痛苦。有時候想了一天，覺得也許向右邊走就 可以。於是就向右邊去摸索。不過通常是摸索 了半天都沒有結果，有時就想，也許應該向左 邊。這樣的經驗，是所有做研究的人都常常要 經歷的。 澳: 你認為作為一名研究者或是一名學生，他應該 要有怎樣的學習態度和個性呢？ 楊: 我想這個與人有關係，與當時題目也有關係， 而且同一個題目在不同的時期，所需要的態度 也不一樣，比如說物理學到了20世紀與21 世紀是分的很清楚。有一組人做理論，有一組 人做試驗。我就是做理論的。有時，在物理學 發展的歷史裡，理論領先，新的主意，一般是 念理論的人提出來的；可是另一種時候，是做 試驗的人研究出新現象，成為當時這個領域裡 頭最重要的研究方向。所以，在不同的時代， 同一個領域，甚麼是最大的推動力，是不一樣 的。當然不同的人，同是做理論物理的人，有 的人喜歡做一類的研究，喜歡用一類的方法去 看待問題，有一類人又會用另一類不同的方 法。在不同的時候，不同的研究氣質和風格， 成功的可能性常常是不一樣的，所以這是一個 瞬息萬變的情景。 澳: 實驗物理學者和理論物理學者，這兩者的合作 是否很重要？ 楊: 當然。在我剛做研究生的時候，一九四幾年、 一九五幾年開始，那個時候，已經知道有幾種 基本粒子，整個世界都是由這幾種粒子造出來 的，可是忽然在那幾年之內，有做試驗的工作 者，發現了一些從前所沒有見過的粒子，而這 些粒子不是做試驗的人、也不是做理論的人所 預料到的，就給它們起了個名，叫做奇異粒 子。所以50年代，最紅的問題就是要研究這 些奇異粒子是些甚麼東西，他們有甚麼性質， 以及還有沒有更多的奇異粒子。這些問題是試 驗物理學家所啟發出來的，理論物理學家沒有 提出過這些粒子。這是一個理論需要實驗的例 子。反過來的例子也很多。 I would fumble in that direction, but usually without any success, so I would think, maybe I should try left instead. Every researcher goes through this kind of experience. U: What kind of personality and attitude towards learning do you think a researcher or student should have? Y: I think it varies from person to person, and depends on the subject of research as well as the historical period in which the research is conducted. For example, in the 20th century, the division was quite clear—it still is in the 21st century—we have theoretical physicists and experimental physicists, and I belong to the first group. Sometimes, theoretical physicists lead the development of physics, which means new ideas are proposed by theoretical physicists. But at other times, it is the experimental physicists that make new discoveries which point to new directions. So, the answer to “what is the greatest driving force in a given field” depends on the specific historical period. And of course, even in the same group, different people have different preferences regarding research subjects and methods. Because of the differences in historical periods, personalities, and research styles, the chances of success tend to vary. So it’s a very fluid situation with many variables. U: Do you think it’s very important for experimental physicists and theoretical physicists to work together? Y: Absolutely. When I was a graduate student, which was in the 1940s or 1950s, we already knew several elementary particles, which are what the world is made up of. But during those few years, some experimental physicists discovered some particles they had never seen before, and because these particles were not what experimental physicists or theoretical physicists had expected, they were given the name “strange particles”. So, in the 1950s, these strange particles became the hottest subject of research. Physicists tried to find out what they were, what characteristics they had, and whether there were more of them. These questions were inspired by experimental physicists; the strange particles were not proposed by theoretical physicists. So this is an example of how theories need experiments, and of course there are also many examples of how experiments need theories. UMAGAZINE ISSUE 10 18 人物專訪．INTERVIEW
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