World News Thread & Breaking News!!

[Equation]

I just learned that this is the guy who wrote "Red Sorghum".

I haven't read it before, is it any good? How accurate are the translations and the meanings in English?

[solarz]

I haven't read it before, is it any good? How accurate are the translations and the meanings in English?

I don't know much about the book, but the movie by Zhang Yimou is considered a huge classic. Not that I liked it personally.

[Schumacher]

If the Chinese government are all happy and instructed national media to break the news, they are pathetic. After all the attacks over Liu Xiaobo winning the Nobel Peace Prize... The Nobel Prize committee is obviously doing damage control if they picked a Chinese that isn't critical of China.

Yeah, pretty pathetic they're still paying any attention to it at all. The Nobel just gave China the second most meaningless prize to placate them.
The guy shouldn't go to collect the worthless Nobel prize. Such an action would easily generate more attention and commercial endorsement to exceed the prize money. LOL

[Equation]

I just got done watching the US VP Debate between Joe Biden and Paul Ryan. Man did Old Man Joe put up a fight or what? He did good...he has a good sense of Capital Hill history. I mean remembers who did what and voted against on what bill, every time Paul Ryan tries to sell his POV to the audience.

VP Debate: Biden, Ryan at each other on everything - Yahoo! News

[bladerunner]

Yeah, pretty pathetic they're still paying any attention to it at all. The Nobel just gave China the second most meaningless prize to placate them.
The guy shouldn't go to collect the worthless Nobel prize. Such an action would easily generate more attention and commercial endorsement to exceed the prize money. LOL

The Nobel literature prize is not a meaningless prize.
If you think only the science prizes count, the author of this article thinks the current crop of mainland scientists winning the prize are pretty dismal because of their approach.
I found the piece interesting with a lookback at previous Nobel hopefuls.


Chinese Scientists and the quest for a Nobel Prize- China.org.cn



"........The reason why Chinese scientists are slipping further away from the Nobel Prize

1. Scientific research is stimulated by utilitarianism

The rise of Western science is closely related to the discovery of many important theories. However, Chinese research mostly covers the areas of better production techniques and mankind's sustainable existence rather than abstract theories. Though representing the highest prize in the sciences and arts, a Nobel Prize is unable to provide one with an affluent life which is considered to be of vital significance to China.

2. Colleges have grand buildings instead of celebrated professors and the students get high grades instead of research capabilities

People in China lack patience when they embark upon academic research. They have lost their innovative spirit because of the atmosphere of utilitarianism, the obsolete evaluation system of papers and the numerous politics-based projects. The number of Chinese academic papers is the largest in the world, according to recent statistics, yet only few of the papers are of high quality.

3. Scientists ruined by vanity

The academician Zeng Yitao astonished the whole world by creating the transgenic sheep in 1998 and the transgenic cattle in 1999. Later on however, he seldom made a public appearance . "A scientist will be ruined by either being an official or being engaged in various social activities," said Zeng. Having seen too many degenerated scientists, he is determined to keep his door closed and his visitors out.

4. Research with slow rewards is disregarded

Zhang Xingrui, a researcher with the Institute of the Corns at the Chongqing Three Gorges Academy, used to study potatoes. Since the funds allocated to the potato projects went down, and sometimes were even canceled, he had to take up the growth of the corns. Being key crops, wheat, corn and paddy can share the most scientific funds while the others get disregarded.

5. Backward lab equipment and insufficient funds to conduct college experiments Though great progress has been made in regards to the amount of scientific equipment and the space of the laboratories, problems such as insufficient funding, backward equipment and obsolete teaching methods remain unsolved as of today.

6. Too much time spent on conferences, papers and funds-seeking

"I have to spend a lot of time attending various conferences and writing applications for projects and am forced to conduct my experiments on weekends," complained one researcher............."

[bd popeye]

I just got done watching the US VP Debate between Joe Biden and Paul Ryan. Man did Old Man Joe put up a fight or what? He did good...he has a good sense of Capital Hill history. I mean remembers who did what and voted against on what bill, every time Paul Ryan tries to sell his POV to the audience.

VP Debate: Biden, Ryan at each other on everything - Yahoo! News

Joe Biden was on fire...Mr Ryan looked every bit a conservative.

I did not in 2008 nor will I this election vote for the Obama-Biden ticket.

[Schumacher]

The Nobel literature prize is not a meaningless prize.
If you think only the science prizes count, the author of this article thinks the current crop of mainland scientists winning the prize are pretty dismal because of their approach.
I found the piece interesting with a lookback at previous Nobel hopefuls.


Chinese Scientists and the quest for a Nobel Prize- China.org.cn....................

To clarify, I don't rate the science prizes too highly either. They certainly are more credible and less political but that's only when compared to the p**s prize etc.
The sooner more Chinese scientists realize this the sooner they can concentrate on real science instead of nobel 'science'.
Justifiably or not, the nobel prize in China is fast becoming at best a joke, at worst another western political tool.
I think they know this & this literature prize is partly an attempt to reverse this trend because they know it'll be their credibility on the line if this perception takes hold.

[Equation]

The Nobel literature prize is not a meaningless prize.
If you think only the science prizes count, the author of this article thinks the current crop of mainland scientists winning the prize are pretty dismal because of their approach.
I found the piece interesting with a lookback at previous Nobel hopefuls.


Chinese Scientists and the quest for a Nobel Prize- China.org.cn



"........The reason why Chinese scientists are slipping further away from the Nobel Prize

1. Scientific research is stimulated by utilitarianism

The rise of Western science is closely related to the discovery of many important theories. However, Chinese research mostly covers the areas of better production techniques and mankind's sustainable existence rather than abstract theories. Though representing the highest prize in the sciences and arts, a Nobel Prize is unable to provide one with an affluent life which is considered to be of vital significance to China.

2. Colleges have grand buildings instead of celebrated professors and the students get high grades instead of research capabilities

People in China lack patience when they embark upon academic research. They have lost their innovative spirit because of the atmosphere of utilitarianism, the obsolete evaluation system of papers and the numerous politics-based projects. The number of Chinese academic papers is the largest in the world, according to recent statistics, yet only few of the papers are of high quality.

3. Scientists ruined by vanity

The academician Zeng Yitao astonished the whole world by creating the transgenic sheep in 1998 and the transgenic cattle in 1999. Later on however, he seldom made a public appearance . "A scientist will be ruined by either being an official or being engaged in various social activities," said Zeng. Having seen too many degenerated scientists, he is determined to keep his door closed and his visitors out.

4. Research with slow rewards is disregarded

Zhang Xingrui, a researcher with the Institute of the Corns at the Chongqing Three Gorges Academy, used to study potatoes. Since the funds allocated to the potato projects went down, and sometimes were even canceled, he had to take up the growth of the corns. Being key crops, wheat, corn and paddy can share the most scientific funds while the others get disregarded.

5. Backward lab equipment and insufficient funds to conduct college experiments Though great progress has been made in regards to the amount of scientific equipment and the space of the laboratories, problems such as insufficient funding, backward equipment and obsolete teaching methods remain unsolved as of today.

6. Too much time spent on conferences, papers and funds-seeking

"I have to spend a lot of time attending various conferences and writing applications for projects and am forced to conduct my experiments on weekends," complained one researcher............."

Well that's the author's opinion, yet he forgot to mention the plethora of Chinese graduate students doing all of the grunt work conducting Research and Development all across university and college laboratories world wide and in every single field of math, science, medical, biology and engineering, while at the same time some of the Western professors will get most of the credit.

[bladerunner]

Well that's the author's opinion, yet he forgot to mention the plethora of Chinese graduate students doing all of the grunt work conducting Research and Development all across university and college laboratories world wide and in every single field of math, science, medical, biology and engineering, while at the same time some of the Western professors will get most of the credit.

I would say the author was reflecting the views of some of China's old school senior sciencetist's views. Some of these have been reproduce throughout this forum throughout the years.

Thats true, and no doubt many of these grad students will become the lead scientist in research labs as well. The problem is to not fall into the habit of choosing subject matter on the basis of making a quick dollar.

[antiterror13]

Damage but no injuries as U.S. Navy cruiser, submarine collide | Reuters

WASHINGTON | Sat Oct 13, 2012 10:22pm EDT
(Reuters) - A U.S. Navy Aegis cruiser collided with a nuclear-powered submarine during exercises off the East Cost on Saturday, collapsing the sonar dome on the cruiser and possibly causing other damage, but no injuries, U.S. Navy officials said.
The collision between the USS San Jacinto and the nuclear-powered submarine USS Montpelier occurred about 3:30 p.m., the Navy said in a statement. The Navy declined to say where off the East Coast the accident occurred.

A Navy official said the watch team aboard the San Jacinto saw a periscope rise from the water about 100 to 200 yards (meters) ahead of the vessel during the exercise. The cruiser ordered "all back," but the San Jacinto still collided with the submarine.

The collision caused the collapse of the cruiser's sonar dome, a bulbous-shaped device on the bow of the ship beneath the water line, the Navy official said on condition of anonymity.

The rubber dome houses some of the vessel's electronic navigation, detection and ranging equipment.

The Navy said no personnel were injured during the incident and there was no damage to the submarine's nuclear-powered propulsion plant. Both vessels were operating under their own power.

The ships were part of a strike group led by the aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman. The Truman was in the area and providing support to the vessels.

The incident is being investigated, the Navy said, and overall damage to both ships is still being evaluated.

(Reporting By David Alexander; Editing by Peter Cooney)

[bladerunner]

Perhaps im mistaken in my belief that pigs organs/physiology resembled closely to that of humans soI wonder why they dont test drugs destined for humans on pigs.

Drug From Chinese ‘Thunder God Vine’ Slays Tumors in Mice

Drug From Chinese

"A drug made from a plant known as “thunder god vine,” or lei gong teng, that has been used in traditional Chinese medicine, wiped out pancreatic tumors in mice, researchers said, and may soon be tested in humans.

Mice treated with the compound showed no signs of tumors after 40 days or after discontinuing the treatment, according to researchers at the University of Minnesota’s Masonic Cancer Center. The research, funded by the university and the National Institutes of Health. was published today in the journal Science Translational Medicine.

“This drug is just unbelievably potent in killing tumor cells,” said Ashok Saluja, vice chairman of research at the center and the study’s leader, said in a telephone interview. “You could see that every day you looked at those mice, the tumor was decreasing and decreasing, and then just gone.”

The plant, also known as Tripterygium wilfordii, contains triptolide, which earlier studies have shown can cause cancer cells to die. In traditional Chinese medicine, the plant is used as a treatment for rheumatoid arthritis. While the researchers hope to start human trials in six months, Saluja said it’s still a long leap from mice to people.

“Does that mean it will definitely work in humans?” he said. “We can definitely not say that.”

The results pave the way for clinical trials in patients with pancreatic cancer, one of the most lethal malignancies, the researchers said in the study. About 44,000 new cases of the disease are diagnosed each year in the U.S., according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta. Only about 20 percent of patients survive a year after .................."

[delft]

Perhaps im mistaken in my belief that pigs organs/physiology resembled closely to that of humans soI wonder why they dont test drugs destined for humans on pigs.

Drug From Chinese ‘Thunder God Vine’ Slays Tumors in Mice

Drug From Chinese

"A drug made from a plant known as “thunder god vine,” or lei gong teng, that has been used in traditional Chinese medicine, wiped out pancreatic tumors in mice, researchers said, and may soon be tested in humans.

Mice treated with the compound showed no signs of tumors after 40 days or after discontinuing the treatment, according to researchers at the University of Minnesota’s Masonic Cancer Center. The research, funded by the university and the National Institutes of Health. was published today in the journal Science Translational Medicine.

“This drug is just unbelievably potent in killing tumor cells,” said Ashok Saluja, vice chairman of research at the center and the study’s leader, said in a telephone interview. “You could see that every day you looked at those mice, the tumor was decreasing and decreasing, and then just gone.”

The plant, also known as Tripterygium wilfordii, contains triptolide, which earlier studies have shown can cause cancer cells to die. In traditional Chinese medicine, the plant is used as a treatment for rheumatoid arthritis. While the researchers hope to start human trials in six months, Saluja said it’s still a long leap from mice to people.

“Does that mean it will definitely work in humans?” he said. “We can definitely not say that.”

The results pave the way for clinical trials in patients with pancreatic cancer, one of the most lethal malignancies, the researchers said in the study. About 44,000 new cases of the disease are diagnosed each year in the U.S., according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta. Only about 20 percent of patients survive a year after .................."

The advantage of using mice is that these have a very short generation time. But that means a short life and a relatively simple defense against infections and cancer. The advantage of pigs is that they have a somewhat longer generation time, but still pretty short and so they don't resemble people well enough to spend effort on them before going to human trials.

[bladerunner]

The advantage of using mice is that these have a very short generation time. But that means a short life and a relatively simple defense against infections and cancer. The advantage of pigs is that they have a somewhat longer generation time, but still pretty short and so they don't resemble people well enough to spend effort on them before going to human trials.

Hmmm interesting I recall reading a proposal concerning the posibility of transplanting pig organs(forgotten which ) into humans.

On another note i thought you might have appreciated my link to the NZ trimaran with the winged foil.

I just heard yesterday it wiped out. boo hoo sob sob

[delft]

Hmmm interesting I recall reading a proposal concerning the posibility of transplanting pig organs(forgotten which ) into humans.

On another note i thought you might have appreciated my link to the NZ trimaran with the winged foil.

I just heard yesterday it wiped out. boo hoo sob sob

I read it too. You need to genetically manipulate some pig strain, and protect it against infection, so that it will not incite a rejection response in the reciever. It will take a "few" years I suppose but would provide us with organs of the right size.

I'm sorry but I forgot to thank you. But this wing sail like nearly all others I've seen too closely resembles aircraft wings while the purpose is so very different.
Btw be happy that that wing sail was destroyed. If it had been strong enough to survive being slapped against the sea surface the boat would have been destroyed and the loss would likely have included the lives of the crew. And of course it would have been much too heavy.

[bladerunner]

as posted by delft

Btw be happy that that wing sail was destroyed. If it had been strong enough to survive being slapped against the sea surface the boat would have been destroyed and the loss would likely have included the lives of the crew. And of course it would have been much too heavy.

Phew its all good It was the American boat that was nearly totaled.Under the rules they cant launch another boat until next year, so now I will sit back and watch them cheat.

one place that can get very rough for the cats is Qingdao, .

A major crash, 4 catamaran capsize, 1 broken mast , major crash... in eXtreme Sailing Series - YouTube

Its going to be a long hall for Team China. Although they have raced in the earlier events, Im not sure whether they have paid for the actual Cup regatta. They've being going around for the last 8yrs, and while their seems little problems with finance, theyre trailing in the skills required at that level.