Constructing scientific culture in the 5G era: Historical lessons from the first discovery of a virus

Abstract

This article examines how scientists from various periods, countries and disciplines worked together to identify the tobacco mosaic virus, which is a rod-shaped protein–RNA complex. The process by which that came about was one of persistent and reflective collective learning. Examination of this history reveals that under conditions in which repeated experiments were unable to be properly performed, and no adequate queries from within the scientific community or communications among scientists were available, highly uncertain novel phenomena were susceptible to inaccurate interpretations and predictions. In view of that, it is suggested that only by encouraging queries within the scientific community and embracing alternative opinions can differences in scientific understanding be calibrated to increase the number of fundamental scientific and technological innovations. Only by promoting academic democracy and establishing dialogue on the basis of equality can we prevent substantial deviations in scientific understanding, proposed by scientific authorities, from inhibiting scientific development. With respect to China, this article holds that, in the age of the internet and the dawning era of 5G, Chinese scientists ought to recognise and confront the limitations of scientific research, examine the cumulative nature of scientific understanding in a more general way, establish a dialogue mechanism among researchers on the basis of equality, allow for the inherent error-correction mechanism within the scientific community, and actively take part in the construction of scientific culture.