In 1982, Professor Cui Qi, with two collaborators, achieved a significant breakthrough in the field of quantum physics. In 1998, he was finally awarded the Nobel Prize for physics. Although Prof Cui has become an American citizen, Chinese people everywhere are jubilant over his Nobel Prize.
As a Nobel Prize laureate, Prof Cui is undoubtedly one of the most brilliant scientists in this Century. However, he does not use the computer. It so happens that I know an eminent professor in a renowned 600-year-old university in Europe who does not use the computer also. This is almost incomprehensible to us Singaporeans, whose minds are saturated with computers. But this serves as an excellent food for thought. I have dealt with computers for the last twenty years, thus what I say should probably not be construed as anti-computer rhetoric.
First of all, a computer is but a tool. It is merely a basic implement in the development of science and culture. It can never replace humans, and it certainly cannot replace human thoughts and analytical abilities. We must use the computer when its usage is required, but it is best that we do not turn to it when it is not necessary to do so. Human thoughts and analytical abilities, especially the correct way of thinking and analysis, are the keys to scientific and cultural development. And the correct way of thinking and analysis must be built on a solid foundation of knowledge, a process which must begin in primary schools.
I still agree with the views of some American education experts： We should encourage primary school teachers to use computers for instruction, but we should not encourage primary school students themselves to use computers. Computer technology develops at an extremely rapid pace, the software that primary school students learn today will be obsolete by the time they start working more than a decade later. We can prepare for the future in many areas, but let us not do it on computers. Take it from an old hand in this field.
In the Fifties, Prof Cui graduated from Pui Cheng Middle School. The school had nurtured many outstanding talents despite the difficult circumstances it had faced. This reminds me of the Chun Hui Middle School in the Twenties. Situated by the banks of the Baima Lake, in Zhejiang Province's Shangyu Village, the school is a long distance away from Shanghai. Yet many literary and artistic giants like Xia Minzun, Li Shutong, Feng Zikai, Ye Shengtao and so on, were attracted to the school and had taught there. Among them, they nurtured many prominent scholars who went on to make their own marks in history.
This reflects the important role secondary schools play in the nurturing of talent, especially exceptional talent. Those exceptional talent whom I know all had their foundations laid in their secondary school days. In contrast, the education systems of today have a tendency to downplay the foundational subjects. Instead, they are geared towards pragmatism and a desire for quick returns. This has detrimental effects on the development of science and culture.
Pui Cheng Middle School is a Chinese school. This serves as a good inspiration for us in Singapore, and it is also an encouragement for people like us who are promoting Chinese. Hong Kong in the Fifties was still under British colonial rule, and a Chinese school like Pui Cheng Middle School could thrive. Here in wealthy and post-colonial Singapore, the situation and conditions of our Chinese curriculums are so much better. Therefore, we can be confident that our schools will be able to produce exceptional talent in Chinese language and culture.（The writer is a scholar doing research into electronics）
崔琦為何不用電腦？
崔琦教授于1982年和兩位合作者在量子物理學(xué)中的重大突破,終于使他獲得了1998年度的諾貝爾物理獎(jiǎng)。盡管他已經(jīng)屬美國(guó)籍,但是全球的華裔還是無(wú)不為此歡欣鼓舞。
作為諾貝爾物理獎(jiǎng)的得獎(jiǎng)人,崔琦無(wú)疑是本世紀(jì)最卓越的科學(xué)家之一。然而他卻不用電腦。無(wú)獨(dú)有偶,筆者認(rèn)識(shí)在歐洲一所有600年歷史的大學(xué)里最負(fù)眾望的教授,他也不用電腦。這對(duì)于我們這些被電腦弄得頭腦發(fā)熱的獅城人來(lái)說(shuō),幾乎是難以理解的了。但是,這恰恰是一個(gè)極好的啟示。好在我和電腦打了二十多年交道,所以這樣說(shuō)大概不會(huì)有反電腦之虞。
這首先說(shuō)明電腦僅僅是一種工具,它不過(guò)是科學(xué)與文化發(fā)展中的一種基礎(chǔ)設(shè)施而已,它代替不了人,更不能代替人的思考和分析。該用電腦時(shí)必須用,不必用時(shí)不用。人的思考分析,特別是正確的思考分析,是科學(xué)和文化發(fā)展的關(guān)鍵。而正確的思考分析必須建立在扎實(shí)的基礎(chǔ)知識(shí)上,這是從小學(xué)起就得悉心培養(yǎng)的。
筆者依然十分支持美國(guó)一些教育專家的看法,可以鼓勵(lì)小學(xué)的教師利用電腦進(jìn)行教育,但不鼓勵(lì)小學(xué)生使用電腦。電腦技術(shù)日新月異,現(xiàn)在的小學(xué)生所學(xué)的電腦軟件,等他們十幾年以后工作時(shí)早已無(wú)用。未雨綢繆可以用到許多方面,就是千萬(wàn)別綢繆在電腦上。此乃本電腦老蟲(chóng)之肺腑之言也。
崔琦畢業(yè)于五十年代的香港培正中學(xué),該學(xué)校在當(dāng)時(shí)的艱苦環(huán)境中曾培養(yǎng)出許多杰出人才。這不禁使我想起了二十年代在遠(yuǎn)離上海的浙江上虞農(nóng)村位于白馬湖邊的春暉中學(xué)。這所躲在偏僻角落里的學(xué)校,居然曾吸引過(guò)諸如夏丐尊、李叔同、豐子愷、葉圣陶等許多大師級(jí)的文學(xué)家和藝術(shù)界前去執(zhí)教,培養(yǎng)出了許多名留史冊(cè)的大學(xué)者。
這反映了中學(xué)教學(xué)在造就人才,特別是杰出人才方面的重要性。
本人長(zhǎng)期以來(lái)所接觸到的許多突出的人才,基本上也都是在中學(xué)階段就打好了扎實(shí)的基礎(chǔ)。相比之下,當(dāng)代的教育中則恰恰有嚴(yán)重的輕視基礎(chǔ)學(xué)科的傾向,表現(xiàn)得實(shí)用主義和急功近利。這對(duì)科學(xué)文化的長(zhǎng)遠(yuǎn)發(fā)展很不利。
培正中學(xué)是一所華文學(xué)校。這對(duì)我們新加坡又是一個(gè)極好的啟發(fā),對(duì)我們這批熱衷推動(dòng)華文運(yùn)動(dòng)的一群人也是一個(gè)鼓勵(lì)。培正中學(xué)所處的五十年代的香港還是在英國(guó)殖民統(tǒng)治之下。一所殖民統(tǒng)治之下的華文學(xué)?？梢匀绱顺晒?那么在我們擺脫了殖民統(tǒng)治三十多年而又經(jīng)濟(jì)充裕的新加坡,華文教學(xué)的條件比當(dāng)年的培正中學(xué)不知好出了多少倍。所以我們完全可以有信心,新加坡也能培養(yǎng)出卓越的華文人才。
（作者是從事電子研究工作的學(xué)者）
As a Nobel Prize laureate, Prof Cui is undoubtedly one of the most brilliant scientists in this Century. However, he does not use the computer. It so happens that I know an eminent professor in a renowned 600-year-old university in Europe who does not use the computer also. This is almost incomprehensible to us Singaporeans, whose minds are saturated with computers. But this serves as an excellent food for thought. I have dealt with computers for the last twenty years, thus what I say should probably not be construed as anti-computer rhetoric.
First of all, a computer is but a tool. It is merely a basic implement in the development of science and culture. It can never replace humans, and it certainly cannot replace human thoughts and analytical abilities. We must use the computer when its usage is required, but it is best that we do not turn to it when it is not necessary to do so. Human thoughts and analytical abilities, especially the correct way of thinking and analysis, are the keys to scientific and cultural development. And the correct way of thinking and analysis must be built on a solid foundation of knowledge, a process which must begin in primary schools.
I still agree with the views of some American education experts： We should encourage primary school teachers to use computers for instruction, but we should not encourage primary school students themselves to use computers. Computer technology develops at an extremely rapid pace, the software that primary school students learn today will be obsolete by the time they start working more than a decade later. We can prepare for the future in many areas, but let us not do it on computers. Take it from an old hand in this field.
In the Fifties, Prof Cui graduated from Pui Cheng Middle School. The school had nurtured many outstanding talents despite the difficult circumstances it had faced. This reminds me of the Chun Hui Middle School in the Twenties. Situated by the banks of the Baima Lake, in Zhejiang Province's Shangyu Village, the school is a long distance away from Shanghai. Yet many literary and artistic giants like Xia Minzun, Li Shutong, Feng Zikai, Ye Shengtao and so on, were attracted to the school and had taught there. Among them, they nurtured many prominent scholars who went on to make their own marks in history.
This reflects the important role secondary schools play in the nurturing of talent, especially exceptional talent. Those exceptional talent whom I know all had their foundations laid in their secondary school days. In contrast, the education systems of today have a tendency to downplay the foundational subjects. Instead, they are geared towards pragmatism and a desire for quick returns. This has detrimental effects on the development of science and culture.
Pui Cheng Middle School is a Chinese school. This serves as a good inspiration for us in Singapore, and it is also an encouragement for people like us who are promoting Chinese. Hong Kong in the Fifties was still under British colonial rule, and a Chinese school like Pui Cheng Middle School could thrive. Here in wealthy and post-colonial Singapore, the situation and conditions of our Chinese curriculums are so much better. Therefore, we can be confident that our schools will be able to produce exceptional talent in Chinese language and culture.（The writer is a scholar doing research into electronics）
崔琦為何不用電腦？
崔琦教授于1982年和兩位合作者在量子物理學(xué)中的重大突破,終于使他獲得了1998年度的諾貝爾物理獎(jiǎng)。盡管他已經(jīng)屬美國(guó)籍,但是全球的華裔還是無(wú)不為此歡欣鼓舞。
作為諾貝爾物理獎(jiǎng)的得獎(jiǎng)人,崔琦無(wú)疑是本世紀(jì)最卓越的科學(xué)家之一。然而他卻不用電腦。無(wú)獨(dú)有偶,筆者認(rèn)識(shí)在歐洲一所有600年歷史的大學(xué)里最負(fù)眾望的教授,他也不用電腦。這對(duì)于我們這些被電腦弄得頭腦發(fā)熱的獅城人來(lái)說(shuō),幾乎是難以理解的了。但是,這恰恰是一個(gè)極好的啟示。好在我和電腦打了二十多年交道,所以這樣說(shuō)大概不會(huì)有反電腦之虞。
這首先說(shuō)明電腦僅僅是一種工具,它不過(guò)是科學(xué)與文化發(fā)展中的一種基礎(chǔ)設(shè)施而已,它代替不了人,更不能代替人的思考和分析。該用電腦時(shí)必須用,不必用時(shí)不用。人的思考分析,特別是正確的思考分析,是科學(xué)和文化發(fā)展的關(guān)鍵。而正確的思考分析必須建立在扎實(shí)的基礎(chǔ)知識(shí)上,這是從小學(xué)起就得悉心培養(yǎng)的。
筆者依然十分支持美國(guó)一些教育專家的看法,可以鼓勵(lì)小學(xué)的教師利用電腦進(jìn)行教育,但不鼓勵(lì)小學(xué)生使用電腦。電腦技術(shù)日新月異,現(xiàn)在的小學(xué)生所學(xué)的電腦軟件,等他們十幾年以后工作時(shí)早已無(wú)用。未雨綢繆可以用到許多方面,就是千萬(wàn)別綢繆在電腦上。此乃本電腦老蟲(chóng)之肺腑之言也。
崔琦畢業(yè)于五十年代的香港培正中學(xué),該學(xué)校在當(dāng)時(shí)的艱苦環(huán)境中曾培養(yǎng)出許多杰出人才。這不禁使我想起了二十年代在遠(yuǎn)離上海的浙江上虞農(nóng)村位于白馬湖邊的春暉中學(xué)。這所躲在偏僻角落里的學(xué)校,居然曾吸引過(guò)諸如夏丐尊、李叔同、豐子愷、葉圣陶等許多大師級(jí)的文學(xué)家和藝術(shù)界前去執(zhí)教,培養(yǎng)出了許多名留史冊(cè)的大學(xué)者。
這反映了中學(xué)教學(xué)在造就人才,特別是杰出人才方面的重要性。
本人長(zhǎng)期以來(lái)所接觸到的許多突出的人才,基本上也都是在中學(xué)階段就打好了扎實(shí)的基礎(chǔ)。相比之下,當(dāng)代的教育中則恰恰有嚴(yán)重的輕視基礎(chǔ)學(xué)科的傾向,表現(xiàn)得實(shí)用主義和急功近利。這對(duì)科學(xué)文化的長(zhǎng)遠(yuǎn)發(fā)展很不利。
培正中學(xué)是一所華文學(xué)校。這對(duì)我們新加坡又是一個(gè)極好的啟發(fā),對(duì)我們這批熱衷推動(dòng)華文運(yùn)動(dòng)的一群人也是一個(gè)鼓勵(lì)。培正中學(xué)所處的五十年代的香港還是在英國(guó)殖民統(tǒng)治之下。一所殖民統(tǒng)治之下的華文學(xué)?？梢匀绱顺晒?那么在我們擺脫了殖民統(tǒng)治三十多年而又經(jīng)濟(jì)充裕的新加坡,華文教學(xué)的條件比當(dāng)年的培正中學(xué)不知好出了多少倍。所以我們完全可以有信心,新加坡也能培養(yǎng)出卓越的華文人才。
（作者是從事電子研究工作的學(xué)者）