Scholars and researchers should not be concerned with whether their work makes a contribution to the larger society. It is more important that they pursue their individual interests, however unusual or idiosyncratic those interests may seem.
1. 一个研究者做自己感兴趣的研究有什么好处?有什么缺点?这些好处或缺点能对研究对社会的贡献造成什么影响?请举例说明。
回答:
Interest is the best teacher. For scholars and researchers, interest is the paramount impetus of research. Without it, we could hardly enjoy the luxurious and convenient modern life brought about by achievement in science---achievement motived by interest. In addition, some great achievements are discovered by accidents. For instance, Marie Curie focused on her research on chemistry as she was interested in. During the process, she did not well prepared and intentioanlly to discover the element of radium. However, it is true that what she discovered not only crowned her with Nobel Prize, but also enormously contributed to the society. However, what the science research brings about are not always expected, whether it is out of good will or not. Mary Shelly's scientific fiction has given us a warning: the main character Frankenstein, a scientist, who put together pieces of dead bodies to creat a new life by electric shock, which was based on his own interest, was finally killed by the new monster and sacrificed his families.
2. 研究者会因为什么原因做自己不感兴趣的研究?这样做有什么好处?有什么缺点?这些好处和缺点能对研究对社会的贡献造成什么影响?请举例说明。
回答:
Scientific research needs inspiration and persistence. Without interest, it is tough to do researched, let alone making great achievements. However, in reality, the majority of scientists put their researches on the basis of exotetic pressure, such as government orders, public demands, and present trends. Admittedly, some of this kind of scientific research can ultimately end with benefitial achievements to the society. For example, Microsoft depends on their research and development team to promote computer operating system from Windows XP, to Windows Vista, and then to present Windows 7, making a great contribution to our contemporary society. All they have done is user-oriented, that is to say, their business scientific researches are out of public demands, not for their researchers own interest. But when scientific research is under the power of politics, things can be dangerous. Weapons of mass destruction are indeed great inventions in the realm of science, however, in the realm of politics, they are the monster to threaten other countries, even to cause terrific disasters.
3. 研究者的兴趣太少见有什么好处?有什么缺点?这些好处或缺点能对研究对社会的贡献造成什么影响?请举例说明。
回答:
Great minds are always alone. The more unusual or idiosyncratic the scientists' personal interests are, the more unacceptable or disunderstandable their scientific researches are to the nonprofessional. Therefore, they lack a comfortable atmosphere where their researched can be widely understanded, financially supported, applied to practise and examined, even though they are really great.
4. 除了兴趣以外,研究者的研究会受到哪些外界因素的影响(比如社会的刚性需求等)?这些因素哪些会影响到研究对社会的贡献?请举例说明。
回答:
The exoteric factors that might influence scientific research involve government needs, public demands, business benefits and present trends. All of them can decide, lead, or change the direction of scientific research and its contribution to the society.
5. 研究者在社会发展过程中扮演了什么角色?他们的责任是什么?这些社会责任要求他们的研究必须满足什么条件?请举例说明。
回答:
Researcher is to the society what blood is to our body. Their responsibility is to make a contribution to the social development by way of doing beneficial researches that had better be out of their own will and interests. Their social responsibility needs researchers to seek only truth, be self-critical, introspect their work with skeptism, avoid bias, be honest and work hard.