On July 15, 2022, in Dongying City, Shandong Province, under the leadership of professional teachers, children used various popular science equipment to learn scientific knowledge and conduct interesting scientific experiments. People's Vision Data Map
Recently, the General Office of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the General Office of the State Council jointly issued the "Opinions on Further Strengthening the Popularization of Science and Technology in the New Era" (hereinafter referred to as "Opinions"). The work presents general requirements and a set of specific guidelines and goals. The "Opinions" clearly put forward the development goal of "accelerating the formation of a large-scale science popularization pattern with the participation of the whole society". In my opinion, the formation of a large-scale science popularization pattern is the premise and foundation for achieving the specific goal of achieving more than 15% of citizens with scientific literacy by 2025 and 25% by 2035.
What is the big science pattern? The "Opinions" gives a clear explanation, that is, the pattern of science popularization with the participation of the whole society. To speed up the formation of a large-scale science popularization pattern, it is necessary to strengthen the responsibility of the whole society for popularization. The pattern of large-scale popular science requires a game of chess across the country, and the construction of the legal system is the fundamental guarantee to achieve this goal. At present, the revision of the "Law of the People's Republic of China on Popularization of Science and Technology" has been put on the agenda of the National People's Congress, and the establishment and improvement of a series of related systems is expected to escort popular science work in the new era.
The "Opinions" also clarified that "the competent departments of various industries should fulfill the administrative responsibility for popular science" and "science and technology associations at all levels should play the role of the main social force in popular science work". Science popularization is a public welfare undertaking, with benefits in the contemporary era and merit in the future. In the process of forming a large-scale science popularization pattern, the role of competent departments at all levels undoubtedly has a significant guiding and leading role. As the saying goes, cadres lead the way, and the masses have the energy.
The "Opinions" also mentioned that "all kinds of schools and scientific research institutions should strengthen the sense of responsibility for science popularization", "scientific research institutions should strengthen the integration of science popularization and scientific research, and provide necessary support and guarantee for the development of science popularization", "the majority of scientific and technological workers should enhance the sense of responsibility for science popularization" and mission". There is no doubt about the role of scientific and technical personnel in popular science. They are both the main force and the first player. Not only the content of popular science is inseparable from scientific research achievements, but also the scientific community is the birthplace of scientific spirit, scientific method and scientific thought. However, in real life, scientific and technological personnel often encounter the "four nos" embarrassment when doing science popularization: unwillingness, disdain, dare not, and not good at it. To speed up the formation of a large-scale science popularization pattern, these worries of scientific and technological personnel must be gradually resolved. For scientific and technical personnel, it is not possible to "not only want the horse to run, but also want the horse not to eat grass". For example, can a certain proportion of the funds for major national scientific research projects be used for scientific and technological personnel's popular science activities? In addition, scientific and technological personnel’s science popularization will inevitably cause some social controversy, and even cause public opinion. If the competent department lacks the spirit of responsibility and tolerance at this time, just indiscriminate and blindly held accountable, how can they encourage scientific and technological personnel to do science popularization without distraction Woolen cloth?
In addition to the above-mentioned party committees and governments at all levels, industry authorities at all levels, associations for science and technology at all levels, schools and scientific research institutions, the "Opinions" also put forward that "enterprises should fulfill their social responsibilities for popular science" and "all kinds of media should play a role in dissemination" Channels play an important role". In my opinion, no matter whether the enterprise is state-owned or private, and the media does not distinguish between the mainstream media and the emerging media, their role in the big science popularization pattern is irreplaceable.
The "Opinions" also put forward specific suggestions on how to strengthen the capacity building of popular science, promote the coordinated development of popular science and scientific and technological innovation, strengthen the role of popular science in the lifelong learning system, create a social atmosphere that loves science and advocates innovation, and strengthens institutional guarantees. Require. In my opinion, these fully reflect the concept of the development of science popularization in the new era.
The formation of a large-scale science popularization pattern is both a goal and a means. The ultimate goal is to increase the proportion of citizens with scientific literacy, and to create an atmosphere in which the whole society respects and advocates science. The formation of a big science popularization pattern is not a great mission that can be accomplished overnight. As the saying goes, one point of deployment, nine points of implementation. Only when the whole society is consciously twisted into a rope in understanding and resolutely abandons formalism, can it be turned into a powerful force in reality, thus laying a solid foundation for the realization of high-level scientific and technological self-reliance and self-improvement and the goal of building a world power in science and technology.
(The author is Zhou Zhonghe, chairman of the Chinese Science Writers Association and academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences)