2023年加州理工院长98任职演说.docx

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，chairmanmooreand othermembersoftheboardoftrustees，formerpresidentsof caltech，alumni，aociates，membersofthefaculty，students， staff--includingallofthejetpropulsionlaboratorypersoel attendingelectronically--formertraineesfrommyover30yearsin research，friendsandmembersofthisgreatcommunity，ithankyou allsomuchforbeingheretoday. universitiesareenduringititutio.theygotogreateffortsto markthetraitiooftheirleadershipwiththehonoredand historicritualofaninauguration.butthetruthisthatthey changeslowly，andnewchiefadministratorsdonotalterthat measuredpace.thus，thisoverwhelmingevent，markingsuchadeep changeinmylife，marksbutaslightdeflectionintheestablished trajectoryofthisgreatititution.mydeepestgoalaspresident istomaintaintheeenceofcaltechwhilehelpingitadapttoa changingworld. iwanttobeginthisaddrebythankingallofthemembersofthe caltechcommunityforthewarmwelcomethataliceandihave received.youhavehelpedapairofinveterateeasternersbecome membersoftwouniquesocieties，thesocietyofcaltechandthe societyofpasadena.thesearehistoriccommunitieswithdeepand wonderfulvalues，andwearesogladtohavejoinedthem. asanoutsiderhere，i’veentthelastfivemonthslearningas muchasicanaboutcaltech.iwantedtocomprehendtheititution wellenoughtobeabletohelpitsolvetheinevitableproblems thatiknowwillarise.butmoreimportantly，iwantedtodevelopa perectiveoncaltechthatwouldallowmetochoosethekey elementsonwhichtoworkwiththefaculty--toestablish priorities. whatifoundisamostremarkableititution.thedepthof scholarship，therigoroftraining，thecommitmenttothehighest idealsofpersonalbehaviormakecaltechaveryecialplace.it managestocoveranextraordinaryrangeofscientificandtechnical areaswithaminimalfaculty.ithasprovidedsomanynew excitementsforonetrainedinbiologythatithasbeenacontinual feastforme，andiknowthat加州理工院长98任职演说第2页 therearemanymorefinemeals awaitingme.itisanititutionthatseeminglylacksacrisis， allowingmetheluxuryofalongperiodofcontemplation.forthis reite，iowemuchtotheseitivestewardshipofmypredeceor tomeverhart.istandinaweofcaltech’spantheonwhobuiltthis rareititution：everhart，goldberger，brown，dubridge，millikan， noyes，andhale.whatanacttohavetofollow. asihavegatheredknowledgeaboutcaltech，questiohaveoccurred tomewhoseawerscanprovideperectiveforsettingpriorities. thatisthepositioni’minnow--manyquestio，fewawers.thus， ithoughtiwouldframethisaddrearoundthequestio.itisan openinvitationtothemanycotituenciesonthecampusto participateinadialogue--theboardoftrustees，faculty， administrators，students，staff，alumni，andthevariousfriendsof caltechwhoprovidesuort.thus，iwillinthistalkposea numberofquestio，explainwhyiraisethem，anddrawoutsomeof theirimplicatio. thefirstofmyquestioiswhethercaltechistrulyimmunefrom thewindsblowingthroughamericanacademiclife.iraisethis becausethelastdecadehasbeenastormyoneforacademia，with manyquestioningtheverybasisofscholarshipinboththe humanitiesandthesciences.thequestionmightbewhetherby focusingonscienceandtechnology，caltechhewstoeternaltruths， orwhethertheself-criticismthattheintellectualworldhas embracedinthelastdecadeshasilledoverintoourbastionof rationality.theawerisuectmostwouldgivehereisthat whiletheculturewarsandthesciencewarshavebeenfuriously engagedonthestreetsofberkeley，newhaven，cambridge，and paris，inpasadenatheprogreofsciencecontinuesquietlyand unabated.notthatwedon’treflectonouractivitiesorevenhave ourparticipantsinthewarwehaveallofthat.it’sjustthat wehaveaolutesinwhichwebelieve.wehaveaolutezeroonthe temperaturescale，weknowthatnothingexceedstheeedoflight. itisinterestingtocontemplatewhatwouldhaenifour astronomersmeasuredaredshiftindicatingthatagalaxywas recedingfromusfasterthantheeedoflight.orifwesomehow recordedatemperatureofaolutezero，ormadeaperpetualmotion machine.inthesesituatio，theexperimentwouldreceivethe deepestscrutinyandonlyintheunlikelycasethatitsurvived wouldtheorycomeintoquestion.remembercoldfusion.butweare willingtoquestionouraolutes.ouraolutesarenotso aolute--theyawaitanexperimentthatcontradictsthem.theyare tentativeaolutes，andwearecomfortablewiththem，needingno dailyreminderofthethreatthateachexperimentposestoour comfort.thatisthecultureofscience，anditisaecial culturethatwelivewith，weteach，andwebelieveinalmostasa religion.itisaculturethatisincompreheibletothosewho havenotmanipulatedtheconceptsofscience.itiulatesusfrom manyoftheself-doubtsofthelargerintellectualworldandallows ustomoveforward. how