蒲慕明:寫給實驗室博士的email,施一公轉給了所有的學生

微信搜索關注「德先生」公眾號,後台回復「福利」,小德有福利送你喲

著名的華人生物學家蒲慕明先生曾經有一封非常著名的email在網上廣為流傳,這封email是蒲先生寫給自己實驗室所有博士生和博士後的,其中的觀點我完全贊同。這封email寫的語重心長,從中可以看出蒲先生的良苦用心。我把這封email轉給了我實驗室的所有學生。

其中的一段是這樣說的:「The most important thing is what I consider to be sufficient amount of time and effort in the lab work. I mentioned that about 60 hr working time per week is what I consider the minimal time an average successful young scientist in these days has to put into the lab work……I suggest that everyone puts in at least 6 hr concentrated bench work and 2+ hr reading and other research-related activity each day. Reading papers and books should be done mostly after work.」(我認為最重要的事情就是在實驗室里的工作時間,當今一個成功的年輕科學家平均每周要有60小時左右的時間投入到實驗室的研究工作......我建議每個人每天至少有6小時的緊張實驗操作和兩小時以上的與科研直接有關的閱讀等。文獻和書籍的閱讀應該在這些工作時間之外進行。

——施一公

蒲慕明,1948年10月生,中國科學院院士,美國科學院外籍院士,台灣「中研院」院士。現任中國科學院神經科學研究所所長,中國科學院腦科學與智能技術卓越創新中心主任。1970年畢業於台灣清華大學物理系,1974年於美國Johns Hopkins大學獲生物物理學博士學位,1974-1976年在美國普度大學生命科學系從事博士後研究,1976-1985年在美國加州大學艾文分校生物物理系任助理教授、副教授、教授,1985-1988年任耶魯大學醫學院分子神經生物學系教授,1988-1995年任美國哥倫比亞大學生命科學系教授,1995-2000年任美國加州大學聖地亞哥分校Stephen Kuffler講座教授,2001-2006年任美國加州大學伯克利分校分子與細胞生物學系講座教授和神經生物學部主任,2006-2013年任該校Paul Licht生物學傑出講座教授。1999年起任中國科學院神經科學研究所首任及現任所長、神經可塑性研究組組長、高級研究員、博士生導師。2011年起任科技部重大科學問題導向973計劃「人類智力的神經基礎」首席科學家,2012年起任中科院戰略性先導科技專項(B類)「腦功能聯結圖譜」首席科學顧問。已發表16篇CNS,其中:Cell:3篇,Nature:10篇,Science:3篇。

圖:視覺中國

以下為蒲慕明教授寫給他實驗室博士email全文(英文原文/中文譯文):

Lab members:

Over the past several months, it has become clear to me that if there is no drastic change in the lab, Poo lab will soon cease to be a productive, first-rate lab that you chose to join in the first place. Lab progress reports over the past six months have clearly shown the lack of progress in most projects.

one year ago, when we first moved to Berkeley, I expressed clearly to everyone my expectation from eachone in the lab. The most important thing is what I consider to be sufficient amount of time and effort in the lab work. I mentioned that about 60 hr working time per week is what I consider the minimal time an average successful young scientist in these days has to put into the lab work.

There may be a few rare lucky fellows like Florian, who had two Nature papers in his sleeve already, can enjoy life for a while and still get a job offer from Harvard. Nobody else in the lab has Florians luxury to play around. Thus I am imposing strict rules in the lab from now on:

1. Everyone works at least 50 hr a week in the lab(e.g.8+ hr a day, six days a week).This is by far lower than what I am doing every day and throughout most of my career. You may be smarter or do not want to be successful, but I am not asking you to match my time in the lab.

2. By working, I mean real bench work. This does not include surfing on the computer and sending and receiving e-mails for non-scientific matters unrelated to your work (you can do this after work in the lab or at home, and excessive chatting on nonscientific matters. No long lunch break except special occasions. I suggest that everyone puts in at least 6 hr concentrated bench work and 2+ hr reading and other research-related activity each day. Reading papers and books should be done mostly after work. More time can be spent on reading, literature search and writing during working hours when you are ready for writing a paper.

3. I must be informeded in person by e-mail (even in my absence from the lab)when you are absent from the lab for a whole day or more. Inform me early your vacation plan. Taking more than 20 working days out of one year is the maximum to me. In fact, none of you are reporting any vacation and sick leave on your time sheet (against the university rule, although I have been signing the sheets)), but you know roughly how many days you were not here. On the whole, I understand and acceptthe fact that you may not fulfill the above requirements all the time, due to health reasons, occasional personal business. But if you do not like to follow the rules because it is simply a matter of choice of life style, I respect your choice but suggest you start making plans immediately and leave the lab by the end of January 31. I will do my best to help you to locate a lab to transfer or to find a job. If you do accept the conditions I describe above, I am happy to continue to provide my best support to your work, hopefully more than I have done in the past. I will review the progress of everyone in the lab by the end of June of 2002. I expect everyone to have made sufficient progress in the research so that a good paper is in sight(at least to the level of J.Neuroscience. If you cannot meet this goal at that time, I will have to ask you to prepare to leave my lab by the end of August.

實驗室的每一位成員:

在過去的幾個月中,我發現如果再不對實驗室進行一次劇變,很快,Poo實驗室就不是那個你們最初選擇加入的高產出,第一流的實驗室了。從過去六個月的實驗室進展報告中可以清楚地看出大多數目都沒有什麼進展。在我們一年前剛搬進伯克利時,我就清楚地表達了我對實驗室中每一員的期望。

我認為最重要的一點就是我希望大家保證在實驗室中付出足夠的時間和努力。我提到了每周60小時是我所認為的一個成功的年輕科學家每天呆在實驗室的時間的最低限。當然,有極少數幸運的同仁如Florian,他已經發表了兩篇Nature並有了一份在哈佛的工作,是可以稍稍的享受下生活了。但是實驗室的其他人都不能像Florian這樣奢侈的享樂。從現在起,我在實驗室里立下嚴規:

1.每個人每星期必須在實驗室50小時以上(比如說,每天八小時,每周六天。)這比我整個職業生涯每天所花的時間少得多。你們可能會比我聰明或者並不渴望成功,所以我並不以我的標準要求你們。

2.工作,是指真正的搞研究,不包括上網,接發與科研無關的郵件(你可以在工作完成後在實驗室或家中做這些)和過度的與科研無關的聊天。除了特殊情況,午餐後的休息時間不要太長。我建議大家每天花至少六小時在自己的科研工作上,2個多小時做閱讀或其他和研究相關的活動上。閱讀文獻和書籍應放在工作之後。當你打算著手寫論文時,建議將更多的工作時間用來閱讀,搜索和撰寫論文。

3.當你們超過一天不在實驗室時,必須用e-mail告知我(即使我不在實驗室)。提前告知我你們的假期計劃。對我來說,每年最多可以請20天的假。你們沒有一個人在你們的時間表上彙報了你們的假期和病假(儘管我給你們簽字了,但這是違反校規的),你們自己知道你們每年大概有多少天是沒有待在實驗室里的。

總而言之,我知道出於一些個人的臨時狀況,健康因素等,讓你們時刻遵守這些規矩是不現實的。但如果你們出於個人生活方式不同而不遵守這些規定,我尊重你的決定並建議你早作打算,在一月31日以前卷鋪益走人,我會儘力幫你轉去另一個實驗室或找份工作。如果你能接收我上面說的這些條件,我會非常開心地為你的工作提供支持,希望比以前做的更好。我已經看過大家2002年六月末所做的工作進展,祝願大家的研究都進展順利,這樣一篇好的論文就勝利在望了(至少達到《神經科學雜誌》的水平),如果那時你們還不能達到這個目標,那我就不得不請你在8月底離開我們實驗室。作為一個科學家,你必須把一切都獻身給科研事業。

As a scientist, you must dedicate everything to this business

—— 全身心投入

8-hour is unpractical. There is NO way for a scientist or a Ph.D student to work only 8 hours a day!

—— 一天8h根本不夠

Go to your mother』s house for afternoon naps and never come back!

——不準午休

5 weeks per year (Chinese New Year, the May Day and the National Day breaks are included)

Start your morning work not later than 8:30 am and afternoon work no later than 1 pm

——節假日,不晚於8:30,下午不晚於1點

Surf over the Internet for non-scientific purposes should be less than 30 min a day

——上網做其他的事不超過30min

Reading newspapers should be limited less than 30 min a day

——讀報紙不超過30min每天

Novels or other non-scientific journals/magazines are not permitted in the lab and office

——小說或者其他非學術雜誌期刊,不允許出現在實驗室或者辦公室

If you are absent from the lab more than one hour, get permission first.

——離開實驗室超過1h,要請示

Everyone has personal business, but the lab business always has priority unless in emergency

——實驗室的事永遠優先,其他的事除非是緊急

In this business, an 「average」 student who works seven days a week is definitely more productive than a 「genius」 who works five days a week

——在這項事業上,一個普通的學生每周工作七天絕對比一個聰明的每周工作5天更有產出

If you are able to make any major progresses by working 8 hours a day and 5 days a week, every fortunate in this world must be on your side!

——如果你每天工作8小時,一周工作5天,還能做出重大進展,那一定是中大獎了

推薦閱讀:

TAG:施一公 | 博士 | 生物學 |