Taming theory with thought experiments: Understanding and scientific progress

I claim that one way thought experiments contribute to scientific progress is by increasing scientific understanding. Understanding does not have a currently accepted characterization in the philosophical literature, but I argue that we already have ways to test for it. For instance, current pedagogical practice often requires that students demonstrate being in either or both of the following two states: 1) Having grasped the meaning of some relevant theory, concept, law or model, 2) Being able to apply that theory, concept, law or model fruitfully to new instances. Three thought experiments are presented which have been important historically in helping us pass these tests, and two others that cause us to fail. Then I use this operationalization of understanding to clarify the relationships between scientific thought experiments, the understanding they produce, and the progress they enable. I conclude that while no specific instance of understanding (thus conceived) is necessary for scientific progress, understanding in general is.     

科技进步对经济增长作用的分析

以把经济系统看作是一类生灭过程而建立的宏观经济分布参数模型为基础 ,研究科技进步与经济增长的关系 .通过对资产发展方程的研究 ,分别讨论了积累率、劳动力和科技进步以及它们对经济增长的作用 .通过分析 ,进而指出只有依靠蕴含无穷潜力的科技进步才能保证国民经济持续、健康、快速的发展 ,才能真正提高人民的生活水平 .     

从主观文化类同到文化利用——科学之于基督教与科学之于儒学的共同特征

当科学作为外来文化与基督教和儒学分别相遇时,基督教和儒学的捍卫者采取的反应十分相似：无论是基督教父的“希腊哲学源自《旧约》”说还是中国儒士的“西学中源”说都是先让科学“认祖归宗”,这在客观上确立了科学在本已文化中的地位;基督教父的“婢女传统”和中国儒士的“中体西用”说则进一步限定了科学与本己文化之间的从属关系。从“希腊哲学源自《旧约》”说和“西学中源”说到“婢女传统”和“中体西用”说,反映了一个从主观文化类同到文化利用的文化交流过程。     

Scientists and their cultural heritage: Knowledge,politics and ambivalent relationships

For many years, scientific heritage has received attention from multiple actors from different spheres of activity—archives, museums, scientific institutions. Beyond the heterogeneity revealed when examining the place of scientific heritage in different places, an authentic patrimonial configuration emerges and takes the form of a nebula of claims and of accomplishments that result, in some cases, in institutional and political recognition at the national level, in various country all around the world. At the international level, the creation of the international committee dedicated to University Museums and Collections (UMAC) within the International Council of Museums (ICOM) certainly testified from this raising interest in academic heritage and the existence of a specific community concern with it.This article presents numerous initiatives for the preservation of scientific heritage in France, with the goal of analysing the relationship scientists have with their heritage. We argue that scientific communities have a special relationship with heritage, which is characterized by a number of ambiguities. We show that such ambivalences allow analysis of identity, discipline, professional, and social issues operative in defining heritage and being redefined by heritage. To explore these dimensions, we have chosen to present three different case studies. The first traces the institutional uses of heritage by a scientific institution, the Commissariat à l’énergie atomique (CEA), through the transformation of the first French atomic reactor (ZOE) into a museum. The second example describes the initiatives of French astronomers from the mid-1990s to construct a national programme for the protection of astronomy heritage. Lastly, we recount the case of universities, with the example of the Université de Strasbourg.     

韩国科技管理体制发展与演变探析

自20世纪60年代以来,韩国的科技发展取得了巨大的成就,其科技管理体制发挥了重要的作用.针对韩国科技管理体制形成与发展演变过程中经历的科技管理体系初步形成,以科技部为宏观管理决策部门的集中协调型管理体制,以及李明博政府对科技管理体制的重大调整等三个重要阶段进行了系统的分析研究,并对韩国科技管理体制的特点进行了总结和讨论.     

跨越数字鸿沟之思考

由经济全球化和信息化所导致的“数字鸿沟”,将会进一步拉大我国与发达国家、国内区域及社会群体之间的差距,这不利于我国经济发展、社会进步和综合国力的提高。而跨越“数字鸿沟”需要政府、学校、企业和社会各阶层参与,同时也需要加强国际间的交流与合作。     

浅析武汉科技大学合并后统一图书分类的工作

阐述了高校图书馆合并后统一图书分类法工作的紧迫性,探讨了统一图书分类法的方案、原则、方法及步骤,分析了在统一图书分类的实际工作中会出现的具体问题,指出《中图法》是分类标引标准化的发展方向.     

人文背景下阮冈纳赞《图书馆学五定律》的新解读

从阮冈纳赞的《图书馆学五定律》着手,论述了五定律中所蕴涵的以人为本的理念,强调了在新时期的图书馆管理中应该通过树立以人为本理念来激发整个图书馆的能动性、积极性和创造性。     

茶多酚在帕金森病中的神经保护作用研究进展

帕金森病(Parkinson’s disease,PD)是一种常见的神经退行性疾病.茶叶中特有的多酚类物质在预防神经退行性疾病方面具有重要作用.大量的体外研究表明,茶多酚在PD中通过抗氧化、铁螯合、抑制α-突触核蛋白聚集和调节细胞内信号通路等机制发挥神经保护作用.综述了茶多酚在PD模型动物和临床研究中的神经保护作用,对今后茶多酚在抗PD的研究中存在的问题和发展趋势给出了建议.     

茯砖茶主要化学成分及其功效研究进展

茯砖茶属于黑茶中的珍贵品种,为后发酵茶,具有极特殊的发花工艺。其特别风味和保健功效深受消费者青睐。为茯砖茶得到更好地研究与开发,就茯砖茶所富含的茶多酚、茶多糖、氨基酸、咖啡碱等多种成分及其减肥降脂、降血糖、抗氧化等保健功效进行综述,同时探讨了目前茯砖茶研究过程中存在的问题,展望了茯砖茶未来的发展前景,对茯砖茶的进一步加工利用奠定了基础。