From the Readers

Against straitjacketed ideas

(China Daily)
Updated: 2010-07-08 08:03

Comment on "Strive for emancipation of mind" (China Daily, June 30)

All human enterprises go better when the mind is truly liberated from an imposed mandate to follow traditional thought too closely. Traditional thought still has a great role to play, but society must be careful as to how strictly it compels learning and following of old principles.

As an example of the negative consequences of following only old principles or overstressing old topics, suppose biology classes only taught (or overly emphasized) chemical means of fighting disease. Who would have developed biotech mechanisms (stem cells, genetic engineering), emphasizing instead protein? So many new areas of research have emerged out of modern thinking. It paid to reorient biology investigations toward new trends in biotech, with students and professors not mandated to study only pre-biotech topics.

Art Harrison, on China Daily website

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(China Daily 07/08/2010 page9)