一點隨想

以下是源於回答一個朋友COMMENTS時的一點隨筆, 想記錄下來,與大家分享.

中醫是源於數千年來的祖國醫學實踐,有其存在的合理性. 我不想也不願去否定她, 但是她有其自身的局限性,她自身有個繼承及發展局限性的問題, 而數千年前的科學顯然要落後於現代科學很多很多. 有個朋友打了一個形象的比喻,比如說有了電燈,我們不必使用蠟燭來照明,有了飛機汽車我們不必步行騎馬旅行;但有人執意去用蠟燭或步行騎馬,那就隨他去吧;但是如果他強行要求別人這樣做或執意向別人推銷,那就不對了.

 There is an issue of "opportunity waste". As researchers, we all have limitations in term of time, energy, and expertise. If one focuses or spends time toward a wrong direction or subject, the success will be jeopardized. It is also true for patients when they seek for therapeutics, or for businessmen who seek for new opportunities.

 因為40億年的進化,我們周圍的自然及我們自身是非常複雜的.科學研究中有許許多多的死胡同. We are just not smart enough to know which one is deadend or how to explain a lot of things. That’s why we need to receive a good training (learn to swim) before we jump into the water. That’s why many many breakthroughs in science came from unexpected or accidental discovery (Serendipity). I, for a long time, have had an idea to compose a series of articles talking about serendipity (in my understanding and language) in biomedical research and drug discovery (hope I will be able to find some time to do so, it’s a big job). 2004年LASKER獎獲得者RON EVANS (他及另外兩位獲獎者在Nuclear Receptor領域的貢獻將是今後幾年NOBEL獎的有力爭奪者)的一句話道出了科學研究的真諦 - Science is about to ask right questions.

 So, a good scientist needs to know how to ask the right (and big) questions. Curiosity is the basis for science, but not all of that will yield fruitful results. But this should not daunt us away to think. The beauty about doing science comes from excitement during the discovery moments, which can not be exchanged by anything else. The glory feeling about being recognized by others is another layer of reward, which is less important.