
equals my life," said Nobel laureate
Tsung
Dao Lee in Beijing on October 8 in an exclusive interview.
Lee, a world-renowned Chinese-American physicist, was awarded the
Nobel Prize in physics in 1957 jointly with Chen
Ning Yang, for their penetrating analysis of the law of parity
conservation, an analysis that led to a series of significant
discoveries on particle physics.
"The Nobel Prize is an honor given to science, and scientists
should not do research just in pursuit of the prize," said the
74-year-old Columbia
University professor.
"So long as they focus their attention on the kernel of natural
sciences, Chinese scientists will be bound to make significant new
achievements to mankind," he said.
At
the China Industrial Hi-tech Forum which started on Sunday, Lee
delivered an academic lecture, which discussed topics ranging from
physics studies in ancient China to the latest achievements of
modern physics research.
Lee stressed the importance of basic research in sciences. By
comparing the basic research, applied technologies and
industrialization to water, fish and fish market, he illustrated
the relations between the three aspects.
It
is the theory of Relativity and Quantum Mechanics, the two
fundamental theories formed at the turn of the 19th and 20th
centuries, that spurred the development of a series of applied
scientific theories and technologies, such as nuclear energy,
laser, semi-conductor, electron and X-ray, Lee pointed out, adding
that nearly all the significant achievements in natural science
studies of the 20th century and technological advancement of modern
society can find their origin in them.
But the basic research still leaves much room for original
innovation, Lee said, expressing the belief that China's excellent
young scholars will exert their capabilities in this respect.
Lee pointed out "the scientific spirit" is of profound importance
to scientists, that is, the spirit of ceaseless quest for
truth.
A
good scientist should be able to detect where innovation could be
made, and set a specific goal, Lee said.
With the help of the Chinese
Academy of Sciences, he founded the China Center of Advanced
Science and Technology World Laboratory in 1989. Since then, he has
come to China every year to host activities of international
academic exchanges.
Talking about education, Lee said students should learn to ask
questions, not just score high marks in examinations, and children
should gain knowledge through playing games.
"This is exactly what Chinese students need most," Lee said.
Lee expressed the confidence that in ten years, scientists leading
the world's scientific research will appear in China.
"The Chinese people, with their wisdom, will make new contributions
to the world's civilization," he said.
(Xinhua News
Agency 10/09/2001)