11 Principles from Nobel Laureates for Teenagers

Author: Jianxiu
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-03-01
Features: Ten Principles for Being an Passionate Young Person
Nobel Prize in Physics laureate Rudolf L. M?ssbauer said in 1961: "The elements of success for ten people are multifaceted. Personality is not very important; what matters is passion for work. Young people should be curious and dare to face challenges. If I were alive today, I would not choose physics because there are many new things in the field of biology that can be further explored. New fields are not insurmountable mountains; through experiments and new methods, many new unknowns can be explored."
Interest in Everything
Nobel Prize in Chemistry laureate Ernest Rutherford had a very poor childhood. He had to often go to the farm with his older brothers and sisters or help his mother milk cows in the cowshed. However, his childhood life was also joyful. The fields near the suburbs were so vast that he could fish in the streams and hunt on the mountains. In this way, he developed a courageous and imaginative personality from a young age by freely enjoying the pleasures of life.
At the age of five, Rutherford entered a primary school in nearby Fox Hill Village. He performed very well academically and was often praised by his teachers. Rutherford was interested in everything around him. Influenced by his mother, who was a primary school teacher, he had a passion for music from a young age. But he was not satisfied with existing sheet music and often changed the lyrics and melodies according to his imagination.
In 1882, the Rutherford family moved to Hafo. Rutherford continued his studies at a school in Hafo. His teacher, Reynolds, was an excellent educator and greatly influenced him. Before every morning class, Mr. Reynolds would arrange an additional hour of supplementary lessons for students with strong curiosity, which was like a nutritious supplement for Rutherford. Due to his diligent studies, at the age of 15, he scored 580 out of 600 points in an exam, not only winning a scholarship but also entering Nelson College (equivalent to a secondary school) for fifth grade.
At that time, natural science courses were only elective subjects in schools, and many boys disliked them. Perhaps out of curiosity, Rutherford chose this course and became the only student in the class who was passionate about natural sciences. This attracted the special attention and care of Dr. Lee John, and they became good friends. They often walked together on Hemding Street near the school, discussing scientific problems they were interested in, and sometimes drew diagrams to prove natural science principles on the ground.
Rutherford said: "When I daydream, I sometimes forget myself and everything around me. But I am not the kind of person some classmates call a 'nerd.' In fact, I participated in various school activities and never passed up any beneficial games. Even in a noisy environment, I could concentrate on reading as if I were in a quiet forest. When I was deeply engaged in solving math problems, even if someone tapped my head with a book, it seemed unrelated to me."
Indeed, interest always plays an important role in our studies, making us full of curiosity about the unknown world.