Aspirations

You can only improve when you recognize your limitations and weaknesses. You can only improve when you realize you start to feel too comfortable with what you are doing, and it’s time to get yourself uncomfortable by exploring new routes that people in your field might not have tried before. I started off as an environmental science and engineering student, and bumped into the world of microbes. But at that time, I wouldn’t define myself as a person knowing a hell lot about microbes. My research area is to come out with a molecular tool that one can apply to look at the bacterial community. When I moved to do my postdoc, I realize there’s actually a lot about microorganisms that I don’t know – the functional traits, the biochemistry, the physiology, the genetic systems and medications and so on. So what if a person is looking at 16S rRNA genes? So what if we know what microbes are there and at what numbers? There are still a lot of questions that remain unanswered. Yes, I can publish papers, but so what? I am not getting as much citations as I would like. I am also not getting as much respect from the peers as I would like. I’ve actually had more than one people say that my field was easy, and I can publish papers fast. In other words, they think it was insignificant work. I’ve also had a person saying that people who look at 16S rRNA genes only are just lazy and stupid. I hope at the end of my postdoc, and if I have the chance to embark on research of my own, I would be able to bring to my field some insights and ideas that no one else would have thought of. And to prove to the critics that it’s not just the 16S rRNA genes that I am capable of. But it’s the 16S rRNA genes that I first choose to work with to embark the subsequent steps. Note to self.

Ken Nealson

It’s not often that you walk away from a seminar, feeling totally inspired and rejuvenated by the presenter. I had the good fortune to attend a very well-delivered seminar by Ken Nealson last week. His presentation style is remarkable. He was able to deliver his science in an engaging manner. He was inspiring for he challenged the audience to making daring hypotheses that were not thought of by peers in the same field. He was quick to point out that the work was not done by him alone but by a whole team of students and postdocs and collaborators. While I was still a PhD student reading those papers published by big names like Ken Nealson, David Stahl, Gary Olsen and so on, I often thought when would I have the opportunities to meet them. At that stage, those names are big names that are revered highly, and of so many miles apart that I would not even dare to think that I would have the chance to interact with them. After I moved to US to do science, I’ve learnt that big names do not always mean that they are doing good science. Neither does it mean they are having good reputation or necessarily inspiring. There are only a few that are really on par with their reputation. And I had the good fortune to experience one such person while I am here in UIUC.

高二男生为省车钱每次回家往返奔跑30公里

以辍学为由婉拒资助

　　在学校，闫明强不爱说话，但人缘很好。由于体育方面是强项，他担任班里的体育委员。很多同学想帮助他，但都被他婉拒了。

　　曾经有段时间，班里一位家庭条件较好的学生干部，动员自己的父母，经常资助闫明强，每周给闫明强50元钱生活费。要强的闫明强对这种资助虽然感动，却总觉得受之有愧，害怕负了太多的人情债，无法偿还。最后，他坚决不再接受这种帮助，甚至在一次假期后产生了辍学念头，迟迟未到校报到。在他的坚持下，那位好心的同学放弃了资助。

　　“其实在上初中和高中期间，辍学的念头就一直伴随着我。”闫明强说，“家里没钱，就是将来考上了大学，恐怕也上不起，还不如早点回家帮助父母。”

　　然而，打工期间看到的一幕，让他坚定了上学的信念。他回忆道，一天晚上回到工棚，发现身边的工友都是三四十岁的人，好几个人床头都放着书，晚上回去不论再晚都要看几眼，还有两个人在坚持自学考试。

　　一位工友告诉他：“没有知识，永远无法改变命运。光靠打工，永远挣的是辛苦钱。”从此，他逐渐坚定了继续完成学业的决心。“不管有多少困难，我都要坚强地走下去。”

　　闫明强说：“万事靠自己，爱拼才会赢！这就是我的座右铭。”

跑步成为爱心体验

　　一开始跑步到学校，确实是为了省钱。闫明强说，但两年多坚持下来，越来越喜欢这种运动方式。每次回家和到校，都是一次心无旁骛的长跑训练。沿乡村路、县乡道路和省道，共计30公里的路程，他用3个小时左右的时间跑完。

　　对于这样的“马拉松”，他积累了几条经验：慢跑，但不能停，更不能坐下休息，坚持一口气跑完全程。另外，要少喝水，他甚至经常空腹，跑回家再吃饭。长时间的锻炼，使他的体育成绩很好。在全校的体育长跑项目比赛中，他稳拿第一。去年，他参加许昌市体育比赛，在长跑项目中以0.02秒的微弱劣势，屈居第二名。老师说，在体育方面，他应该有很好的前景。

　　他的自强，影响着身边的同学和朋友。好友不比排场，而是比学习、比节俭、比上进。

　　他乐于助人，当然，也有一些人想帮助他。“大概是去年冬天吧，下起了小雪，一会儿路就白了。”闫明强说，“一辆面包车从文殊镇开始跟了我几公里，司机非要拉我一程。我笑笑说：谢谢，不用了……”人间处处有真爱，让闫明强欣慰不已。

祈盼父母尽快病愈

　　当天，记者用车送他回家。刚坐上车，他就说：“这是我第二次坐小车。”问他第一次在哪，他说在郑州打工时，坐老板的车。接着，他说，坐车还真有点不舒服，还没有在路上走着得劲！

　　来到鸠山乡闫庄村，闫明强走进家门，父亲不在家，母亲蜷缩在床头关切地问：“又走着回来了？”

　　老人说，明强跑步上学的事儿，自己一开始并不知道。后来知道了，心疼孩子受苦，母亲劝他坐车。可是孩子坚持这样，父母也没有办法，令他们欣慰的是，闫明强没有累倒，反倒更强壮了。

　　接着，闫明强拉着母亲的手臂和腿脚，开始按摩。“希望父母尽快好起来。”闫明强说，这是他最大的心愿。

　　在路上

　　在路上，他耐住寂寞，看遍人生风景：初升的太阳、家乡的山岭、最后一抹晚霞……

http://news.jschina.com.cn/system/2011/09/23/011722174_01.shtml