Growingup,Iidealisedindependence.Ialwayswantedmyowneffortstobeenough.WhenIdecidedtopursueapostgraduatedegree,Iwantedtodevelopanovelresearchprogrammeandquicklyestablishmyselfasanindependentscientist.ButIwasunrealisticallyoptimisticaboutwhatIcouldachieve.
AsIbegandesigningexperiments,mycommitteememberswarnedmeaboutthechallengesIwouldface.Butmyneedforindependencedrovemetopushforwardwithmyresearchplan.Asaresult,thefirstfouryearsofmypostgraduatecareerweredefinedbyaseriesoffailures.
Duringmysecondyear,Ifailedmycomprehensiveexambecausemyproposalwasunclear.Duringmythirdyear,Idiscoveredthataftertreatingthousandsofseeds,IobtainedjustoneplantIcoulduseforexperiments.Bymyfourthyear,mydesperationtosucceedovershadowedmydesireforindependence.
MyadviserandIdevised(想出)asomewhatunusualsolution:Iwouldspendthreemonthsinacollaborating(合作的)labtoobtainspecialisedtraining.Iworkedextensivelywithotherstudents,constantlyaskedquestions,andhelpedwithongoingprojectstolearneverythingIcould.Finally,Iconductedanelegantexperimentthatwouldnothavebeenpossiblewithoutthehelpofthemembersinthelab.
Myadvisersawthisexperienceasagroundbreakingsuccess,emphasisingthecollaboratingskillsIacquired.Afewmonthslater,whenIrepeatedtheexperimentinmyhomelab,Iproducedmorepublishabledata.Bylearningwhentoaskforhelp,Ieventuallyfoundmyselfonthewaytobecominganindependentscientist.
【推荐1】TheCOVIDcrisishasledmanyscientiststotakeuparms(oratleastkeyboards)todefendtheircompaniesandtobesure,scienceneedsdefendersthesedays.Butintheirpassiontofightbackagainstvaccine(疫苗)rejectionandotherformsofsciencedenial(否定),somescientistssaythingsthatjustaren’ttrue.
Onepopularmoveistoinsistthatscienceisright—fullstop—andthatoncewediscoverthetruthabouttheworld,wearedone.Anyonewhodeniessuchtruths(theysuggest)isstupidorignorant.Evenamodestfamiliaritywiththehistoryofscienceoffersmanyexamplesofmattersthatscientiststhoughttheyhaddecided,onlytodiscoverthattheyneededtobereconsidered.SomefamiliarexamplesareEarthasthecenteroftheuniverse,theabsolutenatureoftimeandspace,thestabilityofcontinents,andthecausesofinfectiousdisease.
Scienceisaprocessoflearninganddiscovery,andsometimeswelearnthatwhatwethoughtwasrightisactuallywrong.Sciencecanalsobeunderstoodasaninstitution(orbetter,asetofinstitutions)thatpromotesthiswork.Tosaythatscienceis“true”or“permanent”islikesayingthat“marriageispermanent”.Atbest,it’sabitoff-key.Marriagetodayisadaptedtoaworldthatisverydifferentfromwhatitwasinthe16thorl8thcentury,soaremostofour“laws”ofnature.Theyareatbest,truefornowortrueuntilprovenotherwise.
Inmyview,thebiggestmistakescientistmakeistoclaimthatthisisallsomehowsimpleandthereforetoimplythatanyonewhodoesn’tgetitisdumb.Yetscienceisnotsimple,andneitheristhenaturalworldwherethegreatestchallengeofsciencecommunicationlies.
Scientifictheoriesarenotperfectcopiesofreality,butwehavegoodreasonstobelievethattheycapture(捕获)significantelementsofit.Andexperienceremindsusthatwhenweignorereality,itsoonerorlatercomesbacktobiteus.
【推荐2】Oncetherelivedanunhappykingwhosleptbadlyanddidn’tfeellikeeatinganything.Thismadethequeenandhispeopleworried.1Thedoctorsaidit’sallinhismindinsteadofhisbody.Soneithermedicinenorrestcouldhelphimbutashirtofahappyperson.
2Whenhearingtheking’ssituation,hesaid,“AlthoughIhavemuchpower,itdoesn’tmakemehappy.I’malwaysworriedaboutlosingit.”Then,theking’sbankercameandsaidhehadlotsofwealth,buthealsoworriedaboutlosingit.Hewasneverhappy,either.3
Finally,thetopgeneralwastoldtofindahappymaninthreedays.Luckily,hefoundapoormanwithoutpower,moneyorfame,singinghappilyonastreet.4Thepoormanansweredthathehadeverythinghewantedandhedidn’twantthosehecouldn’thave.5Whenthegeneralaskedfortheman’sshirt,tohissurprise,themansaid,“WhatshirtIdon’townanyshirts!”
【推荐3】Wearealldifferent.Wehavedifferenthairanddifferenteyes.1SowhyintheworldwouldweexpecteveryonetothinkandlearninthesamewayAsamatteroffact,itisnotourdifferencesthatdivideus.Itisourinabilitytorecognize,accept,andcelebratethosedifferences.
I’llneverforgetencounteringakidinhighschoolfromTonganamedFineUnga.2Imeantheguywasbuiltlikeatank,strongasabull,andtherewererumorsgoingaroundthathewasastreetfighter.Welooked,dressed,talked,thought,andatedifferently.Theonlythingwehadincommonwasfootball.Sohowintheworlddidwebecomebestfriends3IneverquiteknewwhatFinewasthinkingorwhathewoulddonext,andviceversa.Thatwasseriouslyrefreshing.Iespeciallyenjoyedbeinghisfriendwhenafightbrokeout.HehadstrengthsIdidn’thaveandIhadstrengthshedidn’thave.Togetherwemadeagreatteam.
Iamgladthattheworldisn’tfullofabunchofcloneswhoactandthinkexactlylikeme!4Theworddiversityusuallycallstomindracialandgenderdifferences,butthere’ssomuchmoretoit.Therearealsoendlessdifferencesinlanguages,physicalfeatures,familybackgrounds,religiousbeliefs,lifestyles,interests,skillsandsoon.
Theworldisagreatmeltingpotofcultures,races,religionsandideas.5Therearethreepossibleapproachesyoucantake:Level1:Avoiddiversity.Level2:Toleratediversity.Level3:Celebratediversity.Let’sshareoursimilaritiesandcelebrateourdifferences.
【推荐1】AsIwashdishesatthekitchensink,myhusband,Scott,pacesbehindme,annoyed.“Haveyouseenmykeys”heasks.InthepastIwouldhaveturnedoffthetapandjoinedthehuntwhiletryingtocomfortmyhusband.Butthatonlymadehimangrier.Now,Ifocusonthewetdishinmyhands.Idon’tturnaround.Idon’tsayaword.I’musingatechniqueIlearnedfromadolphintrainer.
ForabookIwaswritingaboutanimaltrainers’school,Istartedspendingmydayswatchingprofessionaltrainersdotheseeminglyimpossible:teachingdogstodanceoncommandandchimpstoskateboard.Eventuallyithitmethatthesametechniquesmightworkonthatstubbornbutlovablespecies,theAmericanhusband.ThecentrallessonIlearnedisthatIshouldrewardbehaviourIlikeandignorebehaviourIdon’t.Afterall,youdon’tgetasealiontobalanceaballontheendofitsnosebytalking.ThesamegoesfortheAmericanhusband.
IbeganthankingScottifhethrewonedirtyshirtintothelaundrybasket.Ifhethrewintwo,I’dkisshim.Iwasusingwhattrainerscall“approximations”,rewardingthesmallstepstowardlearningawholenewbehaviour.WithScottthehusband,Ibegantopraiseeverysmallacteverytime:ifhedrovejustamileanhourslower,orwasontimeforanything.
IfollowedthestudentstoSeaWorldSanDiego,whereadolphintrainerintroducedmetoLeastReinforcingScenario(L.R.S.).Whenadolphindoessomethingwrong,thetrainerdoesn’trespondinanyway.Theideaisthatanyresponse,positiveornegative,fuelsabehaviour.Ifabehaviourcausesnoresponse,ittypicallydiesaway.Itwasonlyamatteroftimebeforehewasagainsearchingforhiskeys,atwhichpointIsaidnothingandkeptatwhatIwasdoing.Ittookalotofdisciplinetomaintainmycalm,butresultswereimmediate.IfeltasifIshouldthrowhimasmallfish.
【推荐2】AsIlookupatthehundredsoffireworksinthesky,IhearthebellsringinginasmalltemplesuggestingthecomingoftheChineseNewYear.ThoughImaynotbelieveinorunderstandmanyoftheNewYeartraditionshere,thesimilaritiesbetweenthecomingofthisNewYearandthebeginningofmynewlifeinChinaarenotlostonme.
MyfirstfewdaysinChinawereacultureshocktosaytheleast.Havingarrivedlateintheterm,Iimmediatelyhadtostartmybeginners’Chineseclasses,alongwiththenewestclassofoverseasstudents.Beingsurroundedbyalanguagethatisnotyourownisunbelievablyfrustratingandisolating（孤立的）.Duetothepicture-basedfashionofChinesewriting,it’snotlikeyoucanhaveaguess,orworkitoutthroughwhateverlittleknowledgeyouhaveotherLatin-originatedlanguages.Ifyoudon’tknowwhatitsays,thenthat’sit.
However,withtimepassing,Ihavefoundmyselfprogressing,thoughpainfullyslowly.ThefirsttimeIdirectedataxibymyself,thedriveractuallyunderstoodwhereIwantedtogo,whichwashugelyrewarding.Still,itisneverlonguntilmylackoflanguageskillisexposedandIcomecrashingbacktoearth,usuallyimmediatelyuponleavingthetaxi.
Gainingalanguageisahugevaluableskill.However,itisnottheonlythingIwillgaininChina.AfterthisyearoflearningChinese,IaimtogainmyMaster’sdegreehereatUJN.Opportunitiesdojustpopupratheroccasionally:frombeingofferedjobsteachingEnglish,tobeingaskedtoappearongame-showsforShandongTV.So,fornow,Iamjustlookingforwardtoexpandingmyculturalhorizonsandenjoyingmytimehere.Everythingtakessometimegettingusedto,butthat’spartoftheadventureand,mostofall,employment.So,muchliketheChineseNewYearthatIwasluckyenoughtobepartof,IamjustlookingforwardtoafreshstartandanewjourneyinChina.
Morethan25yearsago,SarooBrierleylivedinruralIndia.Oneday,heplayedwithhisbrotheralongtheraillineandfellasleep.Whenhewokeupandfoundhimselfalone,the4-year-olddecidedhisbrothermightbeonthetrainhesawinfrontofhim—sohegoton.
Thattraintookhimathousandmilesacrossthecountrytoatotallystrangecity.Helivedonthestreets,andtheninanorphanage(孤儿院).There,hewasadoptedbyanAustralianfamilyandflowntoTasmania.
Ashewritesinhisnewbook,ALongWayHome,Brierleycouldn’thelpbutwonderabouthishometownbackinIndia.Herememberedlandmarks,butsincehedidn’tknowhistown’sname,findingasmallneighborhoodinavastcountryprovedtobeimpossible.
Thenhefoundadigitalmappingprogram.Hespentyearssearchingforhishometownintheprogram’ssatellitepictures.In2011,hecameacrosssomethingfamiliar.Hestudieditandrealizedhewaslookingatatown’scentralbusinessdistrictfromabird’s-eyeview.Hethought,“Ontheright-handsideyoushouldseethethree-platformtrainstation”—andthereitwas.”Andonthelef-handsideyoushouldseeabigfountain”—andthereitwas.Everythingjuststartedtomatch.
Whenhestoodinfrontofthehousewherehegrewupasachild,hesawaladystandingintheentrance.“There’ssomethingaboutme,”hethought-andittookhimafewsecondsbuthefinallyreminiscedaboutwhatsheusedtolooklike.
InaninterviewBrierleysays,“MymotherlookedsomuchshorterthanIremembered.Butshecameforthandwalkedforward,andIwalkedforward,andmyfeelingsandtearsandthechemicalinmybrain,youknow,itwaslikeanuclearfusion(核聚变).Ijustdidn’tknowwhattosay,becauseIneverthoughtseeingmymotherwouldevercometrue.AndhereIam,standinginfrontofher.”
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