纽约大学的目标之一就是促进科学学科间的跨学科交流，更要促进科学学科与人文学科的交流互动。您是不是在这方面做了许多工作？Certainly. In fact, many of the images and visualizations we got from my work have ended up on the covers of books, websites, and as decorations. I’ve worked on several projects with the National Science Foundation on bridging science and art. For example, we did a project on fluid dynamics, where we tracked the movement of air and water, and then used our data to create visualizations. Other projects we did involve the flight behaviors of birds, and patterns created by fish when they’re swimming. We also simulate the movement of continents and create these visually striking images.
当然。事实上，我们从工作中得到的很多影像和成果最终都会出现在书的封面上和网站上，作为一种装饰。我也曾和美国国家科学基金会合作过一些将科学与人文结合起来的特别项目。比如在一个流体动力学项目里，我们监测了空气和水的流动，再把我们的数据影像化。另一些项目包括鸟类飞行行为，以及鱼类游动产生的图形。我们还模拟了大陆漂移，并以此做出了这些富有视觉冲击力的影像。
Our work has been featured in
La Monde,
The New Yorker, Popular Science, New Scientist, the ABC Evening News, and the Economist. As you can see, the work we do at NYU is not confined to the realm of science.
我们的工作成果在《La Monde》、《纽约客》、《Popular Science》、《New Scientists》, 《美国广播公司晚间新闻》以及《经济学人》上都有专题报道。如你所见，我们在纽约大学的工作并不局限于科学的范畴。
Do you bring such practical applications of math and physics into your teaching?您会把这些数学和物理方面的实际应用带入课堂教学当中吗？Yes. The syllabus for Foundation of Science classes at NYU Shanghai is quite demanding already, but there’s always room to squeeze my research interests into class. For example, in late April of this year, I gave a seminar on my trip to Antarctica, and by the end of the seminar, several students told me they were inspired to switch their concentration to physics. I always try to relate my work and research to my classes in order to inspire students. I think they can see your enthusiasm about your subject.
是的。上海纽约大学科学基础课的教学大纲要求已经很高了，但总还是有空间把我的研究兴趣加进去，带入课堂的。举个例子，今年4月底的时候,我办了一场以我的南极为主题的研讨会。期末时，有几个学生说他们受到了启发，决定把他们将来的学习方向转向物理。我一直努力将我的工作、研究和教学联系起来，以启发学生。我相信他们能看到你对这个学科的热情。
How was Antarctica?南极是怎样的一个地方？Cold. [laughs]. Actually I went in December, 2014, which was actually summer there, but the temperature still hovered around freezing the entire time. I went there to research marine life such as krill and pterapods, which are key links in the marine food chain. I spent nearly a month tracking their swimming behavior, and school formations.
很冷（笑）。其实我在2014年12月去的时候，那儿正是夏天，但气温一直在冰点上下。我到那里开展对海洋生物的研究，比如磷虾和翼足目动物，它们是海洋食物链的关键部分。我用了将近一个月的时间监测它们的游动行为和种群结构。
What was life like in Antarctica?在南极的生活怎么样？We lived in dorms. It was a semi-military existence. We had a very strict schedule for eating, exercising, and etc. We had to follow all safety and environmental. The physical exam I had to undergo to be cleared to go to Antarctica also took a long time. We had to be trained for how to get out of the research stations, and what to wear to go out and collect samples. When we were on the ship that took us to Antarctica from South America, we would be woken up in the middle of the night by fire drills. It took me five flight transfers to finally get to Punta Arenas (Chile), and then we were on the ship for five days. Since I couldn’t check my email the entire time, I arrived to Antarctica to hundreds of emails in my inbox.
我们住在宿舍里。那里的生活是半军事化的，我们有严格的日程安排来吃饭、活动等等。我们必须遵守安全与环保准则。去南极前必须接受的体检也花了很长时间。我们必须学习如何离开研究站，穿什么，如何收集样本。当我们从南美坐船去南极时，半夜会有火警铃声把我们吵醒。我坐了五架航班才到达智利的蓬塔阿雷纳斯，然后又坐了5天船。在整个旅途中我都没法查收电子邮件，所以到达南极后，我的收件箱里已经积了好几百封邮件了。
How is the Wifi in Antarctica?南极的无线网络怎么样？Slow. There’s no cables there, you now, so we were allowed to use the internet for short emails only, and we couldn’t send files larger than one megabyte. All of the data we collected was moved off of the continent on hard drives.
很慢。那里没有电缆，所以只允许我们使用网络发送一些简短的邮件，传送的文件不能超过1兆。我们收集的所有数据都是存在硬盘里带走的。
Can you tell us about the Foundation of Sciences class you teach at NYU Shanghai?能讲讲您在上海纽约大学教授的科学基础课程吗？Foundation of Sciences horizontally integrates the sciences. We cover physics, chemistry, biology, and etcetera. I taught my first biophysics class 15 years ago at NYU on the Square. It’s been my practice to bring my own research into class discussions, plugging in problems to the internal logic of the sciences.
科学基础课程将科学学科进行了横向整合，包括物理、化学、生物等。14年前，我在纽约大学教授了第一堂生物物理课。把研究带入课堂讨论，加入科学内在逻辑的相关问题我的授课风格。
Overall, the students here are quite driven. I think we’ve fostered a good environment, and there’s a collective motivation to learn. It’s all about creating an atmosphere conducive to learning with attention and guidance. I always encourage my students to ask questions in order to nourish the habit of student involvement, and I stop talking before drawing conclusions sometimes in order to give them room to make their own connections. The students here never check their phones in class because they don’t want to miss anything. Sometimes, I have to tell them to calm their excitement, and often four or five people have questions at the same time.
总的来说，这里的学生相当奋发图强。我认为我们营造了一个非常良好的环境，充满学习动力。我们致力于创建的环境有助于学生伴有目标和指导地去学习。我总是鼓励学生问问题，以此培养学生参与的习惯。我有时会在给出结论之前停下来，给学生更多思考的空间。这里的学生从来不会在上课的时候看手机，因为他们不想错过任何东西。有时候，我必须让他们平复激动的情绪，而且经常会出现四五个学生同时提问的情况。
Is there a gap in knowledge between International and Chinese students in math and science?在数学和科学学科上，国际学生和中国学生是否存在差距呢？I have to say there is. Chinese students, especially the ones from bigger cities like Beijing or Shanghai are overall better prepared in math and physics. However, I think the students are equally matched in terms of raw interest and motivation. Skill doesn’t mean much without interest and passion, so I wouldn’t take the gap as a sign of anything. They’re still first and second years right now, my goal is to cultivate a continued interest.
我不得不说是有差距的。中国学生，特别是那些来自北京或上海这些大城市的学生，在数学和物理上的总体表现更好一些。但是，我觉得学生们在学习的兴趣和动力上都是一样的。离开了学习的兴趣和热情，单纯的技巧没有太大意义。所以我不会把这些差距当一回事。他们现在还只是大一大二的学生，我的目标是培养他们持久的兴趣。I would also like to see more opportunities for the students to start working in the laboratory, to see first-hand what research is like. Undergraduates at NYU have the chance to do this, and in a few years, we’ll have our first Senior class. I’d like to take some of them to work, researching, publishing, and discovering new things. I have a 200 square meter lab at ECNU/NYU Shanghai's joint institute, and there I can actually engage in my research interests involving animal locomotion.
我还盼望着学生能有更多参与实验室工作的机会，好让他们亲身体验一下科研到底是怎样的。纽约大学的本科生是有这样的机会的。不久之后，我们就会有第一批大三学生。我想要带他们中的一部分学生一起工作、研究、发表文章和发现新的东西。我在华东师范大学和上海纽约大学的联合研究机构有一个200平方米的实验室，那里是我投身我所感兴趣的关于动物运动研究的地方。The bigger picture of NYU Shanghai is that of a research university. That’s a large part of why I came here, to do research.
上海纽约大学致力于成为一所研究型大学。做科研，是促使我来到这里的主要原因。
What is your best memory of your time at NYU Shanghai?能分享一下您在上海纽约大学最美好的回忆吗？It’s not a memory, as it’s ongoing right now. I just really enjoy the environment here, there’s a sense of community because we’re still so small. The staff, faculty, and students form a kind of small village. Because we’re such a small university, we have to constantly reach out to each other and the community, to form ties. A huge university is more self-sustained, but I think the spirit of NYU Shanghai is that of connection and outreach.
那不是回忆，因为它是现在进行时。我真的很喜欢这里的环境，因为我们校还很小，所以非常有团体意识。员工、教师和学生组成了一个小村庄。因为我们学校的规模小，所以我们要保持互相联系以及对外联系，以扎根社区、系紧纽带。一个规模较大的大学更多的是自我持续发展，但在我看来，上海纽约大学的精神在于联接和拓展。
