-Einstein
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Recently, I was reading Goodbye, the Times of Mediocrity. One point in the book caught my attention: Bruce Weinberg and BenjiaminJones analyzed 525 Nobel Prize winners in physics, chemistry, physiology and medicine from 1900 to 2008, and these fields showed such a trend that with time, 1905 The average age of winning the Nobel Prize in Physics is 35 years old, and 1985 is 50 years old. Before 1905, 20% of the Nobel Prize was awarded to researchers before the age of 30. After 2000, there are few such geniuses.
In order to verify this view in the book, I consulted relevant research materials, read the above-mentioned relevant research papers, and found more supporting materials, which proved a similar conclusion: the frequency of scientists making important achievements around the age of 30 is decreasing, and the average age of scientific research and creation is gradually increasing.
Some scholars point out that educational experience is the reason for the decline in the output of early innovation research results.
This is an interesting question, which seems to be contrary to the traditional view: educational experience is a stepping stone to important research findings, and the higher the education level, the more opportunities you have to obtain more research results.
There is a data to support this view: from 190 1 to 20 13, 96.8% of the Nobel Prize winners have doctoral degrees.
So, is the late achievement of genius really caused by educational experience?
Is education burdened with injustice?
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Reminiscent of another book recently read, The Collected Works of Einstein, we can read some refreshing views from the words of this great scientist who initiated a new era of physics.
As we all know, Einstein was only 26 years old when he put forward the famous photon hypothesis, just an ordinary Swiss Bern Patent examiners. It is because of his explanation of photoelectric effect that he won the Nobel Prize in Physics after 16.
In the anthology, Einstein recalled his study experience in Zurich University of Technology, Switzerland. Before graduation, he concentrated on two exams. He said, "People have to cram all this rubbish into their heads for exams, whether they like it or not. The result of this compulsion made me cringe, so that after I passed the final exam, I was disappointed with any thinking about scientific issues for a whole year. "
"It is a miracle that modern teaching methods have not completely killed the sacred curiosity of studying problems, because this fragile seedling needs not only encouragement but also freedom; Without freedom, it will inevitably perish. "
Modern education in Einstein's eyes is so gloomy that the author, a scholar who didn't accept "modern education" until he was 27 years old, felt chilling after reading it.
From Einstein's point of view, combined with conclusive data, it seems that it can be inferred that genius comes late and is related to modern educational experience.
If this proposition holds, how sad it is.
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However, in fact, the reality is so sad.
Judging from the educational experience in China, regardless of special circumstances such as studying ahead of time and skipping classes, if all goes well, Ben Shuobo will not graduate from Ph.D. until he is 27 at the earliest. The research paper at the beginning of this paper also pointed out: "After analyzing 525 Nobel Prize winners, the frequency of scientists obtaining doctoral degrees before the age of 25 decreased."
According to the author's reading experience, I have to deal with all kinds of entrance exams, academic exams and qualification exams (especially CET-4 and CET-6, and how many people's gloomy memories of four years in college are related to this). By the master's degree and doctor's degree, I'm tired of dealing with papers and boss's topics. ...
In such an environment, it is really difficult for domestic scholars to have a genius discovery or creation around the age of 30. However, the famous "Young Genius Class" in that year, after its brilliance and brilliance faded, people realized that pulling out seedlings would only give birth to the regret of hurting Zhong Yong.
Because I haven't experienced foreign education, I dare not speculate, but it can be easily found through the omnipotent Google that the graduation age of a doctor of science and engineering (5 years) in the United States is about 32 years old+.
Years of study and accumulation not only laid a solid foundation for future scientific research, but also accumulated a heavy link in my resume.
As for the study exam for so many years, who knows if it has killed precious creativity?
After 30 years of ups and downs, I became a genius.
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But it's hard to believe that genius is late just because of his educational experience. In fact, we can find a more reasonable reason.
(1) The peak age of scientific research achievements is generally 22 years old. In other words, if you are engaged in research work in a certain industry at the age of 20, it will be the peak of scientific research and creation after 42 years. Homer, rushton and others analyzed 1000 researchers.
(2) The division of labor in modern science is more and more complicated, and it is more and more difficult to find and judge major scientific research achievements.
(3) With more and more scientists in the field of professional research and more and more fierce competition, it is difficult for researchers who have just set foot in this field to achieve breakthrough results.
(4) Studying for employment, seeking a better livelihood, and studying for utility are prevalent. Scientific research needs long-term lonely and arduous exploration, while short-term utilitarian research is difficult to obtain significant scientific research results.
(5) Living in the information society, the high development of the Internet brings convenience as well as explosive information. People need to deal with more and more information, especially fragmented information, which takes up limited precious time.
There may be many reasons for the above. The author has no intention to excuse education, but only wants to arouse readers' thinking and discussion on this issue.
How can education keep up with the needs of the times? How can educational forms help the educated to innovate and create better?
I also remembered Einstein's words: "Education with freedom of action and self-responsibility is better than education relying on training, external authority and pursuit of fame and fortune."
In fact, through education, the educated are cultivated with good character, sound personality, independent thinking and insight, which is the success of education.
It doesn't matter if the genius is late, as long as it succeeds!
Note 1: data source, men weili,, delayed research of nobel science prize, j, journal of China science and technology information society, 2015,34 (4).