From 16th through 19th of October, the “Measurements: States and Prospects of Development” conference, at which leading scientists of the world gathered for exchanging information about the most prospective research areas in the field of measuring equipment, takes place at South Ural State University. At the conference, which is held for the second time, Russian and foreign scientists report about latest achievements in different branches of metrology and other areas of science and technology connected with measurements, and discuss problems topical for this scientific field. We met with scientist from Saint Petersburg Roald Taymanov, Head of the VNIIM Laboratory, member of the Metrology Academy, member of the ICMI Committee, and talked about achievements in metrology, prospects of research development and the secret of a successful career.
– At today’s International Science-to-Practice Conference scientists discuss modern achievements in the field of development, manufacturing, and application of measuring tools. Why is this topical nowadays?
– Metrology and measurements are the foundation of the Theory of knowledge. In the 21st century, technology is developing incredibly fast, significant changes of society take place. In order to understand the happening and eliminate or ease possible problems in development of these tendencies it is necessary to use measurements. Therefore the interest to these issues.
– Please tell us about the sphere of your scientific interests. What are you working on now?
– I am and have always been interested in measurements because it is not a narrowly focused profession. Range of measuring problems that I was working on is connected with coupling of the Apollo-Soyuz, and with nuclear power plants, control systems and defense equipment – with various engineering problems. And now I am incredibly interested in problems connected with measurements of properties of human and society, as a man is more complicated structure than any equipment. In order to grasp brain functioning, society formation, the laws by which the society functions nowadays and things to expect in the future – for all of this, if we try to understand, we need using measurements.
– What are perspectives of metrology development in the sphere of humanities?
– Nowadays the future greatly depends on understanding of a human and on ability to develop his skills and make it possible for him to compete with robots of the future; providing early diagnosis of human diseases, and vise versa, introduce elements of ethics in the structure of robotic systems. All of this is very unusual and interesting, and extremely topical.
– What can make a person happy?
– A person should be happy. In order to be happy, a person should do what he likes and live surrounded by people that he loves. For that, he needs to be able to see it in his work and arrange it so that he is interested. It needs to be self-consistent enough for making decisions, to be intelligent and interested in the surrounding things, try not to turn into a narrowly-focused specialist. In our time it is a big danger. Students should understand that tomorrow they will need knowledge which they have not yet got today, and they will need to search for new knowledge based on the obtained ones. At that, if there is a corresponding environment created in a team, a person will be as happy as I have been for my entire life.