HAL Id: jpa-00215247
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Submitted on 1 Jan 1973
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DEBATE ON PHYSICS IN CHINA
C. Kao, Y. Wang
To cite this version:
C. Kao, Y. Wang. DEBATE ON PHYSICS IN CHINA. Journal de Physique Colloques, 1973, 34
(C1), pp.C1-460-C1-461. �10.1051/jphyscol:1973167�. �jpa-00215247�
KAO C . S . , WANG Y.
DEBATE ON PHYSICS IN CHINA with
KAO C. S. , WANG Y.
Peking
(From t h e t r a n s l a t o r ' s tape recording)
1. What a r e the relations between physicists and the population in China ?
Physics is part of Science and Science is for the service of the people. Therefore physicists in China perform a service for the people.
2. What is the place of physics in the educational system of China ?
Physics is a basic science. Therefore, even in the secondary educational system, physics is a very important subject. In the University system, if any stu- dent has anything to do with science, a course in physics is required. The degree and the depth to which he should study physics depends on what subject he is going to pur- sue. Therefore, there is a great variation of how much physics the student takes in university. Of course the people who major in physics study more than others.
3. How does one become a physicist in China ?
If the person is sincerely interested in physics and wants to be a physicist, of course he will pursue that direction. However this has to be rather well-matched with the demand of the people. Some of the physicists devote full time to research, some devote time for pro- duction processes, some, of course, devote their time in teaching.
4. I s there great interest among the people for basic sciences like high energy physics ?
Before the liberation, because of the foreign oppression, our science was somewhat behind and the same thing was true of our production and industry. The- refore our nlain interest i s concentrated on the produc- tion for basic living. We have made great progress in the last twenty years, however the demand of the people has not yet been met. Therefore we (the general population ) have not paid enough attention to problems such a s high energy physics.
5. In the cultural revolution, was basic science attacked because it i s not practical ?
As was described earlier, during the cultu- r a l revolution, many things were discussed and disputed.
Therefore the problem of basic sciences was also under intensive discussion. 'There was a school of thought according t o which science is not practical, we should not continue it. After intensive discussion this school of thought has been changed and was not acceptable a s a solution to this problem. Basically, because our views should not be too short-sighted, we do not only worry about today o r tomorrow but we should also worry about the future. In that respect, basic sciences is very inipor- tant. If we don't develop basic science today we might have difficulties even with production in the future. We cannot only worry about the treasures of spirit, the spiri- tual wealth of human beings. Therefore today, starting from our leadership down to our scientists and to our population in general, we concentrate on the importance of basic science. " Pay attention to the basic sciences, they do all the things
".
Because essentially in my coun-Article published online by EDP Sciences and available at http://dx.doi.org/10.1051/jphyscol:1973167
DEBATE ON PHYSICS IN CHINA
try the main problem is still the development of produc- tion, the main efforts a r e put in the developnlent of in- dustry and agriculture, but we must put a certain effort in the development of fundamental research We develop- ed, according to certain ratios, the right proportion of fundamental research which must be there, but it has presently a somewhat smaller proportion in the whole ef- fort of the people.
6. If and when the development of China had reached a more advanced stage than you say it now has, do I understand from your replies to the previous ques- tions that you would not wish to pursue particle physics purely a s a cultural activity but only if it were directed towards the improvenent of the material conditions of the people of China ?
Of course.
7. How does the Chinese delegation view the em- phasis that the Europeans and Americans, say the West, place on high energy physics a s compared to other scien- ces and technology ?
Because we a r e having a short stay in Europe and Western countries, we would not liketo make a com- ment at this moment.
8. I s it possible that for the near future Chinese scientists would come for a longer stay in the West and Western scientists would visit China for a long stay ?
We think it will be possible later.
