诺贝尔自然科学奖与基础研究

Nobel Natural Science Prize and Basic Research

文章主要提出并探讨了三个具有内在关联的问题:一是基础研究的类型问题。基础研究是一个随着科学研究实践的发展而演进的范畴,通过对现代科学从"学院科学"向"后学院科学"转变的历史考析,得出基础研究的范畴已从只是"纯基础研究"的一种类型拓展为包括"纯基础研究"和"定向基础研究"两种类型的结论,结合诺贝尔自然科学奖获得者从事基础研究的实际案例,对这两种不同类型的基础研究范畴做出了新的阐释。二是诺贝尔自然科学奖获得者从事基础研究的比重究竟有多大。通过对诺贝尔自然科学奖获得者从事基础研究(分为"纯基础研究"与"定向基础研究")与应用研究获奖工作的人数与比例的统计分析,发现高达90%左右的科学家是由于在基础科学领域取得重大原始性创新成果而被授予诺贝尔自然科学奖的,彰显了权威的诺贝尔自然科学奖对基础研究的"偏爱",从而显示出基础研究的重要意义。三是诺贝尔自然科学奖获得者是如何从事基础研究的。依据真实、丰富而鲜活的思想资料,运用案例分析法,深入分析和揭示了他们作为科学精英在基础科学领域取得重大原始性创新成果的"奥秘"。

Three interrelated issues are explored in this paper. The first is about the category of basic re- search. The paper points out that the scope of basic research evolves with the progress of the practice of scientific research. Based on a close examination of the historical transformation of modern science from ＂ academic science＂ to the ＂post-academic science＂ , it argues that the scope of basic research has expanded. Besides ＂ pure basic research＂, there appears the new category of ＂ oriented basic research＂. These two categories are explained and interpreted in relation to the actual cases of basic research by Nobel Laureates for natural science prize. The second issue is about the percentage of Nobel Laureates for natural science prize involved in basic research. Through a statistical analysis of the Nobel Laureates for natural science prize, it finds out that against the application research, as high as 90% of these scientists were awarded the prizes for their major original a- chievements in the basic research area. This finding attests to the Nobel prize＇s ＂ preference＂ for basic research and the significance of basic research. The third issue concerns how these Nobel Laureates carry out the basic research. Supported by concrete and rich materials from their intellectual life, the paper tries to reveal how these Nobel Laureates managed to make the major achievements that are truly innovative and groundbreaking.