[Earth interview] Academician Li Tingdong: science popularization is the biggest public welfare project.

General Secretary Xi Jinping said that scientific and technological innovation and scientific popularization are the two wings for realizing innovation and development, and scientific popularization should be placed in the same important position as scientific and technological innovation. Without the general improvement of the scientific quality of the whole people, it will be difficult to establish a grand army of high-quality innovation. " Academician Li Tingdong has a lot to say about the importance of science popularization.

Academician Li Tingdong, who studied in the Geology Department of Peking University in his early years, was president of the Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences, deputy director of the Geology Department of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and former deputy chief engineer of the Geology and Mineral Resources Department. Executive Deputy Editor-in-Chief of Journal of Geology, Editor-in-Chief of Chinese Geology and Chinese Regional Geology, Honorary President of Changchun University of Science and Technology and Hebei University of Geosciences. Has won the "Li Siguang Geoscience Award Honor Award", "he Liang he Li Science and Technology Progress Award", "National Natural Science Award", "National Science and Technology Progress Award" and other awards.

The following is a transcript of the interview, questions asked by Earth magazine and answered by Academician Li Tingdong.

Question: Academician Li, you have been concerned about the scientific popularization of geoscience knowledge among young people for a long time. Can you talk about the specific situation in this respect?

In view of the characteristics of teenagers in their growing period, actively carrying out popular science education will help them to increase their scientific and technological knowledge, broaden their horizons and activate their spiritual life, and develop their intelligence. improve young people's ability to observe things, understand society, and analyze problems, so that they are nurtured by the scientific spirit, form and establish a scientific world outlook, outlook on life and values, and promote the healthy growth of morality, intelligence, physique, beauty and labor. In particular, allowing young people to actively participate in the practical activities of popular science is one of the effective measures to actively carry out popular science education.

Li Tingdong, the country's first academician geological science popularization workstation, is set up in the science and technology building of Huangyi Middle School in Suzhou City, Jiangsu Province. In this workstation, there is not only an introduction of some of my work achievements, but also some geological books I have compiled, more precious rock and mineral specimens and fossil specimens, and a geological science exploration laboratory for students. there are "three treasures" of field geological work-compass, geological hammer and magnifying glass, equipped with polarizing microscope for students to explore.

Q: do the students like the geological popular science workstation, which was first set up in middle school?

A: yes, it is very popular with middle school students. After the completion of this geological science popularization workstation, I have to go to Suzhou almost every year to give popular science reports to teachers and students of Huangxing Middle School and primary and secondary school students around me. For example, in June 2017, when I gave a report to my students, I told them that "going to heaven, going to the earth, going to the sea and going to the pole" were the four major themes of contemporary science and technology research and exploration, and combined with my work experience. Explain to them the geological structure of the north and south poles, the distribution of natural resources, geological and geographical characteristics and other knowledge that students are interested in. On December 8, 2019, I walked into Huangfeng Middle School in Jiangsu Province for the fourth time. One was to attend the 90th anniversary celebration of the school, and the other was to attend the inauguration ceremony of the exhibition hall of Academician Li Tingdong's Museum of Geological Popularization. On that day, I gave a popular science lecture to the school's teachers and students. It's called "the magical Qinghai-Tibet Plateau". After the lecture, the small members of the Provincial Geoscience Research Society gathered around me to ask a lot of geological questions.

Thus it can be seen that the establishment of local science popularization workstation in middle school is an important carrier to improve the scientific quality of young people, and provides an effective platform for young people to improve their scientific quality. Through this popular science garden, let them learn scientific knowledge, learn scientific methods, enhance scientific awareness, advocate scientific spirit, and improve scientific quality.

Q: what is your greatest expectation for a senior and able-bodied geologist like you to communicate with middle school students face to face

A: I like these studious children very much. I brought the world's first edition of the Asia-Europe Geological Map, which was specially framed by Rong Baozhai, to these students, and consigned some popular science books to the school. I also gave them some precious specimens, which I collected from all over the world when I was young, including the European Alps, the Asian Caucasus, the American Rocky Mountains, the South Pole, the North Pole and other places. I hope that more young students can like geoscience from an early age and cultivate an interest in learning, loving and using science. Stimulate the enthusiasm of exploring the mysteries of science and the spirit of daring to innovate.

Q: you have been doing popular science work for many years. What do you feel most personally?

A: roughly speaking, I have given popular science lectures 30 or 40 times in many universities and middle schools across the country. The schools in Beijing have been to Peking University, Beijing No. 8 Middle School and the affiliated Primary School of the first normal University. I have also been to many schools in other places. In the future, as long as my physical condition permits, I will go to more schools to give reports to my students.

In my opinion, talent is the first resource. Today's young people are the main force of scientific and technological innovation in our country in the future. if the young are strong, the country will be strong, and young people are the hope of the country. We have the responsibility to contribute to improving the scientific and technological quality of young people. In primary and secondary schools and young people, it is very important to popularize geoscience science knowledge, which is helpful to improve their scientific quality. How the earth was formed and how life originated, because the evolution of the earth is dialectical materialism, and all kinds of natural phenomena on the earth are dialectical materialism, so popularizing geoscience knowledge is conducive to dialectical materialism education. It will help to strengthen the construction of young people's spiritual civilization, enable them to resist the erosion of all kinds of negative thoughts, distinguish anti-science, pseudoscience, feudal superstition and other phenomena, and make them grow up healthily.

A: the construction and development of Geopark can play a role in the following aspects.

First, it is beneficial to the cultural construction and geoscience tourism of Geopark. Geoparks can protect geological relics and make sustainable use of precious geological resources. Anyone who engages in geology knows that many geological relics are non-renewable, and how to preserve them and make sustainable use of them is a big problem. Now we are all studying General Secretary Xi Jinping's ideas on the construction of ecological ci