Page 27 - Science Focus (Issue 19)

4 Could you offer some advice to secondary school students who
are interested in pursuing higher education in science?
આঐ࿁Ϟқίɽኪࡌᛘ߅ኪٙʕኪ͛ഗɓԬจԈ෗k
2B Would you mind telling us a little bit about your research? Prof. Ivan Ip : Science is a very wide field, so the most important 葉智皓教授：科學是一個非常廣闊的範疇，所以最重要

thing is to read more and to be exposed to different topics. There
的是多閱讀，並多接觸不同題材。可以學習的東西有很多，
̙˸ʧୗɓɨઆٙ޼Ӻ෗k
are many things you can learn, but it’s important to find what
you’re interested in. Even with subjects that you like, you might not 但重要的是找出自己對什麼感興趣。即使是自己喜愛的科
目，你也未必能第一次就看懂全部內容 — 那絕對沒問題！
Prof. Julie Semmelhack : I work on the zebrafish visual Julie Semmelhack教授：我是研究斑馬魚視覺系 understand everything at first when you read about it – and that’s 最重要的是你曾經接觸過這些課題，如果你往後需要用到
system. We want to understand how the visual system works, how 統的；我的團隊希望明白視覺系統是怎樣運作的，影像如何 okay. The important thing is the exposure; when you’ve gone 它的話，你會記得自己曾經看過類似的東西，然後可以再回
images get from the eyes to the brain, using zebrafish as a model. 從眼睛傳送到大腦，而我們的研究以斑馬魚作為模型。從 further and need that concept again, you can recall seeing it
Historically people have used non-human primates, or even 前，科學家會用人類以外的靈長類動物，甚至貓作為模型， before, and then go back to revisit it. 到那裡嘗試重新理解它。
cats, but recently that has fallen out of favor partly due to ethical
concerns, and partly because it is so difficult to map connections 可是現在因為道德理由而棄用；另外亦是因為靈長類動物 In this digital world, YouTube is a great resource for popular 在這個數碼世界，YouTube是一個很好的科普資源：無論
in primate brains, which has a larger number of visual areas. 的大腦有很多個視覺區，我們很難整理當中錯綜複雜的關 science – from math to physics, to chemistry and life science. 數學、物理，到化學和生命科學都包羅萬有。追隨者多的頻
聯。 Bigger channels might be more credible sources of information,
We can use genetic tools on zebrafish; many labs around the but you still have to judge whether the information is correct 道或許是比較可靠的資訊來源，可是你仍需要自行判斷到
world are working on building different strains of zebrafish that – for very well-known topics, the chance of mistakes going 底資訊是否正確。如果是眾所周知的課題，它們出錯而沒有
we use in research. They’re also transparent at a young age (the 我們可以在斑馬魚上應用各種基因工具；世界各地實驗室 undiscovered is quite unlikely, and you can always refer to 人指證的機會頗低；你也可以參考維基百科，那亦是挺可信
larval stage), so we can use imaging techniques to see which 也在繁殖不同品系的斑馬魚供研究使用。當斑馬魚還是幼 Wikipedia, which is quite reliable. But when you’re talking about 的。但是說到前衛的科學研究，像是諾貝爾獎或是最新的
neurons are active without having to do surgery. Zebrafish are 魚的時候身體是透明的，因此我們可以透過成像技術看到 new results, like the Nobel Prize and recent science news, you 科學資訊的話，就一定要加倍注意報導的準確性，避開內容
vertebrates, so they are much more similar to human beings than 神經元的活動而不用開刀。斑馬魚也是脊椎動物，因此和昆 really have to look at how accurate the reporting is. Avoid content
insects. They are also highly visual animals, as they rely on visual 蟲相比，牠們與人類較為相似。另外斑馬魚是十分依賴視覺 farms, and not take everything in without thinking about it. 農場，不能不加思索就相信你讀到的一切。
cues to hunt animals and avoid predators.
的動物，牠們靠著眼前的影像變化來獵食和避開捕食者。 Last but not least, it’s a good idea to join science summer camps 最後，你可以參加不同的科學夏令營和活動。我在學生時期
and activities – I joined them for a few years myself, when I was 也參加過數個這類型的活動。這不單是為了學習新的知識，
in school. It’s not just for the exposure to new knowledge, but you 也是認識在科學上志同道合朋友的好機會，對日後可能也
also get to know new friends who share the same passion for 有益處。
science as you do, which can be quite beneficial later on.

3 What made you fall in love with science? Prof. Julie Semmelhack : I would say find the thing that Julie Semmelhack教授：我的建議是找一樣能令
motivates you, something that you’re excited about, and it’ll be
你有動力去做的事情，一個令你振奮的課題，那麼之後一路
relatively easy for you to do the hard work and learn the things
的艱苦工作和學習就會變得相對容易。科學是一門能夠解
ϞʡჿࡡΪ˿આฌɪ߅ኪk
that you need along the way. Science is something that explains
the things in the natural world, so there’s the freedom to ask 釋自然世界的科目，因此你可以隨意問你想問的所有問題。
whatever questions you want to ask.
Prof. Ivan Ip : I liked numbers and puzzles as a child. I also 葉智皓教授：小時候我喜歡數字和拼圖，也喜歡而且頗 另外，如果你不是數學或電腦編程的頂尖高手也不用怕！現
liked, and was quite good at, mental arithmetic – I could multiply 擅長心算 — 我可以把四位數在腦內相乘。但是我閱讀的 Also, don’t worry if you’re not the best at math or computer 在對於進入任何一個科學範疇，學會電腦編程當然最好不
4-digit numbers in my head. But I was slow at reading so I wasn’t 速度比較慢，所以對文學沒什麼興趣。我不會說我是一個特 science! It’s good to know how to code these days if you’re going 過，但是你不用成為編程的第一名。你只要學會部分的東西
interested in literature. I won’t say I’m a particularly good leader, 別好的領袖，所以也絕對不是一個生意人。因此，那正是在 into any science field, but you don’t have to be the best at it. 和明白背後的概念，然後和懂得編程的人合作就行了！
so I definitely wasn’t a business person either. Therefore, it was You just have to be able to do some of it and understand the
really through an elimination process, I decided to pursue science 排除法之下，我年紀頗小就選擇了科學這條路。 concepts, and collaborate with people who know what to do!
from quite a young age.
在中學的時候我參加了國際數學奧林匹克，在那裡的幾年
In secondary school I joined the International Mathematical 訓練教了我不少學校不會學到的數學，譬如證明的手法等
Olympiad – I trained for several years there, and they teach
you the sort of math you’ll never learn in high school, like writing 等。我在那裡學到很多數學理論，它們甚至是大學也不會教 1 Euclid’s axioms are the following: ᆄ఻Ԣ੻ٙʞɽʮଣνɨj
proofs. So there I learned a lot of mathematical theories that 的，而令我決定未來也要專注於數學。
might not be taught even at university, and that made me want 1. A straight line may be drawn between any two points. 1. 在任何兩點之間可以畫一條直線。
to focus on math in the future. 稍為年幼的時候我也喜歡看百科全書，所以對太空之類亦 2. Any terminated straight line may be extended indefinitely. 2. 任意線段能無限延伸。
I also liked reading encyclopedias when I was younger, so I was 頗感興趣。長大後我也有在大學修讀物理（就是在科大）。 3. A circle may be drawn with any given point as center and any
quite interested in space and all that. Later on I did study physics 我認為我對科學的熱愛是興趣使然的，大概還有家人的 given radius. 3. 可以以任意點作圓心和任意距離作半徑畫出一個圓形。
at university (here at HKUST). But I suppose my love for science 支持吧 — 媽媽還在抱怨小時候要給我朗讀兒童百科全書 4. 所有直角都相等。
really depended on my interest, and probably support from my 呢！ 4. All right angles equal one another.
family – my mother still complains about having to read aloud 5. If a straight line falling on two straight lines makes the interior 5. 若兩條直線都與第三條直線相交，並且其中一邊的內角
children’s encyclopedias to me when I was young! angles on the same side less than two right angles, the two 和小於兩個直角，則若這兩條直線無限延長，它們必定
straight lines, if produced indefinitely, meet on that side on 會在這邊相交。
which are the angles less than the two right angles.
Prof. Julie Semmelhack : I decided I wanted to become a Julie Semmelhack教授：我在高中的時候，大約
scientist when I was in high school – around 16 or so, so fairly late 16歲左右才決定要成為科學家 — 所以是頗晚才決定的；
in high school. Before that I wanted to be a writer. I really enjoyed 在那之前，我想成為一個作家。我十分喜愛高中的生物課，
my high school biology class, and I just liked the fact that you 喜歡的原因在於你可以對自然世界裡的事情作出解釋，正 The full text of Euclid can be found online: one of them, for example, is
could explain things that existed in the natural world. That was 《幾何原本》全文可在網上查閱，其中一個網站為：
when I wanted to do something in biology. 是那時令我萌生要在生物學上作出貢獻的念頭。
https://mathcs.clarku.edu/~djoyce/java/elements/toc.html

Visit our website at sciencefocus.ust.hk to read the complete interview with the two scientists! 2 Prof. Ip remarked that his teacher was really nice, and you are not suggested to
請瀏覽《科言》網站 sciencefocus.ust.hk，閱讀兩位科學家的完整專訪！ try this at school!
葉教授補充說他的老師確實很大方，我們並不建議你在學校裡嘗試！