David M. Lee, Cornell professor of physics and co-winner of the 1996 Nobel Prize in physics for the discovery of the superfluidity of helium-3, delivered the Commencement address May 18 at his graduate school alma mater, the University of Connecticut at Storrs. His address has resonance for graduates from Cornell as well. Here are excerpts from Lee's address to the Class of 1997.
Let me first say how happy I am to be a part of this ceremony. Forty-two years ago in the spring of 1955, I received my master of science degree in physics here. The world has changed tremendously since that time. Many of the problems you face in this more complex world are very different from those we faced 40 years ago. Some are the same, since human nature doesn't change....
The discovery of superfluid helium-3 took place over a seven-month period 25 years ago. It is difficult to imagine a more stimulating time as more and more phenomena were revealed on an almost daily basis. I fervently wish that every young scientist could experience this at some time in his or her career.
There are surely more exciting discoveries ahead. It has lately become fashionable for the doomsayers to predict that we shall soon know everything we can know and need to know, and that the demise of science is imminent. I take issue with this view. In the words of the famous American author Mark Twain, "The reports of my death are greatly exaggerated." The same can be said for science.
We live in an age when we all enjoy the benefits of science and technology. We mindlessly turn on our television sets and computers, forgetting all of the complex electronics inside, based on the transistor. We make use of the benefits bestowed to medical science by the discovery of DNA, X rays and magnetic resonance. The laser has revolutionized communication as well as having important applications in medicine and manufacturing. All of these and other essential ingredients of modern living are based on Nobel Prize-winning discoveries. Basic science provides long-term benefits for ourselves and our fragile planet and should be supported by all the world's societies. When the famous British physicist Michael Faraday was asked by Chancellor of the Exchequer Gladstone what his researches on electricity and magnetism were good for, he replied, "Some day, Sir, you will tax it."
As a university teacher and researcher, it is not surprising that I strongly support the role of basic research in our society. In recent years industry has become extremely competitive. The advantage we had of being the only major power to have emerged relatively unscathed from World War II no longer exists. By the way, the Marshall plan for the recovery of Europe was first announced in a 16-minute commencement speech by General George Marshall at Harvard. Basic research in the industrial laboratories of our great corporations has tended to wither away. Why is this so? The time interval between an invention and a product has become ever more short, so the emphasis in industry has been on short term development. The role of supporting basic research is more and more becoming the domain of government. But we live in a democratic society with a representative government. So the government is us. It is important for scientists to try to show by education how basic science over the long run has been tremendously beneficial to society. I believe we are making progress but much work lies ahead.
Many Nobel Prizes come about as a result of accidental discoveries. Both the physics and chemistry Nobel Prizes of 1996 were for something discovered accidentally while looking for something else. Just as in other human activities, it is important to take advantage of unexpected developments. It is not a question of needing exceptional brilliance. It is a question of curiosity, flexibility and being able to take advantage of opportunities presented. In the words of Louis Pasteur, "In the field of observation, chance only favors those minds which have been prepared." This is the role of the university. One of my favorite quotes which is germane to this discussion is that by General Eisenhower, who said, "Plans are useless but planning is essential."
Very recently the World Wide Web has given rise to the possibility of almost instant communication to any point on the globe. The resulting rapid dissemination of knowledge will be of the utmost importance in shaping human societies in the next millennium.
Even before the advent of electronic mail, scientists had a slower but still a very effective means of communication through journals, colloquia and scientific meetings. Discoveries in one area very often can exert a profound influence on a completely different area of science. In our own research, we performed experiments involving rather crude magnetic resonance imaging. About the same time, Paul Lauterbur was beginning to think about magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and its applications to medicine and biology. When he visited our laboratory, he was greatly encouraged by our success. He later went on to become one of the key scientists in the development of MRI. This is just one example of the Web of Science.
Every generation faces new problems and challenges. We in the older generation can only communicate to you the way we faced our problems. What I would say is that it is best to devote your lives to what you believe is important and interesting.
Let me wish you all a wonderful future when you emerge into the outside world from this beautiful campus and marvelous university.