Don't do successful experiments! Academia Sinica: If you want to break through, you must first endure loneliness
"If a student wants to do an experiment that already knows the results will be successful, I would advise him to "don't do it"!" To innovate, you must first have the backbone and courage to accept failure. This is the belief of Liu Guoping, an academician of the Academia Sinica. In an era where innovation and change are emphasized in everything, Aerosol Science Research Center and General Education Center of Sun Yat-Sen University invited Liu Guoping to share how to cultivate innovative thinking with the topic "How to cultivate innovation by oneself?"
Liu Guoping suggested that the students present should not just ask "why" about a topic but also think about "why not" because the latter can break away from the existing framework, and innovation accepts multiple possibilities. He said that most people are eager to research hot topics because the public easily recognizes them quickly. Still, valuable research needs to have "original ideas, creative research methods, and inspiring for future generations." The three essences are not necessarily hot topics. It is recommended that students try different research topics.
Liu Guoping's career is an example of constantly breaking out of his comfort zone. He has worked in the United States for more than 10 years. Why did he give up his accumulated qualifications in the United States? Liu Guoping said that he had a stable and prosperous life at the time, but he saw that his retired colleagues were lazy and worried that he would also be used to ease and spend the rest of his life in peace. In addition, he hoped to contribute his efforts to Taiwan, so he resolutely quit his job in 1993 and returned to Taiwan with his family. He has served in the Academia Sinica and has continuously made breakthrough discoveries in the field of chemistry.
Liu Guoping pointed out that the innovation environments of the United States and Taiwan are different. The former has a free atmosphere and few restrictions, while Taiwan is more difficult to tolerate unconstrained ideas and asks not to make mistakes. He believes that there is no difference between the advantages and disadvantages of the two. But, if you are not willing to be just a follower, it often takes many trials and errors to become a pioneer. Therefore, he encourages students to have the courage to explore the unknown even if they fail because scientific research cares about the right or wrong results and pays attention to the process of pursuing truth. A student Dong from the Department of Marine Sciences believes that this speech resonates particularly well with students who have entered the laboratory because the truly important research always experiences many failures before it is completed. Unfortunately, the environment in Taiwan does not encourage people to undertake such risks.
At the end of the speech, Liu Guoping reminded the students earnestly that if they want to do breakthrough research, the method is only four words: "endure loneliness." Before innovation, it is most to be impetuous. You must first have solid basic skills before you have the ability and courage to turn the sudden inspiration into reality. Therefore, he especially hopes that students can learn to be "willing," abandon seemingly interesting but unimportant things and study and reflect in the professional field to gain strength and innovation.