Comments on: How Embarassing! http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2005/08/17/how-embarassing/ Random samplings from a universe of ideas. Sun, 05 Jul 2009 04:41:40 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.1 By: Samantha http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2005/08/17/how-embarassing/#comment-1857 Samantha Sat, 13 May 2006 23:43:18 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2005/08/17/how-embarassing/#comment-1857 On a related note: I found out about a year ago that, since 9/11, our Chinese graduate students now go for very long periods (years) without going home to visit ther families. After 9/11, too many enrolled students trying to come back to their studies after a vacation were permanently prevented from re-entering this country by US customs officials. Thus, the remaining students are too afraid to go home. I simply don't think it is relevant whether China is an oppressive regime or not, it is just so dreadfully sad to have a weeping student in your office who is longing to go home but can't. Particularly since I, a British citizen, continue to be able to travel freely even though one of my fellow countrymen [Richard Reed] tried to bring down an aircraft with a shoe bomb. I was so upset by this that I have both talked to officials at USC and tried to phone round the offices of politicians, but to not much avail. As Simon DeDeo (#3) notes, all we can hope is that the trend is reversed before everyone decides to stop coming. On a related note: I found out about a year ago that, since 9/11, our Chinese graduate students now go for very long periods (years) without going home to visit ther families. After 9/11, too many enrolled students trying to come back to their studies after a vacation were permanently prevented from re-entering this country by US customs officials. Thus, the remaining students are too afraid to go home.

I simply don’t think it is relevant whether China is an oppressive regime or not, it is just so dreadfully sad to have a weeping student in your office who is longing to go home but can’t. Particularly since I, a British citizen, continue to be able to travel freely even though one of my fellow countrymen [Richard Reed] tried to bring down an aircraft with a shoe bomb.

I was so upset by this that I have both talked to officials at USC and tried to phone round the offices of politicians, but to not much avail. As Simon DeDeo (#3) notes, all we can hope is that the trend is reversed before everyone decides to stop coming.

]]> By: V H Satheesh Kumar http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2005/08/17/how-embarassing/#comment-1856 V H Satheesh Kumar Sat, 13 May 2006 09:58:09 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2005/08/17/how-embarassing/#comment-1856 This needs to be addressed immediately. Similar thing happened in our university too recently. One of my prof.(PhD from Chicago) had got sabbatical leave and was supposed to visit one prestigious American university, when she went for visa, not just the officials behaved rudely they denied her visa along with other 2 scientists one of whom was a director of Indian Institute of Science. Because of this mess she had to waste her leave and had to bear the embarrassment! Its good if US visa officials take measures in the interest of their national security but one should be logical enough to differentiate between Terrorsits and Physicists!! This needs to be addressed immediately. Similar thing happened in our university too recently. One of my prof.(PhD from Chicago) had got sabbatical leave and was supposed to visit one prestigious American university, when she went for visa, not just the officials behaved rudely they denied her visa along with other 2 scientists one of whom was a director of Indian Institute of Science. Because of this mess she had to waste her leave and had to bear the embarrassment! Its good if US visa officials take measures in the interest of their national security but one should be logical enough to differentiate between Terrorsits and Physicists!!

]]> By: Quantoken http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2005/08/17/how-embarassing/#comment-1855 Quantoken Fri, 19 Aug 2005 21:21:35 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2005/08/17/how-embarassing/#comment-1855 Andreas: There is no need for you to put pressure on Mark to say something <b>politically correct</b> judged by the western main stream, because clearly the only thing you know about China you probably read from the main stream media which based their judgement on information several decades old, and doesn't actually match today's reality. As Mark is in China now, visiting the very campus where I grew up, I am sure he will be making his observations and form his opinions accordingly. I encourage you to talk to the average Chinese on various issues see what they think about. I assure you no topic is too sensitive for them to be talked about, as long as you are a sincere and willing listener. Ask them about Taiwan, about Tibet, or about religions, and you will be surprised to learn how willing, or even eager, the Chinese will be to tell a westerner what they think. And of course, how do you even hope to have even a glimpse of a country of 1.3 billion people, undergoing a tremendous amount of changes and transformations, in just a one week's visit! Even to expariates who stayed outside for a few years, this country is quickly becoming unrecognizable in so many ways. Quantoken Andreas:

There is no need for you to put pressure on Mark to say something politically correct judged by the western main stream, because clearly the only thing you know about China you probably read from the main stream media which based their judgement on information several decades old, and doesn’t actually match today’s reality.

As Mark is in China now, visiting the very campus where I grew up, I am sure he will be making his observations and form his opinions accordingly. I encourage you to talk to the average Chinese on various issues see what they think about. I assure you no topic is too sensitive for them to be talked about, as long as you are a sincere and willing listener. Ask them about Taiwan, about Tibet, or about religions, and you will be surprised to learn how willing, or even eager, the Chinese will be to tell a westerner what they think.

And of course, how do you even hope to have even a glimpse of a country of 1.3 billion people, undergoing a tremendous amount of changes and transformations, in just a one week’s visit! Even to expariates who stayed outside for a few years, this country is quickly becoming unrecognizable in so many ways.

Quantoken

]]> By: Mark http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2005/08/17/how-embarassing/#comment-1854 Mark Fri, 19 Aug 2005 09:52:59 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2005/08/17/how-embarassing/#comment-1854 My protest about that might come in another post, with a different topic. This post was about the free exchange of scientific ideas, which I think is an important topic. My protest about that might come in another post, with a different topic. This post was about the free exchange of scientific ideas, which I think is an important topic.

]]> By: Andreas http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2005/08/17/how-embarassing/#comment-1853 Andreas Thu, 18 Aug 2005 03:47:15 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2005/08/17/how-embarassing/#comment-1853 Mark, What a hypocrisy. Demanding freedom of thought and unhindered exchange of scientific knowledge (a knowledge-of course-conform and limited to mainstream western science) for a small elite in a country where by far most citizens, and among them truly free minds outside of western academia, suffer from censorship, administrative arbitrariness and corruption, religous and political prosecution executed under a totalitarian regime. Where is your protest and your disgust when it comes to the very societal elements of humanity? How embarassing. Mark,

What a hypocrisy. Demanding freedom of thought and unhindered exchange of scientific knowledge (a knowledge-of course-conform and limited to mainstream western science) for a small elite in a country where by far most citizens, and among them truly free minds outside of western academia, suffer from censorship, administrative arbitrariness and corruption, religous and political prosecution executed under a totalitarian regime. Where is your protest and your disgust when it comes to the very societal elements of humanity? How embarassing.

]]> By: Simon DeDeo http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2005/08/17/how-embarassing/#comment-1852 Simon DeDeo Wed, 17 Aug 2005 16:23:17 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2005/08/17/how-embarassing/#comment-1852 According to [high-ranking unnamed source :)], Princeton's grad school applications (across all departments) from Chinese students declined from 3,000 to 1,000 in the last two years, mostly due to visa problems. There was some time-lag after 9/11, but the word is finally out on the Chinese street, apparently. A lot of applicants are shifting over to Canada or Europe in response. The Universities are understandably upset, but they don't have much political power. The hope is that the tech companies, who are also suffering, will get involved more actively. (When they're not outsourcing, I guess.) According to [high-ranking unnamed source :)], Princeton’s grad school applications (across all departments) from Chinese students declined from 3,000 to 1,000 in the last two years, mostly due to visa problems. There was some time-lag after 9/11, but the word is finally out on the Chinese street, apparently. A lot of applicants are shifting over to Canada or Europe in response.

The Universities are understandably upset, but they don’t have much political power. The hope is that the tech companies, who are also suffering, will get involved more actively. (When they’re not outsourcing, I guess.)

]]> By: Sean http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2005/08/17/how-embarassing/#comment-1851 Sean Wed, 17 Aug 2005 15:49:01 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2005/08/17/how-embarassing/#comment-1851 For years we've been making it more and more difficult for smart and technically-trained people from other countries to live and work in the U.S. Making it hard for them to even visit is just part of the natural progression. For years we’ve been making it more and more difficult for smart and technically-trained people from other countries to live and work in the U.S. Making it hard for them to even visit is just part of the natural progression.

]]> By: Wolfgang http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2005/08/17/how-embarassing/#comment-1850 Wolfgang Wed, 17 Aug 2005 14:17:35 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2005/08/17/how-embarassing/#comment-1850 So the terrorists are indeed achieving their goals? But I have to say, while most other countries follow outdated ideologies such as "evolution", only the US supports true scientific breakthrough, such as ID, on the highest level. So, there is no reason to worry. So the terrorists are indeed achieving their goals?
But I have to say, while most other countries follow outdated ideologies such as “evolution”, only the US supports true scientific breakthrough, such as ID, on the highest level. So, there is no reason to worry.

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