A century of scientific topics

Author: Wang Zhihua
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2002-03-01
Features: In the "Wooden Plow Book Series," a new sub-series has been added: Complementary to the Sky Anthology. Judging from the name alone, the implied meaning seems not difficult to understand. The legend of Nuwa repairing the sky has long been a fundamental piece of common knowledge in our cultural tradition. Interestingly, within traditional Chinese culture, the concept of "heaven" is inherently multi-faceted, referring both to the natural sky and to the metaphysical order. Here, from a contemporary perspective, we might consider them "unified," referring to our understanding and knowledge of nature—that is, our science. When it comes to science, from a more modern standpoint, we do not merely believe that only established, concrete scientific knowledge constitutes its entirety. The scientific spirit, scientific culture, scientific methods, and scientific attitudes that coexist with scientific knowledge are also considered important components of the broader scientific whole. In the process of popularizing and disseminating science, attention must be given equally to both the "hard content" of scientific knowledge and these accompanying "soft content." For scholars outside the scientific community, as well as for the broader public, the latter may even be more important—only by understanding these aspects can one gain a deeper insight into what science truly is and what it truly means. However, in China's past efforts at science popularization and dissemination, traditional science education, which focused solely on the dissemination of specific scientific knowledge, has always dominated. With the development of science, culture, and society, as well as the adoption of more advanced science education concepts through international engagement, an increasing number of scholars in China are now recognizing the significance of innovative science communication efforts, such as "Public Understanding of Science." In such work, the primary focus is on the study and dissemination of the scientific spirit, scientific culture, scientific methods, and scientific attitudes. From another perspective, this effort is also an important part of the broader international and domestic initiative to bridge two cultures. However, changing perspectives is merely the first step—what matters more is translating these ideas into action. Of course, we see that in society and academia, there are many dedicated individuals working in this field. They are the admirable "heaven-repairers" in the realm of science communication. But it cannot be denied that compared to countries that have made greater strides in the study and development of science itself, as well as in science communication and scientific culture research, our level of achievement still lags significantly. This also means that it will be challenging to immediately produce large-scale works aligned with these new perspectives to meet the urgent needs of academia and the public. Therefore, in this anthology, we have chosen to compile published and some unpublished short articles related to the scientific spirit, scientific culture, scientific methods, and scientific attitudes, along with some insightful interviews. This approach of gathering the contributions of multiple authors and presenting them in a concentrated and timely manner in the fields of scientific culture and science communication may be the most viable and effective method at this stage. We hope to see more "heaven-repairers" join the ranks of our scientific culture research and science communication efforts. After all, we share the same blue sky. The anthology contains over 80 articles, divided into eight sections:
1. Contemplating Science
2. Roaming the Realm of Scientific Culture
3. Entering the Era of Big Science
4. Observing Scientists Up Close
5. Making Science a Treasure for the Public
6. May Spring Never Be Silent
7. The Vast World of Science
8. The Centennial Nobel Prize
Editor-in-Chief Wang Zhihua was formerly the Deputy Editor-in-Chief of Science and Technology Daily and is a renowned science popularizer, science writer, and passionate advocate for science education. As he writes in the "Postscript," "When considering what to popularize to the public, we can draw inspiration from the diverse definitions of science. Science is not just about knowledge; it also encompasses philosophy, intelligence, culture, ethics, and power." The Centennial Science Topics collects articles that were originally published in the "Centennial Topics" column of Science and Technology Daily. The authors include scientists, but more often, they are historians of science and philosophers of science. From the perspective of a century of progress in pure science and technology, they explore related cultural, historical, philosophical, and ethical themes, offering readers a multi-faceted understanding of science and technology and a fresh perspective.
So, what are the key features of this book? From a content perspective, the multi-faceted observation and understanding of science and technology are the most prominent feature of The Centennial Science Topics. The eight sections cover all scientific topics and related subjects of the 20th century. As a cultural phenomenon, science is not merely a special system of knowledge but also, more importantly, a unique mode of knowledge production. In understanding science itself, the book delves into rational reflection and emphasizes its humanistic and social dimensions. For example, Mr. Li Zhengfeng's article "Science: A Culture" reflects on science from a cultural perspective and discusses the characteristics of scientific culture. Similarly, Mr. Li Zhenzhen's "The Development of Science and Technology and Humanistic Concern," Mr. Li Heping's "Science and Ethics," and other articles explore the cultural dimensions of science from different angles. The span of a century allows us to gain a comprehensive view of science in the 20th century. Only by viewing science historically can we clearly see its double-edged nature. Looking back at history and forward to the future helps us avoid being blind and directionless in the present—a point of great importance. In The Centennial Science Topics, from the few small clouds floating in the clear sky of early 20th-century science to reflections on cloning technology, from Einstein and Nobel to Hawking and Rachel Carson, all are thoroughly discussed. We are living in an era of multiple hotspots at the turn of the century, and science has never been more exciting or concerning than it is today. It is clear that the path of human civilization and social progress cannot be illuminated solely by the magic lantern of science; it requires the spirit of humanity and rational thinking. In this sense, the publication of The Centennial Science Topics is timely. However, a single The Centennial Science Topics is far from enough. The concept of sustainable development must be widely promoted and disseminated, so that the public can better understand science and ensure that science remains free from regret. Of course, as a collection, it may have shortcomings such as uneven categorization and stylistic inconsistencies. These imperfections are intentional, leaving some topics beyond the main discussion for readers to ponder.