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1、2019年加州理工院长98任职演说 加州理工院长98任职演说 加州理工院长98任职演说 InauguralAddre Dr.DavidBaltimore March9,1998 Representativesofacademia,electedofficials,ChairmanMooreandothermembersoftheBoardofTrustees,formerPresidentsofCaltech,alumni,Aociates,membersofthefaculty,students,staff-includingalloftheJetPropulsionLaboratorype
2、rsoelattendingelectronically-formertraineesfrommyover30yearsinresearch,friendsandmembersofthisgreatmunity,Ithankyouallsomuchforbeingheretoday. Universitiesareenduringititutio.Theygotogreateffortstomarkthetraitiooftheirleadershipwiththehonoredandhistoricritualofaninauguration.Butthetruthisthattheycha
3、ngeslowly,andnewchiefadministratorsdonotalterthatmeasuredpace.Thus,thisoverwhelmingevent,markingsuchadeepchangeinmylife,marksbutaslightdeflectionintheestablishedtrajectoryofthisgreatititution.MydeepestgoalaspresidentistomaintaintheeenceofCaltechwhilehelpingitadapttoachangingworld. Iwanttobeginthisad
4、drebythankingallofthemembersoftheCaltechmunityforthewarmwelethatAliceandIhavereceived.YouhavehelpedapairofinveterateEasternersbeemembersoftwouniquesocieties,thesocietyofCaltechandthesocietyofPasadena.Thesearehistoricmunitieswithdeepandwonderfulvalues,andwearesogladtohavejoinedthem. Asanoutsiderhere,
5、IveentthelastfivemonthslearningasmuchasIcanaboutCaltech.IwantedtoprehendtheititutionwellenoughtobeabletohelpitsolvetheinevitableproblemsthatIknowwillarise.Butmoreimportantly,IwantedtodevelopaperectiveonCaltechthatwouldallowmetochoosethekeyelementsonwhichtoworkwiththefaculty-toestablishpriorities. Wh
6、atIfoundisamostremarkableititution.Thedepthofscholarship,therigoroftraining,themitmenttothehighestidealsofpersonalbehaviormakeCaltechaveryecialplace.Itmanagestocoveranextraordinaryrangeofscientificandtechnicalareaswithaminimalfaculty.Ithasprovidedsomanynewexcitementsforonetrainedinbiologythatithasbe
7、enacontinualfeastforme,andIknowthattherearemanymorefinemealsawaitingme.Itisanititutionthatseeminglylacksacrisis,allowingmetheluxuryofalongperiodofcontemplation.Forthisreite,IowemuchtotheseitivestewardshipofmypredeceorTomEverhart.IstandinaweofCaltechspantheonwhobuiltthisrareititution:Everhart,Goldber
8、ger,Brown,DuBridge,Millikan,Noyes,andHale.Whatanacttohavetofollow. AsIhavegatheredknowledgeaboutCaltech,questiohaveoccurredtomewhoseawerscanprovideperectiveforsettingpriorities.ThatisthepositionIminnow-manyquestio,fewawers.Thus,IthoughtIwouldframethisaddrearoundthequestio.Itisanopeninvitationtothema
9、nycotituenciesonthecampustoparticipateinadialogue-theBoardofTrustees,faculty,administrators,students,staff,alumni,andthevariousfriendsofCaltechwhoprovidesuort.Thus,Iwillinthistalkposeanumberofquestio,explainwhyIraisethem,anddrawoutsomeoftheirimplicatio. ThefirstofmyquestioiswhetherCaltechistrulyimmu
10、nefromthewindsblowingthroughAmericanacademiclife.Iraisethisbecausethelastdecadehasbeenastormyoneforacademia,withmanyquestioningtheverybasisofscholarshipinboththehumanitiesandthesciences.Thequestionmightbewhetherbyfocusingonscienceandtechnology,Caltechhewstoeternaltruths,orwhethertheself-criticismtha
11、ttheintellectualworldhasembracedinthelastdecadeshasilledoverintoourbastionofrationality.TheawerIsuectmostwouldgivehereisthatwhiletheculturewarsandthesciencewarshavebeenfuriouslyengagedonthestreetsofBerkeley,NewHaven,Cambridge,andParis,inPasadenatheprogreofsciencecontinuesquietlyandunabated.Notthatwe
12、dontreflectonouractivitiesorevenhaveourparticipantsinthewarwehaveallofthat.Itsjustthatwehaveaolutesinwhichwebelieve.Wehaveaolutezeroonthetemperaturescale,weknowthatnothingexceedstheeedoflight. Itisinterestingtocontemplatewhatwouldhaenifourastronomersmeasuredaredshiftindicatingthatagalaxywasrecedingf
13、romusfasterthantheeedoflight.Orifwesomehowrecordedatemperatureofaolutezero,ormadeaperpetualmotionmachine.Inthesesituatio,theexperimentwouldreceivethedeepestscrutinyandonlyintheunlikelycasethatitsurvivedwouldtheoryeintoquestion.Remembercoldfusion.Butwearewillingtoquestionouraolutes.Ouraolutesarenotso
14、aolute-theyawaitanexperimentthatcontradictsthem.Theyaretentativeaolutes,andwearefortablewiththem,needingnodailyreminderofthethreatthateachexperimentposestoourfort.Thatisthecultureofscience,anditisaecialculturethatwelivewith,weteach,andwebelieveinalmostasareligion.Itisaculturethatisinpreheibletothose
15、whohavenotmanipulatedtheconceptsofscience.Itiulatesusfrommanyoftheself-doubtsofthelargerintellectualworldandallowsustomoveforward. However,weshouldnotbetooplacent.Majorchangesarecoursingthroughacademia.Theyarenottheintellectualchallengesfromwhichourcultureimmunizesutheyaretechnologicdevelopmentsanda
16、nincreasinglymarket-drivenaroachtoeducation.Wearealreadyreondingtothesenewpreures,incorporatingtechnologyandlookingcarefullyatourcostsandprice.Weareinafavorablepositioneconomicallybecauseofourrelativelylowdependenceontuition.Infact,wearealreadyratedthebestbuyineducation.Furthermore,wehaveaecialproduct,andrightnowtheworldwantstobuyit-alicatioareupsome20againthisyear.Theworldrealizeshowwellweprepareyoungpeopletobesci
