科学家不只是搞科学
2013-09-30
正如经典句式how to XXX，可以说这是一本经典的科学入门DIY指导书。从选择导师到最终成为导师,作者将这一转变历程中可能遇到的种种情形与问题做了简洁深刻的论述，让我们看到了科学生涯的普遍轨迹。
毫无疑问，优秀的科研能力是一个科学从业者必不可少的素质，作者也在书中用了大量的篇幅去阐述什么是科学以及如何去做研究。
当谈到一般的科学理念时，作者说道：
One of the fundamental aspects of scientific philosophy is that it is virtually impossible to prove anything is true – you can only establish beyond reasonable doubt. This is a significant problem for scientists in talking about their discoveries to non-scientific audiences, but it is also worth remembering in your experiments and writing. Experiments do not prove that your hypothesis is correct, they can only support it. The basis of modern science is the ‘null hypothesis’ – we try to show that something is not false. This can sound like semantics, but it is important for scientific thinking, explanation, analysis and presentation. The null hypothesis (as we so often forget) is also the basis of statistical analysis. We tend to think that statistics prove that experiments show what we predicted(or hoped for), but in reality they simply tell us about the probability that we are wrong – an important distinction. It is always worth trying to prove that your idea or hypothesis is wrong (however much you want it to be right). You can be sure that if you do not, your critics – Ph.D. examiners, referees of your paper or grant application – will do their hardest to prove you wrong, so better to be there first. Much of science is based on hypotheses. We consider current knowledge and observations, establish a hypothesis to explain these, then determine if further observations fit the hypothesis. But of course it is not always like
当谈到具体的实验操作时，作者说道：
Designing and conducting an experiment can be compared to experimenting with a good recipe. The key to real culinary (and scientific) success is to recognize when something is wrong, establish how to rectify it, or to tease out the elements of success and move forward. Science is usually more complex than cookery (and rather less subjective). In science you are attempting to understand the unknown, and in most cases compete with those who have the same goal.
Always be on the look out for the unusual and unexpected; it is this rather than the predicted or
the normal result which may hold the key to a breakthrough. Of course just looking and checking is not enough – judgement is required. You need to judge which are the crucial steps in a protocol (i.e. the ones that require special care and accuracy), rather than spending many hours on procedures for which precision is not so important.
in fact luck is only a small part of success in research; the real key is seeing the unexpected and recognising what it means.
但是，仅仅会做实验是远远不够的。毕竟，科学研究只是科学中的一部分，文章的写作能力、信息的收集处理能力、与同行的相处交流能力等，都是需要去培养的。
当谈到实验室时，作者说道：
The lab is not just a physical structure, but also a group of people each acting and interacting in different and specific ways No two lab structures are identical because they are determined by the personalities and activities of the staff, the size of the lab (people, funding and space), the type of work being undertaken and the style of the lab head.
当谈到写作时，作者说道：
While science is, at least to most dedicated researchers, a personal activity, its ultimate success depends on collective effort, on the achievements and interactions of a vast community of scientists with varied and complementary skills. It has been argued that this collaboration and interaction is one of the fundamental differences between science and the arts. Progress in science depends on sharing ideas, technological developments and scientific discoveries, all of which depend on communication and dialogue between scientists across the world. Communication through publication is essential for advances in science, but it is equally important for individuals. In some aspects of scientific life, for example in the commercial sector, ‘publications’ may take the form of internal reports within the company, but this is no less important in moving a project forwards and developing your career. For most scientists, particularly in academic life, publication of a thesis, abstract, review or most commonly a research paper, is an essential part of a scientific career.
科学无国界，科学工作者的一般成长也没有区别。毕竟，科学的普遍原理与规律是不会随着外部条件的变化而改变的。不过，不同的地域也会产生不同的习惯与工作方式，这些都需要去在实际情况中学习总结。
顺便提一下，该书作者是个女生理学家，超级大牛，98年的Royal Institution Christmas Lecture 就是她主讲的。
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