201012一Intheearly20thcentury,fewthingsweremoreappealingthanthepromiseofscientificknowledge.Inaworldstrugglingwithrapidindustrialization,scienceandtechnologyseemedtooffersolutionstoalmosteveryproblem.Newlycreatedstatecollegesanduniversitiesdevotedthemselvesalmostentirelytoscientific,technological,andengineeringfields.ManyAmericanscametobelievethatscientificcertaintycouldnotonlysolvescientificproblems,butalsoreformpolitics,government,andbusiness.TwoworldwarsandaGreatDepressionrockedtheconfidenceofmanypeoplethatscientificexpertisealonecouldcreateaprosperousandorderedworld.AfterWorldWarⅡ,theacademicworldturnedwithnewenthusiasmtohumanisticstudies,whichseemedtomanyscholarsthebestwaytoensurethesurvivalofdemocracy.Americanscholarsfannedoutacrossmuchoftheworld—withsupportfromtheFordFoundation,theFulbrightprogram,etc.—topromotetheteachingofliteratureandtheartsinanefforttomakethecasefordemocraticfreedoms.IntheAmericaofourowntime,thegreateducationalchallengehasbecomeanefforttostrengthentheteachingofwhatisnowknownastheSTEMdisciplines(science,technology,engineering,andmath).ThereisconsiderableandjustifiedconcernthattheUnitedStatesisfallingbehindmuchoftherestofthedevelopedworldintheseessentialdisciplines.India,China,Japan,andotherregionsseemtobeseizingtechnologicalleadership.Atthesametime,perhapsinevitably,thehumanities—whilestillpopularinelitecollegesanduniversities—haveexperiencedasignificantdecline.Humanisticdisciplinesareseriouslyunderfunded,notjustbythegovernmentandthefoundationsbutbyacademicinstitutionsthemselves.Humanistsareusuallyamongthelowest-paidfacultymembersatmostinstitutionsandareoftenlightlyregardedbecausetheydonotgenerategrantincomeandbecausetheyprovidenoobviouscredentials(资质)formostnonacademiccareers.UndoubtedlyAmericaneducationshouldtrainmorescientistsandengineers.MuchoftheconcernamongpoliticiansaboutthestateofAmericanuniversitiestodayisfocusedontheabsenceof“realworld”education—whichmeanspreparationforprofessionalandscientificcareers.Buttheideathatinstitutionsortheirstudentsmustdecidebetweenhumanitiesandscienceisfalse.Oursocietycouldnotsurvivewithoutscientificandtechnologicalknowledge.Butwewouldbeequallyimpoverished(贫困的)withouthumanisticknowledgeaswell.Scienceandtechnologyteachuswhatwecando.Humanisticthinkinghelpsusunderstandwhatweshoulddo.Itisalmostimpossibletoimagineoursocietywithoutthinkingoftheextraordinaryachievementsofscientistsandengineersinbuildingourcomplicatedworld.Buttrytoimagineourworldaswellwithouttheremarkableworksthathavedefinedourcultureandvalues.Wehavealwaysneeded,andwestillneed,both.二WillthereeverbeanotherEinstein?ThisistheundercurrentofconversationatEinsteinmemorialmeetingsthroughouttheyear.AnewEinsteinwillemerge,scientistssay.Butitmaytakealongtime.Afterall,morethan200yearsseparatedEinsteinfromhisnearestrival,IsaacNewton.ManyphysicistssaythenextEinsteinhasn’tbeenbornyet,orisababynow.That’sbecausethequestforaunifiedtheorythatwouldaccountforalltheforcesofnaturehaspushedcurrentmathematicstoitslimits.Newmathmustbecreatedbeforetheproblemcanbesolved.ButresearcherssaytherearemanyotherfactorsworkingagainstanotherEinsteinemerginganytimesoon.Foronething,physicsisamuchdifferentfieldtoday.InEinstein’sday,therewereonlyafewthousandphysicistsworldwide,andthetheoreticianswhocouldintellectuallyrivalEinsteinprobablywouldfitintoastreetcarwithseatsto...
