Reading a passel of science — with Zhang Cheng, Vice President of reading Science (1)

In the next few weeks, we will give readers offer a taste of the unique "reading dinner" to welcome the new year — they are not the Research Institute of new technologies, it is not spoken, researcher at the story of growth and is the insightful science articles, comments, or concerns, or praise; or ridicule, or humorous; in Zhang Cheng, Vice President of a company.

In the fall of each year, Zhang Cheng, Vice President will spend lot of time United States annual appraisal of various readings selection, including the United States science writing collection 2009 (Best American Science Writing2009) law, these articles are selected from the new law, the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, "Science", "line" and other newspapers and magazines.

Articles related to a very wide field, mathematics, physics, biology, psychology, astronomy, medicine, science, and IT areas of the article, but more of a hybrid between these areas and issues General products are very controversial and on research findings in the cultural and political influence never evaded. They concern science oriented advanced readers, writers, on the other hand, is active in the frontline of the scientists I (previous year Nobel Prize winners of the essay), as well as these newspapers and specialized in the scientific report of the senior reporter.

With the consent of the President Zhang Zheng, we take him publishing has written ten book review into about five article reproduced in Institute blog (and science squirrels will reprint articles in sync).

However, Zhang Cheng, Vice President stressed repeatedly that he wrote these words is not important, it is important that everyone can read the original text, to focus on Science, reading and science.

Introduction • why we read science?

>"For me, the problem also concerned to another question: why should we in Microsoft Research Asia?

When your manager, corporate leadership, outside of a reporter's question to you, you may put it this way: we are the main force of Microsoft Research Asia; we can make innovation; we are doing world-class research; we prepare those who will the world become better software and so on — this is your standard answers.

But this is not the most correct answer.

In my opinion, it is curiosity and that kind of difficult to drive out to explore, discover, experimental desire will we gathered together, and that is why we are here.

We do not know a lot of things, which prompts us to want to know more. In the end, we might find that we don't understand areas of greater — that seems to be a hopeless loop, a repeated curse.

However, this doesn't matter.

This is why we are here, and is also the reason we read science. ”

Zhang Cheng, all Microsoft colleague a letter to the of

Let's follow Zhang Cheng, Vice President, reading science-TheItch by Atul Gawande,, From TheNew Yorkerthe itch ", author: AtulGawande, selected from the new law

In addition to the new law writers, Atul himself was a doctor and also serves as associate professor at Harvard Medical School.

This hybrid of professional players once hand quality must not weak.

Here's Itch, not seven year itch, is not an ordinary skin itch, but in-depth bone marrow can utterly overthrow of that kind.

Just like in M, scalp itch to scratch your blog cross-flow, even where the brain is fully necrosis and resection.

This is actually a so-called phantom limb (PhantomLimb) of a scaling issues.

The so-called phantom limb is feeling lost limbs seems to be still alive there. If at the moment of amputation is mosquito bites a package, it will itch LAT: this package go Flex? M problem actually is probably so, unfortunately, the diagnosis was started in the wrong way.

Hidden in this Millennium behind the itch is a ancient philosophy

Problem: our world feeling really is from where? to external stimulation response or subjective fictitious? Plato is a big deception or fraud, was a prophet? if everyone's eyeball behind buried cable, onto YouTube went on, this is what the Grand View Garden?

Well, it is too optimistic.

Brain imaging only 20% of input from the eye, the remaining 80% is from the memory layer. From eyeballs are crushing noise and video pieces, to be filled and repaired. But if you can that 80% of the input do real-time Youtube, pay attention to those who saw a RMB remembered Rob a Bank, I have this really harmonious society. Closer to home, to solve the problem of phantom limb is to be "long" one body (or M, the longest one head). Such a high degree of difficulty of the problem but there's a very clever solution, as an engineer I really admire, and equipment are simple to no longer simple--mirror.

Why, go read it.

Very good article, it is strongly recommended.

The FirstAche, by AnnieMurphy Paul, from The New York TimesMagazine,

The initial pain, author Annie MurphyPaul, selected from the New York Times Magazine

Pain is the most original of consciousness.

Life's first pain is in the uterus, orfetal stage schedule can have it forward, is a technical problem, is a philosophical problem.

Science often abducted to the ideological struggle to become Court reluctance of witnesses.

The fetus is not able to feel pain, at what stage (more popular are 20 weeks) can feel pain, conservatives blocked abortion an important basis for one of the United States. The problem is how to prove a fetus to feel pain? this is a demonstration of very crucial point.

By the way, yet parents listen well: small child's nervous system is still in development, when a shot is very important that the ten-year-old pumping lodging a big mouth.

So don't be stupid and brave know baby, an injection of time not to cry. It's time to sugar would have to give.

AJourney Inside the Brain, Sacks, byOliver from ofBooks The New York Review, the brain's journey ", author: OliverSacks, selected from the New York Review of books"

OliveSacks, the name you want to remember.

The Colombia University neural and spiritual Science Professor, wrote a good article, almost winning the career year after year. An article last year, said a young doctor, who was in the rain without Thunder, but from then on became a super piano fans, make up to kill out of the midst of the musical genius. At that time I was a junior Mozart Sonata tortured so painful, it'd also be lightning once ...

Unfortunately, his article on the Internet is not a full-text search.

Only one website, you can read the first page, and then you gotta pay for it.

If you every night at seven and rolls up the crowd together, squeezing, and then on the subway ...

Then a blink of an eye, find yourself a good sitting in the Office, you must be careful. This is A beginning of JourneyInside the Brain, the author of this book is the famous FrigyesKarinthy Hungary poet (born 1887), A JourneyInside theBrain journey of the mind "is his autobiography, describes him from the 48-year-old that year started brain tumor symptoms (audiovisual hallucinations), from the misdiagnosis to confirmed, to finally be a Vienna medical surgical cure.

Of course at that time no subway, middle-aged thousandth Karinthy or Office, but smoking a cigarette in Budapest's Cafe and write novels, or chat with friends in the sea.

At first, Karinthy very strange how head will train rumbled ran, but quite on time every day. Just like a detective, he began to be questioned, looking for clues.

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After a few days, the train is gone, but the more terrible thing happened.

Although the present each of each scene is as usual, but the "feel" of the weird: this glass of water in there, it would seem that shouldn't be there, but it's obviously in; the picture on the wall seem strange to move an inch, and stopped, it should go? all strange looks, become funny, you try to catch them, once caught, but seems to have slipped away. While the Karinthy think he is the dark abyss to promptly and terror.

This world is not for the Karinthy suddenly becomes black, his brain is calm and stable development, little oppression optic.

Karinthy realize he had to be forced to become a painter: floating in front of the face like a funny picture frames, no details on the canvas, he should, according to the sound and movement, as imagined by memories of her eyes nose and the expression "art". "I stood at the edge of reality and imagination, already can't tell the difference."

As a

famous writer, Karinthy personal not sparse, many doctors. In the beginning, there was a careless friends listened to his description, even the diagnosis is done, a stroke of the big hand: "my friend, you Ah, is nicotine poisoning, all right." I imagine that one friend that also happily threw up a smoke ring. The smoke ring floating around, just like a big zero ... Or, is a death pass over the noose. Karinthy unwilling to give in and continue to look for. Remember, it was the last century, the shadow CT device yet, so be patient, it is out of a brain tumor.

Confirmed the moment quite funny.

Remember my own just to Beijing that do nasal surgery, physicians bring miniature camera market study, eyes on the image on the monitor, call small excitedly told: "you look you see, never seen grow into such!!" well, don't be excited, be said to be a Rapture ...

Karinthy's confirmed it is even more dramatic:

"Just so short moment, the room was packed.

Internal medicine resident physicians, assistants, students Tidewater Hula now surrounded me, greedily grab the circulation of the ophthalmoscope.

The last large Professor himself came, he turned to H said: ' congratulations! this is an admirable diagnosis!

'

' Gentlemen ...!

' I slowly opening.

Everyone is surprised and turns – they seem to have just realized that I am, instead of me that focus their infinitely small bum interest points — is the largest party of the participant.

……”

Legitimate Karinthy will face blindness juncture friends helped him find Vienna's famous Olivecrona.

Eight hours of surgery is hard, Karinthy a line, including the soul out of the orifice of the moment: in the air, he saw Olivercrona bend the busy, on the operating table, is a cut of the skull.

Karinthy miraculously restored, this journey of the mind "is printed first, he gave a lifesaving benefactor Olivercrona.

OliverSacks article I've read many articles.

As a good doctor and writer, he used objects are his first-hand contact with the patient, or the history of some of the famous cases. Awakenings this film is an adaptation of his article. But this one was different.

Between the lines, Oliver revealed on Karinthy admiration and respect.

This is a great literary genius, same great magical stroke wrote down their difficult experience. Oliver's parents are both doctors, meals are often talk about a number of cases, Oliver. Fortunes, Oliver read the mind of the journey, Karinthy's text, deeply influenced the young man. Now, Oliver became as a doctor and scholars, but also became a United States top bloggers.

A book can change a person's life — and what a book that changed you?

The Truth Abou

t Autism, by David Wolman, fromWired.

The truth about autism, author: DavidWolman, selected from the line of

Autism is popular, this is a terrible conjecture.

Now the results are each 150 eight-year-old children in one decade ago statistics are there is one in a million individuals. I know my friend's House, with autistic children.

Autism's face terrible because autistic and "mentally handicapped" and "not social", this is a politically incorrect and inconvenience saying but widely accepted conclusions.

"Rain man" of autism is extreme in Hollywood. But the 2007 caused a sensation in a video: AmandaBaggs, a 27-year-old autistic patients, wrote and directed a call "In mylanguage (my words)" short films, sensational.

Eight minutes of video are divided into two parts.

Like many low-cost, art films, start is boring and depressing. We see Amanda involuntarily was moving over the body, used books, key rings, keyboard, percussion, various sound seems to be endless rhythm with combined with a female voice and sing, sad and lengthy. The second section of the theme: translation. Amanda's voice was machinery, but it was a statement against the will of the people. She told us that those autistic patients of common action, is their unique languages, and around the world are intimate exchanges, although not with our language system elements (referred to, can refer to a class, etc.). She asked: why did she have to type words can be regarded as a normal person, why not our language to communicate was considered autistic patient birth defects, and we don't understand to learn their language system is normal?

In fact, just as Paul Simon's song "silence" (SoundofSilence) sing in our language system, the number saying is really enough? how many are really being heard?

This is a very powerful API.

So believable that this short film is Amanda in no one help themselves. All the tools are a laptop, a DV. Singing is her own series, his lines is she wrote, the monologue with speech synthesis "said," but it is cut her own films.

The film in the number of page views on YouTube is 857946, a cotton rose sister dream like click-through rate (I really smoothly checked, Sister Furong video at some gas hits 108701).

Autism: autism, stemming is Greek for autos, means self.

More than 70 years ago when two doctors were independently discovered the patient groups, they both chose autism this word to describe. Autism, as its name suggests, is shut himself up. Autistic patient's primary feature is "cannot be integrated into a social group". In addition to the social skills, some prominent obstacles of language, memory and the ability to solve problems. 75% of patients with autism are retarded, IQ test in person under the age of 70 minutes. Autism in minority very talented, but most patients and Amanda, be considered as low-energy (low-functional).

If you let go of playing chess, weight lifting weightlifting to embroidery, embroidery to strike, strike of go ...

Obviously, like to sit the exalted position will rewrite history, non-autistic we will go to the right ruler to measure the so-called intelligence. About autism research, like many academic fields, must be divided into friendly, and the exchange of the first battlefield in IQ test. No suspense, the tests are generally focused on language and comprehension, autistic patients into the ground. But in other several tests, if it is biased abstract thinking of testing, they are not high, is done fast. However, confusing is that both functional magnetic resonance imaging findings have shown no distinction between two classes of people.

Exchanges of the second battle of philosophy taste more dense: is incomplete, or different? wanted this answer is, we cannot go into the autistic patient's brain, spy on their inner world.

This involves the addition of a sensitive topic, if not torn, Government grants and research funding will be reduced. Scientific disputes, almost without exception have the social side-effects.

The power of the network.

The significance of the short film Amanda was revolutionary because autistic patients for the first time they open that door closed doors. Door behind what we do not know the world, strange and beautiful.

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Note: this article uses the picture are from the network.

Authors:

Chang Zheng, 20

02 joinedMicrosoft Research Asia multimedia group, Microsoft Research Asia, Vice President, responsible for system and network research areas. 1984 studied at Fudan University, Department of electronic engineering; in 1987 as the first University of Fudan University class of one of the 13 students entering postgraduate courses; 1990 to Dallas campus student; a master degree in 1992, in the spring of 1993 to Illinois thinking at school, and champagne in the autumn of 1996, PhD. Since then, he has been working in central laboratory Hewlett Packard, its research areas related to high-performance supercomputer system structure and large scale distributed systems. Chang Zheng is the network magazine new threads and the kingdoms of the founders to bamboo people "as a pen name, edit the annual anthology of overseas students in first and second volumes and has presided over the kingdoms of the Gallery" and "half a bottle of poetry shop" column.

Welcome micro- concern soft Asian Institute micro-Bo: http://t.sina.com.cn/msra

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