在昆明开会，突然接到北京的朋友打来的电话，才得知汶川的消息……
动身离开北京的前夜，刚刚与刘伟和茂宁畅谈今夏在卧龙的工作计划。不想此刻，我只能默默祈祷他们的平安。山坡上那一座座片石垒砌的农舍，堂屋里一张张淳朴热情的笑脸，我们还能再见吗？
都江堰-映秀的道路尚未打通，偏远村镇的救援更是遥遥无期。不停地拨打一个个电话，依旧是杳无音信的回音……
72小时就这样悄悄流过，我只有为你们祈祷，一遍又一遍。
5/15/2008
5/09/2008
The Genial Gene
Fedex送来未来老板的尚未正式出版的新书稿：
The Genial Gene: Deconstructing Darwinian Selfishness
显然，从书名就可以判断这是针对Dawkins的The Selfish Gene而来的。内容上其实可以算是Evolution's Rainbow的专业加强版。
正好在去昆明的38小时火车上打发时间。
The Genial Gene: Deconstructing Darwinian Selfishness
显然，从书名就可以判断这是针对Dawkins的The Selfish Gene而来的。内容上其实可以算是Evolution's Rainbow的专业加强版。
正好在去昆明的38小时火车上打发时间。
5/07/2008
5/01/2008
4/19/2008
An address with great wisdom
Anti-fake-news, yes; boycott Carrefour, no!
Recently, some youngsters have been very active in the name of patriotism, from anti-CNN to the boycott of Carrefour. However, it is necessary to point out the distinction between them, or more precisely, between punishment for public goods and retaliation for self-interest.
I support anti-CNN for the reason that any media who claimed to report truth, nothing but truth, should never break the rule. Those who are producing fake news are not only irresponsible for the abused victims, but also demolishing the trustworthiness of media. As de Tocqueville remarked, the newspaper is a critical part of a large-size democratic society. But now, it is so disappointing and upsetting to hear that "in such situations, no one can trust any news anymore" (A German researcher told me in email). Please note that it is not only the western media are to be blamed, but a number of Chinese media are doing nothing better. Hence, if any positive international respondence is expected, anti-CNN should go beyond the limit of patriotism, with the new name anti-fake-news rather than anti-CNN.
On the contrary, I could see nothing but retaliation in the boycott of Carrefour and what can be expected as reciprocation in the long run is probably also retaliation. That means the boycott can only get things worse and worse. Please remember: Liberty, equality and fraternity are justified values for human society, but patriotism is not.
Fortunately, the situation is not so terrible as it seems on the internet. I did some shopping in Carrefour on purpose and found nothing unusual. It is perhaps because the patriots are used to being much more active on the virtual web than in the real life. That's good news.
I support anti-CNN for the reason that any media who claimed to report truth, nothing but truth, should never break the rule. Those who are producing fake news are not only irresponsible for the abused victims, but also demolishing the trustworthiness of media. As de Tocqueville remarked, the newspaper is a critical part of a large-size democratic society. But now, it is so disappointing and upsetting to hear that "in such situations, no one can trust any news anymore" (A German researcher told me in email). Please note that it is not only the western media are to be blamed, but a number of Chinese media are doing nothing better. Hence, if any positive international respondence is expected, anti-CNN should go beyond the limit of patriotism, with the new name anti-fake-news rather than anti-CNN.
On the contrary, I could see nothing but retaliation in the boycott of Carrefour and what can be expected as reciprocation in the long run is probably also retaliation. That means the boycott can only get things worse and worse. Please remember: Liberty, equality and fraternity are justified values for human society, but patriotism is not.
Fortunately, the situation is not so terrible as it seems on the internet. I did some shopping in Carrefour on purpose and found nothing unusual. It is perhaps because the patriots are used to being much more active on the virtual web than in the real life. That's good news.
4/16/2008
Winners don't punish
周末在礼堂看了《甘地传》，三个小时的片子，稀稀拉拉十几个人，看完了呆坐在椅子上好半天。脑子里一个问题在回响：“Winners don't punish, but why?”You have heard that it was said, 'An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.' But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if someone wants to sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. If someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.
Winners don't punish
这是上个月Nowak小组发表在Nature上一篇文章。我认为此文的结论有些问题，这是后话且不谈。本文的关键亮点在于首次将报复与反报复的机制放置于实验当中，结果确实很震撼。Milinski在同期发表的评论中将Gandhi作为一个典型的例子，我认为这个例子极好。
作恶之人有何惩罚不得？Gandhi有一句名言：“An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind."我想它就是来自于《马太福音》中的那一段话，虽然他是一个印度教信徒。这世上真正的执意作恶之人并不多，所犯错事多半属无意之举或是不得已而为之，对此类行为如缺乏宽容之心而严加处罚，往往会触发报复心理并使之蒙蔽心智。世间之绵绵战乱纷争大多起于此，如家族之世仇、民族之矛盾、国家之冲突、宗教之纠葛。
有人作恶，却惩罚不得，该当如何是好？耶稣说：转过另一边的脸给他打。这很愚蠢吗？不，至少在某些情况下，这样做很聪明。因为人类，至少是绝大多数人，并不是纯粹自私的经济动物，他们有这样一种奇怪的生理和心理反应，叫做“感动”，所以亚当斯密才要同时写两本书：《国富论》和《道德情操论》。无论是乞丐还是君王，发觉自己做了亏心事以后都不免“内疚”，这乃是人之常情。转过脸去给他打，正是为了唤起对方的愧疚，至少是尴尬。而若从耶稣那里算起，人们明白这个道理也至少有两千年了。不知道其他动物是否也有类似的感动现象，如果没有，那么人类的这种本能又是如何进化得来的呢？这是一个值得研究的问题。
当然，书本上的道理和实践中的运用是两回事情，不然的话，孔夫子当年也就不必四处流落了。感化往往需要一个渐进的过程，有时候要付出不菲的代价，所以人们本能地更倾向于简单粗暴的方法。而如果一个人能够始终如一坚持原则而控制自己的情绪，那么这个人大概就可算圣人了（比如耶稣、孔子和甘地）。如果想要暂时的太平，则尽可以倚重残酷严苛的法律，将违法乱纪者一律关押、流放甚至处死，从汉代的文景之治到现代的新加坡大概都是如此。但如果想要一个真正的和谐社会，感化就要比惩罚有效得多，动辄叫嚣武力威胁或是给人扣上一个反党叛国、阴谋破坏之类的大帽子，逞一时口舌之快，都无益于问题的解决，反而只能加深误解与敌意。
可惜，圣人太少，而我们都是无可救药的近视眼。
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