According to China Science News, on July 8, Yan Ningxin, a national pacesetter for meritorious achievements, winner of the "China Outstanding Young Female Scientist Award", founding president of the Shenzhen Academy of Medical Sciences (preparation) and director of Shenzhen Bay Laboratory, posted a Weibo, which stirred up thousands of waves in the hearts of many scientific research novices.
She recently participated in a doctoral student exemption interview, and the people who can enter this round of interviews are basically the most qualified undergraduate and master students in the field of biomedicine in China.
Outside of the regular Q&A, she asked almost everyone a question with no standard answer:
Assuming that after 10 years, you have become a PI (Principal Investigator) and you have all the resources you need (excellent research team, sufficient funding, perfect experimental equipment, a lot of time), then what are the scientific questions you most want to explore? In other words, what are the scientific problems or technical problems in this life, can you solve or break through, and you feel that there are no regrets in this life?
The result? "There were more than 20 students, but none of them answered my eyes."
Yan Ning said: "I reflected on whether it was too early to ask this question for undergraduates, but I always expected one or two students to talk about it with a big brain-birth, old age, illness and death are all life science research objects, is there really nothing that people want to study from the heart?" ”
As expected, the comment section of this Weibo is very lively.
Some people expressed their understanding of these students: "The interviewee will worry that if something he says does not meet your heart or reveals some scientific potential that you don't like, he will be eliminated... Too idealistic is not landed, too realistic is not visionary, too affectionate is ridiculous, too commercial is philistine, and interviews are not the place to share ideas. ”
Some people think that although the students' answers are not ideal, the question itself is valuable: "It's too early to ask undergraduates, but after you ask, maybe a few people will keep asking themselves this question, and they will find their way by asking." ”
Some people said heartily: "It may be difficult for most doctoral graduates to give a bright answer." ”
On July 10, Yan Ning reposted this Weibo again, saying, "I received an email early in the morning, and I suddenly felt that 'the world is another me'. Some netizens in the comment area began to understand Yan Ning's question, "The sympathy when views collide is a very beautiful moment. ”
In 2023
China Women's Daily
Source: China Youth Daily, China Science News (reporter Li Chenyang), The Paper, @nyouyou, netizen comments, etc