師承一向都是引人入勝的話題，
諾貝爾獎常常會有「名師出高徒」的現象。
究其原因，不外有三：
1. 物以類聚，名師和高徒往往具備互相吸引的氣質。
2. 高徒遇上名師，可以說是如虎添翼，
一早便能夠接觸到研究領域裡最先進的知識和技術，
並且浸淫於名師的一流、有時甚至獨特的思考方法，
所以可以急速地進步，一日千里。
3. 名師的影響力和人際關係對高徒有提攜的作用。
且看專家如何分析這個現象：
But a full initiation into the premisses of science
can be gained only by the few who possess
the gifts for becoming independent scientists,
and they usually achieve it only through close
personal association with the intimate views and
practice of a distinguished master.
In the great schools of research are fostered
the most vital premisses of scientific discovery.
A master’s daily labours will reveal these to
the intelligent student and impart to him also
some of the master’s personal intuitions
by which his work is guided.
The way he chooses problems, select a technique,
reacts to new clues and to unforeseen difficulties,
discusses other scientists’ work,
and keeps speculating all the time about
a hundred possibilities which are never to materialize,
may transmit a reflection at least
of his essential visions. This is why so often
great scientists follow great masters as apprentices.
( Michael Polanyi, 1946 )
這就是為甚麼在討論和批判的過程之中，
一位好老師能夠教導和傳授給學生的「學問」，
往往比老師單方面的演講 lecture 為多。
It has often been observed that
famous scholars have famous pupils.
In our own days we may study the ‘genealogy’
of Nobel Prize winners and notice the tendency
for this premier award to run in ‘families’.
What is the explanation of this phenomenon ？
A significant factor, obviously, is that
a distinguished scientist,
lured into a post at a famous university,
has the pick of the best young men of his day
as pupils, and is thus likely to have taught
some of the winners in the next generation.
One may also remark, cynically, that the great men
must use their power to favour their own pupils.
But there is a genuine factor that is often
underrated by those unfamiliar with scholarly pursuits.
Original, creative research is a very subtle art,
that does not come naturally to most people.
It requires more than intelligence, imagination
and persistence. One has to learn to be
self-critical, sceptical and yet self-confident
in the pursuit of worthwhile ideas.
From a great master,
these qualities can be learnt by imitation.
To make an absolutely first-rate contribution to science,
one must, for example, have a subtle grasp of
what constitutes a truly significant question,
and what is needed to give an adequate answer.
It could be that this is the quality
that really singles out the Nobel Laureate,
and this is the inheritance
that he passes on to his pupils.
( John Ziman, 1976 )