初涉科研生涯的四个黄金戒律
2003年Nature (2003, 426:389)上有一篇文章,是德克萨斯大学物理系的著名物理学家Steven Weinberg写的 “Four Golden Lessons”,是科学家对初涉科研生涯的学子们的一些忠告。暂且译为“四个黄金戒律”,内容编译如下:
1.边干边学,不要彷徨。当你开始接受一个新课题或进入一个新的研究领域时,往往会感到迷茫。
经常遇到的问题是,我现在对这个领域的研究进展一无所知,或者如果我不详细了解已经开展的各种研究,我怎么去开展一个工作?实际上不必太彷徨,需要牢记的经验是:你必须立即开始你的研究工作,在工作过程中掌握你需要的知识。记住:没有一个人会知道所有的事情,你也不需要!
2.勇于创新,敢于挑战。当你在科学的海洋中遨游时,一定要敢于到险滩、未知的地方去闯闯。在选题时要去选择那些最有挑战性、争论最多、研究最少、还没有统一结论的课题,这些问题或领域往往是最有作为的,最容易有突破,最容易出成果。
3.忍受寂寞,注重过程。你要学会宽恕自己适当的“浪费”时间。在实际生活中,人们都想知道我选择的科学问题是否是很重要的或者是最重要的。但是要知道哪个问题是最重要的往往是很困难的,你也永远都不会知道在历史上的哪个时刻某一个科学问题将会被攻克。
由于你不能肯定哪个科学问题是正确的,那么你在实验室或办公室中忙忙碌碌所化费的绝大多数时间有可能是白白“浪费”了的。但是,在科研生涯中,如果你想创新,那么你就必须习惯你所“浪费”的大多数时间不是在创新,而是很平静地在科学知识的海洋中漂流着。这个过程是你必须经历的过程。
- 掌握历史,树立信心。你要学习有关科学史方面的知识,至少要知道你所从事的学科领域的发展历史。科学史对你的科研工作是很有帮助的,也可以使你感受到你工作的价值,还会增加自豪感。如果你在某个领域或某个科学问题上真的作出了成绩,在科学发展史上添了一笔,为人类作出了贡献,你怎么会有理由不自豪呢?
赫曼法则主要是针对研究生在攻读学位期间需要具备的心态和应该怎么做,提出了具体的建议和指导性原则。温伯格法则是针对科研选题和如何开始科研活动,提出了指导性原则。将这两个法则结合起来,可以作为研究生学术研究和工作生活的行动指南。
附:
The Laws of Herman
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Your vacation begins after you defend your thesis.
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In research, what matters is what is right, and not who is right.
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In research and other matters, your adviser is always right, most of the time.
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Act asif your adviser is always right, almost all the time.
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If you think you are right and you are able to convince your adviser, your adviser will be very happy.
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Your productivity varies as (effective productive time spent per day)1,000.
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Your productivity also varies as 1/(your delay in analysing acquired data)1,000.
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Take data today as if you know that your equipment will break tomorrow.
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If youwould be unhappy to lose your data, make a permanent back-up copy of them within five minutes of acquiring them.
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Your adviser expects your productivity to be low initially and then to be above threshold after a year or so.
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You must become a bigger expert in your thesis area than your adviser.
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When you cooperate, your adviser’s blood pressure will go down a bit.
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When you don’t cooperate, your adviser’s blood pressure either goes up a bit or it goes down to zero.
14.Usually, only when you can publish your results are they good enough to be partof your thesis.
- The higher the quality, first, and quantity, second, of your publishable work, the better your thesis.
16.Remember, it’s your thesis. You (!) need to do it.
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Your adviser wants you to become famous, so that he/she can finally become famous.
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Your adviser wants to write the best letter of recommendation for you that ispossible.
19.Whatever is best for you is best for your adviser.
20.Whatever is best for your adviser is best for you.