1、加州理工院长98任职演说 加州理工院长98任职演说 inauguraladdre dr.davidbaltimore march9，1998 representativesofacademia，electedofficials，chairmanmooreand othermembersoftheboardoftrustees，formerpresidentsof caltech，alumni，aociates，membersofthefaculty，students， staff-includingallofthejetpropulsionlaboratorypersoel attending
2、electronically-formertraineesfrommyover30yearsin research，friendsandmembersofthisgreatcommunity，ithankyou allsomuchforbeingheretoday. universitiesareenduringititutio.theygotogreateffortsto markthetraitiooftheirleadershipwiththehonoredand historicritualofaninauguration.butthetruthisthatthey changeslo
3、wly，andnewchiefadministratorsdonotalterthat measuredpace.thus，thisoverwhelmingevent，markingsuchadeep changeinmylife，marksbutaslightdeflectionintheestablished trajectoryofthisgreatititution.mydeepestgoalaspresident istomaintaintheeenceofcaltechwhilehelpingitadapttoa changingworld. iwanttobeginthisadd
4、rebythankingallofthemembersofthe caltechcommunityforthewarmwelcomethataliceandihave received.youhavehelpedapairofinveterateeasternersbecome membersoftwouniquesocieties，thesocietyofcaltechandthe societyofpasadena.thesearehistoriccommunitieswithdeepand wonderfulvalues，andwearesogladtohavejoinedthem. a
5、sanoutsiderhere，iveentthelastfivemonthslearningas muchasicanaboutcaltech.iwantedtocomprehendtheititution wellenoughtobeabletohelpitsolvetheinevitableproblems thatiknowwillarise.butmoreimportantly，iwantedtodevelopa perectiveoncaltechthatwouldallowmetochoosethekey elementsonwhichtoworkwiththefaculty-t
6、oestablish priorities. whatifoundisamostremarkableititution.thedepthof scholarship，therigoroftraining，thecommitmenttothehighest idealsofpersonalbehaviormakecaltechaveryecialplace.it managestocoveranextraordinaryrangeofscientificandtechnical areaswithaminimalfaculty.ithasprovidedsomanynew excitements
7、foronetrainedinbiologythatithasbeenacontinual feastforme，andiknowthat加州理工院长98任职演说第2页 therearemanymorefinemeals awaitingme.itisanititutionthatseeminglylacksacrisis， allowingmetheluxuryofalongperiodofcontemplation.forthis reite，iowemuchtotheseitivestewardshipofmypredeceor tomeverhart.istandinaweofcalt
8、echspantheonwhobuiltthis rareititution：everhart，goldberger，brown，dubridge，millikan， noyes，andhale.whatanacttohavetofollow. asihavegatheredknowledgeaboutcaltech，questiohaveoccurred tomewhoseawerscanprovideperectiveforsettingpriorities. thatisthepositioniminnow-manyquestio，fewawers.thus， ithoughtiwoul
9、dframethisaddrearoundthequestio.itisan openinvitationtothemanycotituenciesonthecampusto participateinadialogue-theboardoftrustees，faculty， administrators，students，staff，alumni，andthevariousfriendsof caltechwhoprovidesuort.thus，iwillinthistalkposea numberofquestio，explainwhyiraisethem，anddrawoutsomeo
10、f theirimplicatio. thefirstofmyquestioiswhethercaltechistrulyimmunefrom thewindsblowingthroughamericanacademiclife.iraisethis becausethelastdecadehasbeenastormyoneforacademia，with manyquestioningtheverybasisofscholarshipinboththe humanitiesandthesciences.thequestionmightbewhetherby focusingonscience
11、andtechnology，caltechhewstoeternaltruths， orwhethertheself-criticismthattheintellectualworldhas embracedinthelastdecadeshasilledoverintoourbastionof rationality.theawerisuectmostwouldgivehereisthat whiletheculturewarsandthesciencewarshavebeenfuriously engagedonthestreetsofberkeley，newhaven，cambridge
12、，and paris，inpasadenatheprogreofsciencecontinuesquietlyand unabated.notthatwedontreflectonouractivitiesorevenhave ourparticipantsinthewarwehaveallofthat.itsjustthat wehaveaolutesinwhichwebelieve.wehaveaolutezeroonthe temperaturescale，weknowthatnothingexceedstheeedoflight. itisinterestingtocontemplat
13、ewhatwouldhaenifour astronomersmeasuredaredshiftindicatingthatagalaxywas recedingfromusfasterthantheeedoflight.orifwesomehow recordedatemperatureofaolutezero，ormadeaperpetualmotion machine.inthesesituatio，theexperimentwouldreceivethe deepestscrutinyandonlyintheunlikelycasethatitsurvived wouldtheoryc
14、omeintoquestion.remembercoldfusion.butweare willingtoquestionouraolutes.ouraolutesarenotso aolute-theyawaitanexperimentthatcontradictsthem.theyare tentativeaolutes，andwearecomfortablewiththem，needingno dailyreminderofthethreatthateachexperimentposestoour comfort.thatisthecultureofscience，anditisaecial culturethatwelivewith，weteach，andwebelieveinalmostasa religion.itisaculturethatisincompreheibletothosewho havenotmanipulatedtheconceptsofscience.itiulatesusfrom manyoftheself-doubtsofthelargerintellectualworldandallows ustomoveforward. how
