Expo highlights dreams and reflections on high tech
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Wu Min, head of the Shanghai World Expo Information Center of the Shanghai Library, said it took time for people to understand the scientific and technological elements at the Expo, adding that long-term effort would be required for that, even after the Expo concluded on Oct. 31.
Wu, also editor of the book "Technological Innovation in World Exposition" , said besides the exhibits in the pavilions, the whole Expo site was a testing ground for high-end technologies.
"As the first Expo held in a developing country, it is an opportunity to advance the development of science and technology in China," she said.
She added that the world expo axis, which introduced the Huangpu River as a cooling and heat source and used rain collecting and recycling technology, had made a breakthrough in terms of dimensions.
The State Council, or China' s Cabinet, announced plans in October to develop new strategic industries such as alternative energy, biotechnology, new-generation information technology, high-end equipment manufacturing, advanced materials, alternative-fuel cars and energy-saving and environmental protection industries, to promote industrial upgrading and accelerate the pace of economic restructuring.
It noted that the value-added output of these industries would amount to 15 percent of the country' s GDP by 2020.
Wu Min said the Shanghai Expo, with the theme of "Better City, Better Life" , showed that realizing a low-carbon and environmental-friendly society needed to be supported by scientific and technological measures, and should also not neglect the achievements of the industrial era.
Some local governments have attempted to fulfill the goal of saving energy by restricting the use of electricity by families, which is definitely not correct, according to Wu.
"We should always find a solution through the development of science and technology," she said.
Jiang Xiaoyuan, professor with the History and Philosophy of Sciences Department of Shanghai Jiao Tong University, said the Expo should also make people reflect on the importance of science and technology.
He said people should have a comprehensive understanding of science to prevent it from being used as a tool of capital and allow it to sound a warning on the effect on society if it developed too fast.
In the Urban Dreams Pavilion at the Puxi side of the Expo site, a large sculpture, composed of consumer goods such as a refrigerator, a TV set and car accessories, was hung from the pavilion's ceiling. It cast shadows on the walls on both sides -- one, displaying a disorderly city and the other, a harmonious city.
"It prompts visitors to understand that human beings have sacrificed their own living space, while seeking the further development of cities and reaping rewards from technology and manufacturing," read the exhibit description.
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