英国的彼得·希格斯教授在斯德哥尔摩一项仪式上获颁发2013诺贝尔物理学奖。

这位苏格兰爱丁堡大学荣休教授与弗朗索瓦·恩格勒因为在希格斯玻色子理论上的工作而分享今年的物理学奖。1960年代，他们与其他物理学家提出机制，解释宇宙最基本组成的粒子为什么拥有质量。

希格斯提出这个物理学理论时，正在爱丁堡大学工作。他协助提出的这个机制所预测的希格斯玻色子，科学家最终在2012年利用位于法国瑞士边界的大型强子对撞机找到了。前后经历了50多年。

上周末，希格斯接受英国《卫报》访问时说，今天已经没有大学会雇用他，因为他将被认为没有足够“生产力”。

希格斯教授说，如果他们进行研究评估，他“将会让学院感到尴尬”。院系将要求他提供最近发表的论文清单。希格斯说：“我会给他们回答‘没有’。”

不过，他说，他怀疑在现在的学术文化底下能否再有同类突破，因为现在要求研究人员发表大量论文。

他说：“很难想象现在这样的气氛能让我像1964年那样拥有足够的空间和宁静来工作。”

　　
很明显，中国在使用论文数量来评估一个研究人员成绩方面是绝对的世界第一。这里，西格斯明确反对这种评价方式，并对这样的方式表示了充分的怀疑：他怀疑在现在的学术文化底下能否再有同类突破，因为现在要求研究人员发表大量论文。

虽然西格斯没有直接点名中国这样，并且世界上还有不少国家都采取类似中国的评价方式，很明显，这是西格斯不点名批判中国论文数量泡沫。

Peter Higgs: I wouldn't be productive enough for today's academic system

http://www.theguardian.com/science/2013/dec/06/peter-higgs-boson-academic-system

Physicist doubts work like Higgs boson identification achievable now as academics are expected to 'keep churning out papers'

Peter Higgs: 'Today I wouldn't get an academic job. It's as simple as that'. Photograph: David Levene for the Guardian

He doubts a similar breakthrough could be achieved in today's academic culture, because of the expectations on academics to collaborate and keep churning out papers. He said: "It's difficult to imagine how I would ever have enough peace and quiet in the present sort of climate to do what I did in 1964."

Speaking to the Guardian en route to Stockholm to receive the 2013 Nobel prize for science, Higgs, 84, said he would almost certainly have been sacked had he not been nominated for the Nobel in 1980.

Edinburgh University's authorities then took the view, he later learned, that he "might get a Nobel prize – and if he doesn't we can always get rid of him".

Higgs said he became "an embarrassment to the department when they did research assessment exercises". A message would go around the department saying: "Please give a list of your recent publications." Higgs said: "I would send back a statement: 'None.' "

By the time he retired in 1996, he was uncomfortable with the new academic culture. "After I retired it was quite a long time before I went back to my department. I thought I was well out of it. It wasn't my way of doing things any more. Today I wouldn't get an academic job. It's as simple as that. I don't think I would be regarded as productive enough."

He also revealed that he turned down a knighthood in 1999. "I'm rather cynical about the way the honours system is used, frankly. A whole lot of the honours system is used for political purposes by the government in power."

He has never been tempted to buy a television, but was persuaded to watch The Big Bang Theory last year, and said he wasn't impressed.

Peter Higgs receives Nobel prize medal

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-25311387