==JAPAN: KM== [Education]
@Chance favors the prepared mind. The word from Louis Pasteur, a French bacteriologist, was proven in the 20th Century. In 1953, one short paper was published in Nature, one of the most authoritative journals in natural science field. gA structure for Deoxyribose Nucleic Acidh, written by James Watson and Francis Crick, enabled scientists to understand the secret of life, genetic code. It greatly contributed to the development of biology, pharmacology, and medicine. Later, it revealed that this landmark study that led two researchers to Novel Prize was provided a clue from the third researcher quite by accident. Young Watson and Crick could correctly interpret the clue, because they had gprepared mindh.
After Oswald Avery discovered that DNA is the stuff of inheritance, many scientists tried to clarify the structure of DNA. Rosalind Franklin was working on X-ray diffraction of DNA at Kingfs College in London. In 1952, she submitted an annual report to the Center of Medical Research from which she was financed. Watson and Crick got X-ray diffraction picture attached to Franklinfs report via their supervisor Max Perutz who was one of the reviewers of the report. To interpret X-ray diffraction pictures, just some blots on a paper, one need specialized knowledge and experience. Watson hadnft had them, but Crick had. He had engaged in structural analysis of protein at the University of Cambridge previously, though it was not an attractive research theme for him. This experience that might have seemed valueless for him at that time made him able to understand the meanings of Franklinfs X-ray diffraction picture. He had prepared mind.
When we observe or study something, we need basic knowledge or theory concerning objects. Russell Hanson nicely put it gtheory-ladennessh. Watson and Crickfs episode tells us the importance of prepared mind and the fact that we canft know what will form it. In Japan these days, some people tend to despise studying gfruitlessh subjects. In 2006, it becomes known that some high schools in Japan have not taught several compulsory subjects to their students partly because those subjects are not necessary for the university entrance exams. Indeed it is important to set priorities and seek an efficient way to accomplish onefs goal, but what those high schools did is deprivation of studentfs opportunities to form theory-laden mind. We donft have much chance to be exposed to something we do not have a particular interest which not infrequently gives a fresh impetus to us. Why do we have to intentionally reduce a precious opportunity to constitute prepared mind?
Different people have different prepared mind or theory-ladenness. That means that stimulation people respond to is different from each other, and also the reaction to same stimulus varies among individuals. This is what we call diversity. If we all react to same limited impulse identically, we might not have been able to appreciate the masterpieces of Picasso, Mozart, and Shakespeare. To limit a chance to form theory-laden mind or to limit opportunity to spark excitation of prepared mind is as if to restrict development of civilization. It might seem efficient to cut off all fruitless subjects to master something, but it is rather inefficient to learn something without stock of theory-laden mind because it will promote and complement understanding.
People called professionals never neglect to prepare their mind. Seiji Ozawa, a world-famous Japanese conductor, has continued his routine of studying three to four hours a day even after he acquired the reputation of being a first-rate conductor. His fully prepared mind sparks when it encounters the sound of orchestra, and makes specific suggestion to deliver abstract image of the music to members. Seijifs extensive understanding not only of instruments or music, but also of communication and character of players enables him to lead the orchestra without playing any instrument by himself.
I want to have prepared mind for as many issues as possible so as to receive stimulations and adequately respond to them. Since we canft know what will form our prepared mind, the only way to construct it is to be interested in a wide range of fields. When studying school subjects, it might seem as waste of time to study outside onefs province or beyond exam coverage. Certainly we will forget what we learn if we have no passionate concern for it, but it is not valueless to learn them for forming our prepared mind. The stimulation we get when we study something will surely build our theory-laden mind even if we forget detail content. I believe Pasteurfs word gChance favors the prepared mindh.
"Getting It Together" It was first time for me to write an essay in English. I was frequently puzzled by the difference between English and Japanese about how to write an essay. I am glad to have written up this essay.
