Issue4 [Jet]小组第七次作业 第三篇I，欢迎拍砖

goldin2008UID: 2140085

TOPIC: ISSUE4 - "No field of study can advance significantly unless outsiders bring their knowledge and experience to that field of study."
WORDS: 462          TIME: 0:45:00          DATE: 2008-2-18

Can any field of study make breakthrough if there are no outsiders bringing their knowledge and experience to that field of study? To some extent, I agree with the speaker's assertion that significant advances in many scientific areas require valuable knowledge and experience provided by expertise from various fields. However, this statement requires qualification that in ancient time the advancement in a certain field depends on insiders, while nowadays it primarily depends on outsiders.

As a threshold matter, nowadays new scientific fields often emerge in the interaction among different disciplines. This is especially true in nature science. Biology and medical advancement need both chemistry and physics. For example, Watson, American biologist with Francis Crick proposed a spiral model, the double helix, for the molecular structure of DNA. He won the Nobel Prize for advance in the study of genetics. If he had no enough knowledge about chemistry and physics, he would have not succeeded. Another modern example is computer, which is indispensable for a certain creation in nearly all scientific areas to be viable and perfect. Without it, modern research cannot continue in social science and humanities, let alone in nature science.

In addition, scientific breakthrough in a certain area might contribute to advancement in another or several other fields. Because the perspective and method used in a certain discipline can provide the other subjects with fresh perspectives and ideas. For instance, John Nash, through his game theory, makes the administration advance significantly. Game theory brings in new idea rather than new method. Before game theory was published, the researchers have no idea, which can contribute to dealing with the problems about administration, let alone solve them. Only in the way that the game theory gives, can the researchers solve the problems. So new perspective and idea provide a broad view to see the problem, and through them we would recognize a different world which was misunderstood or neglected before.

Admittedly, in ancient time many fields of study can advance without outsiders bringing their knowledge and experience to those fields of study. However, nowadays the significant advancement primarily depends on outsiders’ knowledge and experience. Meanwhile, new scientific fields often emerge in the interaction among different disciplines. No area of intellectual inquiry operates in a vacuum, that is, sciences in various fields are inextricably related.

To sum up, aside from the qualification that in ancient time insiders might provide less knowledge and experience due to the limitation in knowledge, that is, insiders’ knowledge is enough for great advancement in scientific research. I strongly agree with the statement that outsiders are the vital role responsible for breakthrough in many fields of study. Without their knowledge and experience, I cannot imagine what the society looks like today, and how it would change in the future.


[ 本帖最后由 goldin2008 于 2008-2-18 03:19 编辑 ]