DavidTang（鄧永鏘）
In1930,AlbertEinsteinarrivedinHollywod.CharlieChaplininvitedhimtodinner.Canyouimaginebeingpresentatthisdinner?IwouldlovetohavetalkedtoChaplin.ButIwouldlovealotmoretohavetalkedtoEinstein.Einsteinisthegeniusofgeniuses.Asaschoolboy,Iwasrivetedbyhistheoriesofrelativity.Ididn'tunderstandthem.ButIwasriveted.SomuchsothatIappliedtoreadtheoreticalphysicsatuniversity.Iwantedtolearn,understandandknowmore.ItwasallbecauseofEinstein.
ButneitherofmychildrenareinanywayfascinatedbyEinstein.Stillless,mywife.Onthecontrary,theyshownotanatomofinterest.Theypositivelycringeattheideaofphysics—andchemistryandbiologyandmathematics.Theyarenotalone.Ifindtheoverwhelmingmajorityofyoungpeopletodaywithnofascinationforsciences.Mostofmyadultfriendsareevenworse.Theyallthinksciencesaretoocomplicated.Andexceedinglyboring.
ButIwishmorepeoplewouldtakethetroubleoftryingtounderstandsciences.Iagreethatanefforthastobemade.Moreofaneffortthan,say,readingandappreciatingapieceofliteratureorart.Butitisrewardingtobeatleastalittle"scientific".It'sallaboutknowledge—importantknowledgeaboutthewayinwhichwelive.Somanythingswetakeforgranted:theweather,thefloraandfaunaaroundus,ourbodies,themachinesweuse,etc.etc.Yet,weseldomaskwhy,whatandhow.Whyistheskyblue?Whatmakesplantgreen?Howdobatsfly?(Whydotheyalwaysleaveacavebyturningleft?)Whydoweblink?Howdoremotecontrolswork?BillBryson,averyfunnywriter,startedaskingthesesortsofquestionsrecently.Hewasnotscientificatall.Infact,hewasboredstiffofsciencesatschool.Buthedecidedtospend3yearslearningsciences.Hehasjustpublishedtheresult:abestsellercalled"AShortHistoryofNearlyEverything".Itisawonderfulread.Ican'trecommenditenough.Especiallytothosewhothinktheyhavenointerestwhatsoeverinscience.Tryreadingit.Andyouwillseewhatjoyalittleeffortcanbring.Howatotallyunscientificamateurcanunderstandsomuchscience.Andtherefore,somanythingsaroundus.Iwouldgofurther.Ibelieveweshouldnotbeputoffbysymbols.Symbolsbywhichagreatdealofscienceisrepresented.
TakeE=mc 2 .(Mywifeclaimsthatshegetsaheadachewhensheseesthis.)'E'isenergy.'m'ismass.'c'isthespeedoflight(avastnumber:l86,000,000milespersecond).SowhatdoesEinstein'sfamousequationimply?Itimpliesthatthereisadirectconnectionbetweenenergyandmass.Andbecauseoftheimmensemultipleofthespeedoflight,thereisanimmenseamountofenergythatcanbereleasedfromasmallmass.IFIcanreleasealltheenergyinmybody,Iwouldexplodewiththeforceof30largehydrogenbombs.Thankfully,physicsdoesnotallowmetounlockallthatenergy.Notyet,anyway.Otherwise,itwouldbequiteusefulwhenIwanttomakeapoint.
Butperhapsthegreatestturn-offformanyismathematics.Here,thesymbolsbecomemorecomplicated.Withformulaeandequations,weareoftenputoffabinitio.Butweneednotbecomemathematicianstoenjoyandlearnfrommathematics.Thinkofallthefunfromdealingwithsymbols.Symbolsalsomakeusunderstandmorethemagicandeleganceofmathematics.Thisinturnmakesusmoreintelligent.Becausesymbolicrepresentationisapowerfulweaponforunderstanding.Andthereforeknowledge.Justimagineifyoucanunderstandthefollowingparadox:-
Ipromiseyouthattounderstandthis,onlysecondaryschoolmathematicsisrequired.Butfornon-mathematicians,anefforthastobemade.Yet,whenitismade,thesatisfactionisglorious.
(Iwillbehappytooffer$2,000tothefirstcorrectentrythatexplainstheparadox.Emailto
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作者為中國會創辦人，文章隔星期一刊出