我一直不明白的是，在一党专制和民主之间，怎样才能既开放政治（逐渐言论自由，废除党禁等），又不至于引起社会动荡。我不相信当局及御用文人一放就乱的说法，也怀疑和反对民运右派人士激进改革休克疗法不顾人民死活的主张。there must be something in between, but where is it, I know not, either.
Trends Biochem Sci 34(5):217-23 (2009)
Four stages of a scientific discipline; four types of scientist.
Alexander M Shneider
Cure Lab, 43 Rybury Hillway, Needham, MA 02492, USA.
In this article I propose the classification of the evolutionary stages that a scientific discipline evolves through and the type of scientists that are the most productive at each stage. I believe that each scientific discipline evolves sequentially through four stages. Scientists at stage one introduce new objects and phenomena as subject matter for a new scientific discipline. To do this they have to introduce a new language adequately describing the subject matter. At stage two, scientists develop a toolbox of methods and techniques for the new discipline. Owing to this advancement in methodology, the spectrum of objects and phenomena that fall into the realm of the new science are further understood at this stage. Most of the specific knowledge is generated at the third stage, at which the highest number of original research publications is generated. The majority of third-stage investigation is based on the initial application of new research methods to objects and/or phenomena. The purpose of the fourth stage is to maintain and pass on scientific knowledge generated during the first three stages. Groundbreaking new discoveries are not made at this stage. However, new ways to present scientific information are generated, and crucial revisions are often made of the role of the discipline within the constantly evolving scientific environment. The very nature of each stage determines the optimal psychological type and modus operandi of the scientist operating within it. Thus, it is not only the talent and devotion of scientists that determines whether they are capable of contributing substantially but, rather, whether they have the 'right type' of talent for the chosen scientific discipline at that time. Understanding the four different evolutionary stages of a scientific discipline might be instrumental for many scientists in optimizing their career path, in addition to being useful in assembling scientific teams, precluding conflicts and maximizing productivity. The proposed model of scientific evolution might also be instrumental for society in organizing and managing the scientific process. No public policy aimed at stimulating the scientific process can be equally beneficial for all four stages. Attempts to apply the same criteria to scientists working on scientific disciplines at different stages of their scientific evolution would be stimulating for one and detrimental for another. In addition, researchers operating at a certain stage of scientific evolution might not possess the mindset adequate to evaluate and stimulate a discipline that is at a different evolutionary stage. This could be the reason for suboptimal implementation of otherwise well-conceived scientific policies. DOI: 10.1016/j.tibs.2009.02.002
会散时美教授身边也有一堆人围着问问题，我插到空档，立刻就打了招呼开口自
我介绍，还递上了一篇我所发文章的单行本，美教授一手接过单行本，我立刻把
我的想法说给美教授听，刚说了一句，美教授才刚刚眼睛扫过单行本封面，就眼
也不抬地问我"你用不用韦伯函数？"我一听如雷灌顶，知道对路子了，赶忙说
用，我就是用韦伯函数算的。美教授这才抬头看我一眼，"你似乎正在正确地接
近问题(It seems that you are approching the problem correctly)."。立刻，
别人又插
上来问美教授问题了，我只来得及挤出一句"thank you"。
鬼节的另一好处是促进人们的交往。欧洲和拉美国家有狂欢节，有关狂欢节让人们一时抛弃身份地位的平等作用，在社会学和文学批评中的论述已是汗牛充栋。美国的鬼节虽然没有那么狂，那么欢，那么大面积地“一夜平权”，但在这个理论上没有社会等级，而实事上因经济差异还相当不平等的社会里，鬼节起到了与狂欢节很近似的作用。白天，工作单位里无论是总裁还是职工，大家都换上奇装异服，扮上鬼脸，一反平日正襟危坐的严肃模样，嘻嘻哈哈一天。虽然一年只是这么一天，其效果却令人难以想象。那些平日不待见的人，如果带上了丑陋的面具，你可以痛痛快快地告诉他：“你今天比往常好看多了！”他就是爱生气，也不会生气，俩人在笑声中可能就开始亲近了。如果是老板来了，你不妨直说：“我真希望你老戴着这种面具，比那一本正经的面孔可亲多了。”多数人可能会因此而有所改进。晚上，带着化了装的孩子，拎着小桶，在社区里转悠，只要门口亮灯，就去敲门高叫：“Trick or treat！”无论是深宅大院，还是柴扉小屋，主人都会友善地出来，欣赏你给孩子的装扮，甚至假装吓得半死，再给孩子们一些糖果。在欢笑中，邻里亲近了。即便是平日里“鸡犬之声相闻，老死不相往来”的那种美国人，今晚也会门户大开，以笑脸和糖果相迎，而绝不会像杜甫那样，因为小孩子拿走几根茅草而哭天抹泪地哀怨（真不懂这老夫子怎么还可能大庇天下众寒士）。当然，你自己也应准备好糖果。尤其是没有小孩子的人家，你要是不出门，就等邻居来访，别关着灯，一屋死气沉沉，连鬼都不上门，自绝于这热热闹闹的大千世界。
The one on the left is missing something...K. Welsh, Alamy / R. Cyril, BIOSphoto, Still Pictures
Nature（McLean, C. Y. et al. Nature 471, 216-219 (2011)）发表了一篇斯坦福大学科学家们的研究文章，他们要研究人类的某些独特特性到底是如何进化来的。和以前不同的是，他们并没有研究人类在进化过程中如何获得基因或者是旧的基因获得新的功能，而是和人类的近亲黑猩猩的基因组比较，看人类在进化过程中，‘丢失’了哪些DNA。经过比较，他们发现人类的基因组上竟然比黑猩猩少了510段DNA序列，而这些序列基本都属于基因组的非编码区。非编码区或内含子的DNA以前被一些一知半解的科普作者说成是毫无用处的‘垃圾基因’或‘垃圾DNA’,甚至被用来证明人类不是上帝设计的证据
（方舟子：总之，内含子和假基因都是生物在长期的进化过程中堆积下来的垃圾。这类垃圾，是生物进化的最好的证据，也是对于存在智能设计者的观点的最有力的否定。）
1954年美国乔治敦大学，在IBM公司的支持下，进行了第一次机器翻译试验，把俄文译成了英文。五年之后，1959年中国试验成功了俄汉机器翻译。当年，由于计算机软硬件能力有限，只能在有限的范围内进行很简单的翻译试验。如今，机器容量和速度已不成问题，翻译能力大增，在线翻译也已实现。但总的说来，还有不少问题。例如， Google的翻译工具，把I don’t go to the party 和 I didn’t go to the party 都翻译成“我没有去参加派对”。
1) [英译中] I played basketball at school this morning.
我打了今天上午在学校的篮球。[Google]
我在学校打篮球，今天上午。[Baidu]
[中译英] 我今天上午在学校打篮球了。
This morning I played basketball in school. [Google]
Today I am playing basketball at school. [Baidu]
2) This black granite wall includes the names of over 58,000 American soldiers who died or disappeared during the Vietnam War.
这个黑色花岗岩墙包括超过58,800人死亡或在越南战争期间失踪的美国士兵的名字。[Google]
这个黑色的花岗岩壁包括姓名，超过58000名美国士兵死亡或失踪，在越南战争。[Baidu]
3) The newest of the Presidential memorials is dedicated to Franklin Delano Roosevelt. Located in west Potomac Park, it includes four open air rooms made of rough granite blocks. The four rooms symbolize the four terms that President Roosevelt served guiding the nation through the Great Depression and World War ll.
在我朋友的这个具体例子中；朋友信任方舟子，可方舟子控制信息，只让这位朋友看到了那张五岳散人一脸凶相，领着木刀的照片。这样再理性的人（我的朋友是理科生），他不可避免地对散人产生恶感，一旦你对一个人产生了恶感，你再去看有关这个人的全部信息，你的眼睛只会看到那些“尊重”你的感觉的信息；英文叫：You see what you want to see（你只看到你想看到的东西）。这就是我们人人下意识的信息选择性！
【立委按】要说这世界雷锋并没有绝迹，远在天边，近在眼前，咱科网就有。不过因为大数据时代了，信息泛滥，人心浮躁，雷锋们比较矮小，常被视为无物而已。不必谦虚，自举不避嫌，立博（立委博客）就是一例。单说这 n 年如一日编发【镜子大全】，洋洋洒洒百万言。连铁石心肠的毛委员都会被感动，说：一个人做点好事并不难，难的是天天做好事。今天再添一好事，编发【唐老师网文钩沉】一篇，与各位分享。
【立委按】见过能侃的，这么能侃的还真不多见。显然作者读书涉猎很广，也比较善于思考，表达能力更了得。他对大数据前景的描述还是有参阅价值的，虽然有些事例显然是张冠李戴。比如关于“开除一个语言学家，则系统质量就提高几个百分点”是一个NLP历史上著名的掌故，讲的是近20年前 IBM 实验室的语音系统（见【立委随笔：文傻和理呆的世纪悲剧】），却被按到现代的 Google Translate 项目上。
Trends Biochem Sci 34(5):217-23 (2009)
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