lp28 Some thoughts on how to train, select and support future
cell physiologists
In his book, "Out of My Later Years" (Wings Books, New
York, 1956), Albert Einstein wrote the following:
- "No one could have been taken seriously who failed to
acknowledge the quest for objective truth and knowledge as man's
highest and eternal aim." ( p. 7 in Chapter 4 on Moral Decay).
- "The development of science and of creative activities
of the spirit in general requires still another kind of freedom,
which may be characterized as inward freedom. It is this freedom
of the spirit which consists in the independence of thought from
the restrictions of authoritarian and social prejudices as well
as from unphilosophical routinizing and habit in general. This
inward freedom is an infrequent gift of nature and a worthy objective
for the individual." ( p. 11 in Chapter 6, On Freedom)
- "If a young man has trained his muscles and physical
endurance by gymnastics and walking, he will later be fitted for
every physical work. This is also analogous to the training of
the mind and the exercising of mental and manual skill. Thus the
wit was not wrong who defined education in this way: 'Education
is that which remains, if one has forgotten everything he learned
in school.'"( p.34 in Chapter 9. On Education)
Agreeing with Professor Einstein on these critical comments, I
sketch out some of my own thoughts on how to educate, select and
nurture future generations of young cell physiologists. It must
be emphasized that these are nothing more than rambling thoughts
to be the starting points for future deliberation and discussion.
They are not intended to be anything final or fixed.
- The new system will support individual scientists, rather
than research projects of current interest--- as it stands to
day.
- The best individuals are selected not by their appeals to
peers or the influential people one knows, but by a nation-wide
examination system open to all qualified applicants on subjects
carefully selected and made known to would-be applicants long
in advance. The examination must be skillfully designed so that
it would not just select students skilled at memorizing facts
and even the proficiecy in mastering difficult subjects but that
it would choose those blessed with a purposeful view of life,
a personal integrity and "inner freedom". It would be
a very difficult examination and it is intended to be so.
- Once chosen, the scientists will be given life-time support
for full time continuing self-education and research without teaching/
administrative responsibilities.(This is nothing outlandish. All
Washington bureaucrats enjoy similar life-time support.)
- By choosing the right subjects for the examination, the system
can also guide the education of future scientists. Thus the applicant
should be well versed in all branches of basic physical and mathematical
sciences---which are the "tools" of a cell physiologist---,
but also the history of science in general and of cell physiology
in particular. Special emphasis will be placed on in-depth understanding
the ethical rules of science as well as guidelines for the day-to-day
faultless conduct of a scientist, including the responsibility
to protect the health and integrity of Science of which he or
she is a part.