从能量的来源谈基础科学和培养人才

李政道

　　摘要　　

　　20世纪初，困惑人类的问题是太阳能的来源。费米（Fermi）和他同时代的物理家从研究太阳发光、发热开始，研究了光能和热能的基础科学规律；迈克耳孙（Michelson） 和莫雷（Morley）用实验证明光速不变，洛伦兹（Lorentz）创立了光的传播公式；爱因斯坦建立狭义相对论，最后发现太阳能就是核能。正是对太阳能量的研究，使得我们才能够享有现在的激光、半导体、超导体、核能、超级计算机和网络等高科技的应用。21世纪初，人类又遇到了如何解释暗能量的来源的问题（全宇宙的总能量的70%是暗能量）。我们面临着一次新的挑战。解决这个问题，需要靠基础科学的研究。解决了这个问题，人类将会进入一个全新的时代。

　　要搞好基础研究，一是要抓住正确的研究方向，二是要重视人才的培养。

　　基础科学研究，推动了人类科技文明的发展，使人类从蒸汽机时代走向了电气化时代，从依靠太阳能时代走向了近代原子能时代，从工业化时代走向了信息化时代。带有源头创新特点的基础科学研究，肯定也会给今后人类文明的可持续性发展以极大的推动。只有重视基础科学研究，才能永远保持创新的能力。哪个国家重视基础科学研究，哪个国家就有主动权，就能自主创新。

　　基础科学研究需要有优秀的人才，而培养人才要有好的老师。二十世纪上半叶那些为物理学作过重大贡献的科学家，大都是有相当好的老师，而且大部分是一对一的进行指导。教育分两种，一种是普及教育，这很需要，也很重要。另外一种是精英教育，老师带的学生一定不能太多。特别要注重在他们年轻的时候，在他们富有创造力的时候，在他们愿意献身基础科学研究的时候进行重点培养。

Talk about Basic Science and Talents Cultivation from the Perspective of Energy Source

Lee Tsung-dao

    Abstract 

    In the early 20th century, people were puzzled by the source of solar energy. Fermi and his contemporary physicists embarked on research into light emission and heat radiation of the sun to study the basic scientific laws of light energy and heat energy; Michelson and Morley carried out experiments to prove that the speed of light is constant; Lorentz established the formula for transmission of light; Einstein established the Special Theory of Relativity and ultimately discovered that solar energy is a kind of nuclear energy. Thanks to these researches on solar energy, we can now enjoy the applications of high technologies such as laser, semi-conductor, super conductor, nuclear energy, super computer, Internet, etc.

    In the early 21st century, people encounter the problem of what is the source of dark energy, which accounts for 70% of total energy in the universe. This is a new challenge we are facing. To address this problem, we should rely on basic science research, and once this problem is solved, mankind will usher in a new era.

      To strengthen basic research, on the one hand, we should follow a correct research direction; on the other hand, we should attach more importance to talents cultivation.

    Basic science research has pushed forward the development of scientific civilization of mankind, bringing mankind from the steamer era into the electrification era, from the era relying on solar energy into the modern atomic energy era, and from the industrialization era into the information era. Basic science research, with the characteristic of original innovation, is set to dramatically drive the sustainable development of human civilization in future.     

     We should attach importance to basic science research, only in this way we can permanently maintain our innovation capacity. Those countries that attach importance to basic science research will gain the initiative in independent innovation.

    Outstanding talents are essential in basic science research, while competent teachers are critical in talents cultivation. In the first half of the 1990s, those scientists who made significant contributions in physics mostly had a good teacher who provided one-to-one instructions. Education falls into two categories. One is universal education, which is both necessary and important. The other is elite education. In elite education, one teacher can only provide instructions to a small number of students, and stress is laid on emphatically fostering the students when they are young, full of creativity and willing to devote themselves to basic science research.