講題一：The History and Fate of the Material World
For millennia humans have wondered how the Earth, Sun, Moon, planets, stars, and the universe were created. During the last fifty years, astronomers have discovered the outlines of the answers to these questions, as well as even more profound issues such as the origin of space and time themselves. In this ninety-minute lecture, we review current knowledge concerning the scale and scope of the universe, the formation of stars and the chemical elements, the origin of the solar system, the beginnings of life on Earth, the disappearance of the dinosaurs, the ascendance of mammals, and the growing power of humans to change the physical environment around them. We close on speculations concerning the fate of the universe and the place of humans in the grand scheme of all things.
講題二：Two Cultures: Grand Challenges of the 20th and 21st Centuries
Free-market enterprise and central planning broadly characterize the different approaches taken historically by the United States and Asia toward higher education and research funding in knowledge intensive industries. Based on personal working experience in Taiwan and America, I compare and contrast the strengths and weaknesses of the two systems. I argue that some blend of Eastern and Western approaches is probably necessary to solve the larger social, economic, and environmental problems that face these two regions, especially with respect to the energy crisis. While convergence toward a middle road is happening to some extent, a freer exchange of people and ideas is probably needed to bridge the two cultures and to utilize better the available human resources for the benefit of global civilization. |
