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The 1987 Kyoto Prize
1987
11 /11 Wed
Place：Kyoto International Conference Center
The 1987 Kyoto Prize Kyoto Prize Laureates
Lecture topics
Metallurgy and the Evolution of Materials Science and Engineering
Abstract of the lecture
Materials have become Increasingly ingrained in human existence ever since the emergence of mankind some hundred thousand years ago. The association between civilization and materials has intensified to the extent that, presently, about 15 billion tons of raw materials are taken annually from nature by mining, drilling, harvesting and fishing for conversion into countless edifices, machines, devices, and products for societal purpose. Nevertheless, despite the magnitude and importance of this world-wide enterprise, often referred to as the global materials cycle, it has been only within the past thirty years that the field of materials has come into intellectual focus. This has been accomplished, in effect, by carrying over the central theme of metallurgy (namely, the interrelationships between the processing, structure, properties, and performance of the metallic state) to other classes of materials that are potentially accessible and useful to society. In other words, the discipline of metallurgy has provided an excellent paradigm for the newer and broader field of materials science and engineering (MSE), within which metallurgy has now become an indispensable part. However, the several disciplines which function within MSE have not yet blended sufficiently to operate as a unified branch of knowledge, and so MSE must still be viewed as a multidiscipline in a vibrant state of change. It will take time, perhaps another generation of two, for society to determine whether MSE can actually evolve into a coherent discipline unto itself in competition with other branches of knowledge which are striving for attention. The crucial test is likely to depend on two subtle criteria: How well will MSE aid the human mind to understand nature ever more thoroughly, and how well will MSE help society to utilize nature ever more wisely? Conceptually, metallurgy and MSE have much in common. In both cases, there is no clear separation between their scientific and engineering contents, and both gather special strength from this deliberate continuity. Both function most productively when there is an intimate mixing of scientific and experienced knowledge; yet major advances in this interplay are found to be initiated more frequently by novel processing and new experimental findings than by new theory. Hence, the hallmark of MSE thus far, as in metallurgy, is not the predictability of material behavior from first principles, but the synergistic reciprocities which are discovered between processing and structure, structure and properties, properties and performance. The operations of these interrelationships are nicely illustrated by examples of recent advanced-material developments.
Lecture topics
Horizons
Abstract of the lecture
An account is given of the development of our view of the world from the time when as children we saw it bounded by our horizon, up to the era of the expanding Universe, when the horizon has receded to the "Big Bang", at a distance of roughly thirteen billion light-years. The first scientific models of the outside world were conceived by the ancient Greeks. Their models were extremely ingenious, and formed the standard of our astronomical knowledge for almost two thousand years. They were primarily concerned with the Solar System. It is only through the enormous technical developments of the 19th century, which permitted the construction of large telescopes, that the world outside the Solar System became accessible. One of the principal pioneers of the exploration of this larger world was J.C. Kapteyn in Groningen, who directed the entire work of his institute to the investigation of the huge swarm of stars surrounding us. My relation with astronomy started when I began my study in Groningen. Under the inspiring influence of Kapteyn I became involved in the early phase of the exploration of the Galaxy. One special aspect of the investigations was the apparent contradiction between the so-called Kapteyn System based on star counts in Kapteyn's "Selected Areas" and the model based on the distribution of globular clusters as suggested by Shapley. The controversy was solved by the discovery of the galactic rotation by Lindblad and Oort in 1925-27. This showed that the real Galaxy was different from both the Kapteyn System and Shapley's conception. The discovery of the rotation led to better insight into several longstanding problems, such as the "star streams" which had been discovered by Kapteyn in 1902, and the motions of the high-velocity stars. A principal feature of the new Galaxy was a thin disk of stars and interstellar clouds of gas and dust. By far the largest part of the disk was hidden from our view through the obscuration by the dust. It only became accessible by the advent of radio-astronomy, the radio waves penetrating unhindered through the dust. The first radio map showing the large-scale structure of the galactic disk was produced in Holland in 1954. It proved that our Galaxy had a spiral structure, like many of the "nebulae" that populate the Universe outside our Galaxy. These nebulae, or "galaxies", are now the principle objects by which the structure and evolution of the Universe is being investigated. They have yielded two major discoveries: 1. That the Universe is expanding, and must have started roughly 13 billion years ago from a small volume; 2. That it is filled with isotropic radiation which had an extremely high temperature in the far past, but has now cooled to 3 above absolute zero, and has actually been measured. The principal "experimental" problems which are presently being studied are how galaxies, clusters of galaxies, and the huge structures that are called superclusters have formed and evolved. Much is still enigmatic.
Lecture topics
Observing Life Through a Camera
Abstract of the lecture
At the request of the sponsor of this commemorative lecture, I will look back over the thirty years I have spent as a film-maker and dramatist. From among my films and numerous stage productions, I will attempt to extract some general principles and precepts which may be of interest to you. Have I been able to discover anything exciting? I am talking not only about films perse but also about the methods of my work. I hope my attempt will be successful and that I will be able to utilize my time effectively. My first conscious experience was of war. I saw how short human life could be and how quickly it could be extinguished. Based on this personal experience, I have not left any work undone as I realized that the time I had to accomplish all my plans was short. In the difficult postwar period there were repeated social and political crises in my country, and even though we looked forward to better political circumstances, I soon learned that hope alone was not enough. Film and drama have in common dynamic art forms with a wide appeal and impact. A film producer is an artist, but should he rely solely on his personal artistic ability in his job, his work will be unsatisfactory. It is necessary to have the ability to bring out the artistry of the actors by working closely together with them. Nevertheless, the personal disposition of the artist should be preserved as well as the spark of creativity which often has its roots in the artist's native country. It is good to cultivate one's talent and keep it intact wherever one goes in the world. Still, no matter what the hardship and no matter how one is buffeted about in the crowd as one grows older, it is also pleasant and desirable to be able to say "thank you" to and to feel at home in one's own country. After my talk, I hope you will understand more clearly why film producers in Poland often speak of political problems and have to participate in social debates related to the freedom of the individual and the group. Since drama and films arise out of the social group itself and are made for the general public, we film producers also must act as responsible social human beings.
