Repost: Never underestimate your opponents: Japan’s 50-year Nobel Plan over 14 years is already more than half complete

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Japan made an outrageous claim: “Win 30 Nobel Prizes in 50 years.” In its second Basic Science and Technology Plan, released in March 2001, Japan set the goal of winning 30 Nobel Prizes within 50 years. Following the Nobel Centennial celebrations that concluded not long ago, Japan **reaffirmed this goal and established a \"Research Coordination Center\" at the Karolinska Institute in Sweden. This move caused a huge reaction around the world, with mixed opinions and varying evaluations. Ryoji Noyori, the Japanese scientist who won the 2001 Nobel Prize in Chemistry, commented that Japan **“lacks intelligence”; it’s nothing but “arrogant nonsense.”** However, some experts believe that such comments are somewhat biased. Compared to the UK, over the past century since the Nobel Prize was established, 89 Britons have won it, and in 50 years alone, the number has been well over 30. Today, Japan’s economic and scientific research capabilities rank among the best in the world, so achieving 30 Nobel Prizes in 50 years doesn’t seem like an overstatement. In terms of funding, although the Japanese economy has been in a downturn in recent years, it remains a recognized economic powerhouse and is therefore able to allocate substantial funds to research and development. Japan’s total fiscal budget for 2002 decreased, but budgets for areas such as technology increased instead. In recent years, funding for research and development has reached over 3% of the GDP, ranking first among developed countries. Japan has also achieved remarkable results in basic research. In 1998, Japanese scientists discovered that neutrinos have rest mass ； In 2001, Japanese scientists found strong evidence of the phenomenon of \"parity violation\" in the universe ； Japan’s cloned cow technology has also basically reached a practical level ； Japan is also developing the world’s fastest supercomputer, the \"Cosmos Simulator\". Furthermore, Japan is at the forefront of the world in fields such as nanotechnology and new materials, and has participated in major international collaborative research projects such as the International Space Station and the Human Genome Project. Japan is actively expanding in various fields such as biotechnology, life sciences, information and communications, aerospace, machinery, the environment, materials, and energy technology. Financial investment and a technical foundation do not necessarily lead to a Nobel Prize. Over the past century since the Nobel Prize was established, Japan has had only 9 laureates, 7 of whom won prizes in the scientific fields. Therefore, doubts about Japan’s goal are not unfounded. It is worth noting, however, that Japan attaches great importance to cultivating creative talents. As early as 1994, it put forward the \"basic policy for ensuring scientific and technological talent\"” ； After Riichi Noyori received the award, Japan announced that it would allocate $70 million specifically to establish a research center for him ； Japan also leverages its advantages to attract foreign scientists to work in Japan or conduct joint research. The awarding of Nobel Prizes is somewhat delayed; Japan’s substantial investment in research over the past decade will gradually bear fruit, as evidenced by Japanese scientists winning Nobel Prizes in 2000 and 2001, which illustrates this point to some extent. Why has Japan set this goal? Some experts believe this is a way of showing a stance. Japan aims not only to be a technological powerhouse but also to become a scientific powerhouse, proposing to \"build the country on science and technology\"” ； At the same time, this slogan is also very compelling and inspiring. Whether 30 Nobel Prizes are ultimately awarded or not, on the positive side, it can encourage more talents to pay attention to science and engage in research ； As stated in an article in the Nikkan Kogyo Shimbun dated June 28, 2001, the goal is for Japan to become a country \"respected by nations around the world\". Other developed **have not put forward similar slogans, but they each have their own measures. The United States has a strong foundation in scientific research; scientists win awards every year, so there is no need to set goals ； In recent years, there has been a decreasing number of German scientists who conduct research in their home country and win Nobel Prizes; Germany has stated that it will make significant efforts to improve the working conditions for scientists ； Although countries such as the UK and France have not set corresponding goals, they have also formulated strategic plans for key areas of scientific research. In these **financial budgets, the amount of funding allocated is on the rise. To achieve this goal, Japan has taken many measures in recent years: increasing investment in research ； Actively reform the rigid and fragmented old research system, such as by merging the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Science and Technology ； Focus on developing life sciences, information technology, environment, and nanotechnology, etc ； It supports corporate research and development; to promote the industrialization of results, specialized technology transfer agencies have also been established ； Aiming at sustainable development, legislation is established to determine the direction of scientific research ； Carry out international cooperation while creating world-class achievements of one's own. However, many experts say that Japan’s goal might backfire. Under this goal, the research system may become unbalanced; more human, material, and financial resources may be directed toward fields that are likely to be recognized by the Nobel Prize committee and where results can be achieved quickly, at the expense of basic research in other fields. This can also lead some scientists to view winning a prize as the goal of their research, thereby hindering the progress of science. (Lin Xiaochun) Xinhua Net, January 6, 2002