Academician Cong Bin: This factor accounts for 60% of the impact on health. It is very important to promote health through popular science.

" General Secretary Xi Jinping's statement that 'popularization of science and technological innovation are equally important' has been written into the general principles of the newly revised 'Science Popularization Law'. This is not only an improvement in the status of science popularization work, but also a profound insight into the relationship between science popularization and technological innovation. " On February 26, at a symposium on studying, publicizing and implementing the "Science Popularization Law" held by the China Association for Science and Technology, Cong Bin, vice chairman of the National People's Congress Constitution and Law Committee and academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, mentioned.

At the meeting, Cong Bin elaborated on his understanding and suggestions for the "Science Popularization Law" from three dimensions: the epistemology and methodology of the "equal importance" of science popularization and scientific and technological innovation, the establishment of science popularization awards, and the focus of science popularization work in the next five years.

Popular science and technological innovation are "equally important"

Cong Bin pointed out that the concept of "equal importance" of popularizing science and technological innovation is one of the core contents of the revision of the "Science Popularization Law" . He believes that popularizing science is not only the dissemination of knowledge, but also an important part of national education. Through popularizing science, citizens' scientific thinking and rational spirit can be cultivated, the scientific quality of the whole people can be improved, and a solid social foundation for technological innovation can be provided. Cong Bin emphasized that it is necessary to deeply understand the fundamental and supporting role of popularizing science in technological innovation. This is not only the key to promoting the popularization of science into a new stage of development, but also an important guarantee for the construction of an innovative country.

Cong Bin further explained that the connotation and significance of science popularization should be elevated to the level of national education . Science popularization is not only a simple knowledge popularization, but also an important part of the education system. Through science popularization, citizens can be trained to have a scientific worldview and methodology, develop a civilized, healthy, green and environmentally friendly scientific lifestyle, and improve labor productivity and innovation capabilities. He proposed that the role of science popularization in supporting and guaranteeing scientific and technological innovation should be deeply clarified from multiple aspects, such as the laws of education for the cultivation of scientific and technological talents, social and cultural trends, and the scientific literacy of party and government managers.

"Popular science work should start from childhood and run through the entire process from primary school to university." Cong Bin took himself as an example. His parents are doctors and he has been interested in medicine since he was a child. This kind of popular science in the family has a profound impact on him. He emphasized that popular science is an indispensable part of the education law of scientific and technological talent training, which can stimulate children's interest in science and reserve talents for future scientific and technological innovation.

Science Popularization Awards focus on both incentives and regulations

The newly revised "Science Popularization Law" encourages social forces to establish science popularization awards in accordance with the law. One of the effective measures to implement "equal importance" is to increase the proportion of science popularization in science and technology awards. How to establish and improve laws and regulations and explore effective ways to improve the effectiveness of social forces in establishing science popularization awards?

Cong Bin believes that the establishment of the science popularization award is one of the important measures to implement the concept of "equal importance". He proposed that the implementation of the science popularization award should start from four aspects.

First, establish an independent evaluation index system . The Science Popularization Award needs to have its own independent evaluation index system, which is different from other science and technology innovation awards. The evaluation system must reflect objectivity, systematicity, scientificity, fairness, practicality and orientation, so that it can be effectively promoted in practice.

Second, the Science Popularization Award should be included in the scope and system of the National Science and Technology Award . Since the emphasis is on "two-wheel drive", the Science Popularization Award should be a part of the National Science and Technology Award system, so as to enhance the status and influence of the Science Popularization Award.

Third, provincial science and technology associations and the China Association for Science and Technology should conduct a review of popular science awards every year . The popular science awards selected by the China Association for Science and Technology should be regarded as provincial and ministerial science and technology awards and can be directly recommended for national science and technology award reviews.

Fourth, there are currently few places for popular science awards in the National Science and Technology Awards, which needs further optimization and should not be limited to the second prize for scientific and technological progress.

"The importance of the Science Popularization Award is self-evident. It is crucial to the construction of an innovative country, governance, and the great cause of national rejuvenation. Therefore, the status of the award should be improved, and the Science Popularization Award should have the opportunity to win higher awards to reflect its importance." Cong Bin said.

Health science is particularly important

The newly revised "Science Popularization Law" clarifies that the country will implement the National Science Literacy Action and formulate a National Science Literacy Action Plan. Cong Bin believes that the National Science Literacy Action in the next five years should focus on the popularization of science in the field of health and wellness . Health science popularization can not only improve the scientific and cultural quality of the whole people, but also become an important tool to promote the popularization of science among the whole people.

He said that health is the livelihood issue that all citizens are most concerned about. Through health and hygiene science popularization, the scientific and cultural quality of the whole nation can be improved. "Without the health of all people, there will be no comprehensive well-off society. The health of all people is a necessary and sufficient condition for achieving a comprehensive well-off society." He proposed that the "four aspects" requirements should be implemented, emphasizing the driving and leading role of health and hygiene science popularization. Through health science popularization, the public's health literacy can be improved and the popularization of the concept of active health can be promoted.

Cong Bin took the World Health Organization's survey as an example, to maintain personal health, good living habits account for 60% , genetic factors account for 15%, medical factors account for 8%, climate factors account for 7%, and social factors account for 10%. Therefore, good living habits are very important for health, so we must promote a good lifestyle through popular science .

At the same time, the concept of total health emphasizes the connection between human health, the health of the ecological environment, and the health of other animal species. Protecting the health of the ecological environment and animal species is also an important way to achieve true human health.

"We protect wild animals because they are reservoirs of natural microbial populations. Once the number of wild animals decreases, the microbial population will randomly select new hosts. On Earth, humans are the largest, densest, most active omnivores with the broadest food spectrum, so humans have the greatest chance of being selected. This also explains why new infectious diseases continue to emerge. If we do not protect the health of the environment and the health of other animal species living in it, we cannot achieve true health for ourselves," said Cong Bin.

Cong Bin called for popular science work to be not only the foundation of scientific and technological innovation, but also an important force in promoting the modernization of the national governance system and governance capabilities. The whole society should work together to promote the coordinated development of popular science and scientific and technological innovation and contribute to building a strong country in science and technology.

Planning and production

Editor: He Tong

Proofread by Xu Lailinlin

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