Sexy Science Rocks Evolution: Der Herbst ist da and do we stop it with #China's science industry?

#Autumn has arrived in Cologne. It is considerably colder now in the mornings when riding to work, but one gets some really nice scenes like this mist in Gründgürtel.

Soon it will be riding there and back again in the dark, but there is still some sun in the evenings.

Including some majestic scenery.

Finally #Köln from the 30th floor with the #Rhein

The #Dom.

The sky was so clear this Sunday that one could see right to the #Siebengebirge. A brilliant day.

Quite unrelated. Last week I read an article about a man in #China who was sentenced to death and apparently now executed http://goo.gl/23PFYA. From what was in the article the man was guilty of killing two, but it was self defence, maybe manslaughter. In western European legal systems he might have had to serve several years (or not, who knows). So, this wont even be about #capitalpunishment, which is wrong, but more about the injust juridical system in China and the constant ignorance of #humanrights. Reading the article I started thinking again of China's recent move into #bigdata #science in #Biology through the #BGI. Actually I also don't want to judge on BGI and scientists there, I guess these are great people and scientists. Earlier this year I even had been in contact with some of there representatives, when considering to run a project with them. Well, in the end they re-acted a bit odd when I told them that our core-facility would be much cheaper for me, but I guess that is just cultural differences.

Anyhow, what I have been thinking during the last couple of days and what I'd like to hear opinions on is this: The way big science in China is run is mirroring how people are treated there. It is mass production, exploitation of every opportunity and indifferent to individual beings. Instead of putting money to better the standard of living for every citizen and - from a science view - support individual scientists, money is used to generate high impact publications on a high throughput level.

Should western scientists really collaborate with them?

Or would it not make sense to boycott large scale co-ops, while still collaborating on the personal or group level. This, I think, could generate a lot of leverage, because what the government there is looking for with big science, is of course reputation. It is all about reputation.
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Meanwhile in preparation for season 3, Carrie is back with season 1...