□ Zhang Weijian
In 2004, the United Nations General Assembly, in its resolution to designate 2005 as the International Year of Physics, stated that physics is the basis for the understanding of nature, that physics is the basis for many of today's technological developments, and that physics education provides the scientific foundation necessary for human development. Physics education provides the scientific basis necessary for human development. The resolution highly evaluates the significant role of physics in human understanding of the world, in changing human society, and in improving the scientific and cultural quality of the public.
We advocate the concept of physics as the basis for the development of medicine, and consider physics to be an important component of health professions education. At the same time, we also criticize those who belittle physics, that physics is dispensable. The following are a few points of rough understanding of the relevant issues.
1 Physics is the foundation of people's understanding of nature, the formation of a world view
Physics is the study of the most basic structure of matter in nature, the most common interactions, the most general laws of motion of a science. Physical concepts, experimental methods and methods of thinking are also important elements in the study of physics. People's understanding of the structure and form of matter, thinking about the creation and evolution of the universe, the formation of the concept of space and time, and even people's general view of the world have all changed with the development of physics. Physical concepts, experimental means and methods of thinking have provided people with extremely rich ideological materials, which have played a very positive role in helping people to establish a dialectical materialist worldview. In particular, the establishment of the law of conservation of energy, which directly proves the eternity of material movement, provides the most direct and important scientific basis for the creation of Marxist philosophy.
Materialistic dialectics is the science of studying the general laws of nature, human society and the development of thinking. The object of study of physics, determines the content of physics is full of materialistic dialectics of the ideological factors. Physics plays a fundamental role in the formation and development of philosophy. Some of the basic concepts of philosophy are derived from physics. For example, the physical concepts and laws of matter and existence, motion and stillness, time and space, interaction between things, energy and conservation of energy are the basic elements of philosophical concepts.
2 Physics is the basis for the study of natural sciences
With the development and wide application of physics, people's understanding of the interconnection of various forms of material movement, mutual transformation is constantly deepening, some of the boundaries of the natural sciences disciplines are also gradually being broken through, resulting in a number of fringe disciplines (eg, medical physics), and create a number of cutting-edge technologies (such as lasers, X-CT, magnetic *****, etc.). -CT, magnetic **** vibration imaging, radiation diagnosis and treatment, etc.).
With the establishment of the theory of relativity and quantum mechanics, mankind's ability to understand and transform nature has been developed, and new connections and laws between things in nature have been revealed, not only has a series of new applied sciences been developed from the basic natural sciences, but also cross-cutting disciplines like cybernetics, information theory, and systems theory have been created.
Relative to many disciplines in the natural sciences, physics is the most universal object of study, the study of the law is the most basic and extensive. The object of study of physics can be inanimate or animate, but life activities will never violate the basic principles of physics. It is often said that the 21st century will be the century of so-and-so discipline. It should be noted that this view is only in terms of the prospects for the development of the discipline. It is not an exaggeration to say that whatever qualitative, quantum leap in any discipline, it will be realized by applying the methods and techniques provided by physics.
Physics has contributed to the development of science and technology on the one hand, and to the progress of human society on the other. The contribution of physics to the progress of human civilization is manifested in many ways. A large number of facts show that the physical technology and theory of mutual advancement, and widely used in science and technology and scientific research in all sectors, become an important driving force of scientific and technological innovation and revolution, greatly promote the development of material production and the progress of spiritual civilization. The following are just a few representative examples to illustrate the important role of physics in human civilization, social progress, including the development of medical science.
In the middle of the 18th century, the in-depth study of thermodynamics led to the improvement and widespread use of the steam engine, which facilitated the transformation of artisanal production into mechanized mass production and made large-scale, long-distance transportation on land and at sea possible, thus greatly advancing the development of human society.
The discovery of the phenomenon of electromagnetic induction and the application of the results of the research, changed the face of the world. From the 1880s onwards, electricity has gradually replaced steam power, human society began to enter the era of electrification. Especially after the 20th century, electricity has been more widely used, it has entered all aspects of human life, not only fundamentally changed people's way of life, but also has become an important pillar of the material and spiritual civilization of modern society. Electrotechnology and radio electronics, radio communication technology, automatic control technology, medical electronics, and computer science and technology are based on electromagnetism and the development of.
In the 20th century, the rapid development of atomic nuclear physics, electronics and semiconductor physics, laser physics, and ultrasonics have greatly contributed to the progress of related engineering technologies. Such as laser technology and related technology integration, has formed a number of major laser engineering, the most representative of which is the global laser communication. Micro-physical research breakthroughs, the development of ultra-large-scale integrated circuits and microprocessors are widely used, not only for industrial manufacturing, medical diagnosis and treatment of a variety of high-tech equipment, but also to make the human society from now on into the information age characterized by electronic computers and network applications.
3 The development of medical science can not be separated from the physics
Physics in all sectors of medicine is a leading role in a discipline. Many of the major discoveries made in physics have given a strong impetus to the development of medical science. In this context, the following two points are emphasized.
3.1 Basic medical research
Human life activities are accompanied by physical phenomena, and the knowledge of physics is an indispensable basis for understanding the phenomena of life, and exploring the characteristics and processes of physiology and pathology.
For example, the study of respiration, due to the secretion of liquid on the inner surface of the alveoli, so in the study of the surface tension of the liquid should be understood; the study of blood circulation, because the blood flow follows the laws of fluid dynamics, so you need to know the concepts of pressure, flow rate, continuity, viscosity and other concepts and principles; the study of the basic metabolism of the human body in the process of life, it is necessary to know the concepts of energy and the law of conservation of energy; the study of the eye, to understand the structure of the eye, to explore the physiological and pathological characteristics and processes of indispensable basis. Eye, to understand the structure of the eye and imaging principles, you need to have a certain knowledge of optics; research on the ear and hearing, to understand the mechanism of hearing, you need to use the knowledge of vibration and wave; due to the phenomenon of bioelectricity accompanied by the human body the whole process of life, to study the bioelectricity, to understand the cardiac, cerebral, gastric, myoelectricity, and neural conduction, you need to have a certain knowledge of electromagnetism.
In addition, some of the major advances in life sciences research can not be separated from the foundation of physics. For example, deoxyribonucleic acid (i.e., DNA), which is the material basis for storing and transmitting genetic information, the discovery of its double-helix structure, which was in 1953 by the American biologist Watson and the British physicist Crick based on X-ray diffraction method to obtain.
3.2 Diagnostic and Therapeutic Techniques
The development of physics has provided many new methods and techniques for the study and practice of medicine. The methods and techniques provided by physics are powerful tools for medical research and practice, and these techniques are constantly being updated, opening up many new avenues for the development of medical diagnostic and therapeutic techniques.
For example, in 1895, Roentgen discovered X-rays, which soon became a powerful tool for diagnosing disease. Optical microscopy is widely used in biology, medicine, basic research and clinical practice, electrocardiography, electroencephalogram, ultrasound technology, etc. are widely used in medicine. These techniques have become routine in medical practice.
In 1896, Becquerel discovered the radioactivity of uranium, and in 1898, Mr. and Mrs. Curie discovered the more radioactive elements polonium and radium. The application of radioactivity is important to help doctors diagnose and treat diseases, and on this basis a new medical discipline - nuclear medicine. Fiber-optic endoscopy technology, laser technology, X-CT technology and nuclear magnetic **** vibration imaging technology in medicine in a wide range of applications, as well as the application of radiation in the diagnosis and treatment of tumors. The application of these high and new technologies, a powerful impetus to the modernization of medical science, the development of modern medicine has had a huge and far-reaching impact.
4 The lack of quality education in physics is imperfect
Physics knowledge is not dispensable for students receiving health vocational education, but essential. First, as a basic cultural subject, physics aims to study the basic laws of the structure and movement of matter in nature, and is the basis for the development of the entire natural sciences and modern technology; second, physics knowledge has a very wide range of applications in our lives, production, and scientific research.
The ideas and methods of physics are being widely penetrated into many natural and social sciences, physical knowledge is not only the basis of modern science and technology, but also the basis of scientific understanding of the natural world and human society. Knowledge of physics is important and universally significant to help students continue their studies, improve their overall quality, and engage in social work. Therefore, have a certain knowledge of physics, not only students in school during the learning needs, but also in the future to participate in the work of the community should have the basic quality requirements.
In a sense, the lack of physics education quality education is not perfect. Physics in improving the scientific quality of students, with other disciplines irreplaceable role. Physics education is the basis for the development of health vocational education, is an important part of quality education. In fact, physics education does not only teach physical knowledge and experimental skills, but it also teaches scientific methods and ways of thinking. Through the study of physics, students have a certain amount of physical knowledge and skills, from which to understand some of the basic scientific method, the student's knowledge structure because of the addition of physical knowledge and appear more full.
The above discussion shows that the development of science and technology needs physics, the development of medicine can not be separated from the physics, our lives are not without physics. It can be argued that if students do not have a certain knowledge of physics, to learn the basics of medicine and clinical science, it is difficult to imagine. Therefore, health vocational education should emphasize physics.