Zhou Zhonghe, academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences: Humanistic spirit is the "soul" of popular science

Academician Zhou Zhonghe

【Interview with Academician】

Scientific knowledge is the skeleton of popular science, while humanistic spirit is the "soul" of popular science. Academician Zhou Zhonghe suggested that popular science workers should constantly strengthen their humanistic qualities, interpret popular science in the macro-humanistic and historical environment, and pay more attention to the promotion and popularization of scientific spirit and scientific culture in popular science activities, so as to make popular science more vivid, interesting and attractive.

At this year's National People's Congress, popular science became a hot topic among delegates and members. Wang Yaping, my country's first "space teacher", proposed that new methods and technologies should be used to transform popular science work from didactic to experiential; Sun Baoguo, chairman of the Chinese Society of Food Science and Technology, called for strengthening the popular science publicity of food safety and health; Guo Jin, deputy director of the Chengjiang Fossil Site World Natural Heritage Museum, suggested increasing support for museum popular science education; Zhou Zhonghe, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and chairman of the China Science Writers Association, suggested actively promoting direct contact between the scientific and technological community and the film and television industry, and that scientific and technological workers could combine their scientific research experience to provide the film and television industry with creative ideas and creative materials, and provide references for the creation of new science fiction IPs...

In recent years, the importance of science popularization has been widely recognized by the society. In September 2022, the General Office of the CPC Central Committee and the General Office of the State Council issued the "Opinions on Further Strengthening the Popularization of Science and Technology in the New Era", which clearly put forward the development goal of "accelerating the formation of a large-scale science popularization pattern with the participation of the whole society". How to accelerate the construction of a large-scale science popularization development pattern and improve the scientific literacy of the whole people through the modernization of science popularization? Science and Technology Daily reporters conducted an exclusive interview with Academician Zhou Zhonghe, who has been active in the front line of science popularization for a long time, on related issues.

Combining science popularization with various humanities and art forms

Reporter: In recent years, science popularization has attracted more and more attention from the society. According to your observation and feelings, what changes have taken place in the form and content of science popularization in recent years?

Zhou Zhonghe: The forms and contents of popular science are becoming more and more diverse. Many unique popular science brands have emerged, such as the "Tiangong Classroom" in the aerospace field; the "Science and Technology Yard" that promotes rural revitalization and focuses on the promotion of agricultural science and technology; there are also many popular science self-media brands, such as the "Academician Wang Pinxian" popular science Douyin account.

In the successful practice of the above-mentioned science popularization brands, the integration of science popularization and new media technology is a very obvious feature. Posting on Weibo, WeChat public account articles, and Douyin live broadcasts are all new forms of science popularization, and these platforms are also new positions that science popularization workers need to adapt to. Science popularization workers need to keep up with the trend of communication and popularize science in a popular form that the people like to hear and see. In the process of science popularization, they should use more short videos, pictures, and music, and interact more with science popularization audiences.

Reporter: At the beginning of this year, science fiction TV series such as "The Wandering Earth 2" and "The Three-Body Problem" became very popular, and the integration of science fiction and humanities and arts has become more and more in-depth. In your opinion, under such a background of integration, what development trend will science popularization present in the future?

Zhou Zhonghe: Many scientific consultants participated in the creation of TV series such as The Wandering Earth 2 and The Three-Body Problem, and provided a lot of help in worldview construction, concept map design, and scientific review of storylines. With the in-depth communication between the film and television industry and the science and technology community, the industry norms and service system for scientific consultants to participate in the creation of science fiction films and TV series have been gradually improved. Scientific consultants will also provide more scientific support for the creation of science fiction films and TV series, and the scientific nature of science fiction films and TV series will be further strengthened in the future.

I recently participated in the recording of the popular science and culture education program "Big Master" on Beijing Satellite TV. This program has a strong "variety show feel" and adopts a production mode of full-scale real-life visits. It spreads the scientific spirit of "rational questioning, truth-seeking and pragmatism" by setting suspense and telling stories. With the advent of the era of big science popularization, the boundaries between natural sciences, social sciences, and humanities are being broken, and science is marrying literature and art to form a more diversified way of expression. Combining education with entertainment and various humanities and art forms such as variety shows and talk shows is the trend of future science popularization development, and science popularization will also better spread scientific knowledge and scientific spirit.

Let more researchers do high-quality science popularization

Reporter: At present, there is still a lot of "pseudo-popular science" in society. In your opinion, what standards should good popular science meet?

Zhou Zhonghe: When conducting science popularization, science popularization workers should respect basic scientific facts and explain problems with a rigorous scientific attitude, "one is one, two is two", and say "unclear" for unclear content, and not be vague or randomly paste scientific knowledge. When it comes to scientific predictions, I hope the public will have a certain degree of tolerance for scientists. In many cases, predictions are not necessarily absolutely accurate as a reference.

Good popular science, like movies, must be both a box office success and a good reputation. Specifically, popular science must be rigorous and trendy, popular and humanistic. Excellent and classic popular science meets these requirements. The science fiction movie "Jurassic Park" had a high box office and inspired young people to love life sciences. The columns written by Stephen J. Gould, a famous evolutionary biologist and popular science writer, were later compiled into a book and published. It was very popular with readers and made many people interested in paleontology and evolution.

Scientific knowledge is the skeleton of popular science, while humanistic spirit is the "soul" of popular science. At present, most of the popular science in my country can be fashionable and popular, but it is still lacking in humanistic connotation and humanistic literacy. I suggest that popular science workers continue to strengthen their own humanistic literacy, interpret popular science in the macro-humanistic and historical environment, and pay more attention to the promotion and popularization of scientific spirit and scientific culture in popular science activities, so as to make popular science more vivid, interesting and attractive.

Reporter: What suggestions do you have for encouraging scientific researchers to participate in science popularization activities?

Zhou Zhonghe: In fact, popular science is a social responsibility undertaken by scientific research institutions and the vast majority of scientific and technological workers. Both scientific research and popular science work require the time and energy of scientific researchers. I have invested a lot of time in popular science work, and sometimes I am entangled in the question of "whether to spend so much time". Therefore, this requires a good balance. At the same time, popular science work also requires the country to introduce incentive policies at the institutional and mechanism level, change many educational concepts, and encourage scientific researchers to devote more resources and time to support popular science work, so that popular science becomes "part of the job". In the future, I will continue to adhere to popular science, and will engage in popular science work more flexibly and efficiently.

In the process of forming a large-scale science popularization pattern, the competent departments at all levels undoubtedly play a significant guiding and traction role. As the saying goes, cadres set a good example and the masses are motivated. The leaders of scientific research institutions, especially the academicians with influence and appeal, can take the lead in doing some science popularization work, strengthen the combination of science popularization and scientific research, and provide necessary support and guarantee for the development of science popularization, so as to encourage more scientific researchers to participate in science popularization activities.

At the same time, I believe that the public opinion environment, especially within the scientific community, needs to recognize the value and significance of popular science work and should not arbitrarily label it as "not doing one's job". The recognition and attention of the public opinion environment can reduce the psychological burden of some scientific researchers participating in popular science activities and allow them to take on the social responsibility of popular science more actively.

Accurately understand and grasp “equally important”

Reporter: How do you understand "Scientific and technological innovation and popularization of science are the two wings for achieving innovative development, and popularization of science should be placed on an equal footing with scientific and technological innovation"?

Zhou Zhonghe: First of all, "equal importance" cannot be narrowly understood as the need to give "the same funding". It is a qualitative value metaphor, that is, to regard science popularization as equally important as scientific and technological innovation. Science popularization is closely related to the scientific literacy and scientific education level of the whole people. Improving the quality and efficiency of science popularization work will be conducive to the cultivation of national innovation culture and innovative talents, and will also promote the continuous development of scientific and technological innovation.

To achieve the simultaneous development of science popularization and technological innovation, I believe that we should provide funding support for science popularization from the top-level design, and make careful arrangements in terms of talent training and incentive mechanisms. At the same time, the competent departments of various industries should fulfill their administrative management responsibilities for science popularization, various media should play an important role in communication channels, and the whole society should create an atmosphere of loving science and advocating innovation. At present, the Science Popularization Law is being revised, and the establishment and improvement of a series of related systems are expected to escort the science popularization work in the new era.

Reporter: At present, there is a clear imbalance in the scientific literacy of Chinese citizens between urban and rural areas. How can we promote the development of rural science popularization?

Zhou Zhonghe: Science teachers are the initiators and guides of the scientific dreams of rural youth, and are also an important force in popularizing science in rural areas. Rural schools are in urgent need of professional science teachers. I hope that relevant departments will implement policies such as the "Notice on Strengthening the Training of Primary School Science Teachers" to strengthen the construction of rural science teacher teams.

Rural science workers can make full use of digital resources to enrich scientific education content, such as MOOCs, public science lectures on various media, etc. At the same time, they can tap into local and nearby science resources, for example, make full use of science venues in surrounding areas, and cooperate with local science and technology commissioners and other science and technology workers to carry out special theme science activities.

Social forces play an important role in promoting the prosperity of science popularization. Public welfare organizations and private enterprises can invite some scientists to carry out science popularization activities in rural areas if conditions permit. Publishing organizations can donate some science popularization books to rural primary and secondary schools and libraries.

Source: Science and Technology Daily

Intern reporter: Sun Yu