Florida Joins US Government in Probing Foreign Ties of Researchers (sciencemag.org) 46
Florida lawmakers have begun an investigation into the foreign ties of researchers at the state's universities and research institution. The inquiry, the first of its kind at the state level, dovetails with an ongoing federal probe into whether such affiliations, notably with Chinese entities, pose a risk to the U.S. research enterprise. From a report: The Florida effort is triggered by revelations last month that six scientists at the Moffitt Cancer Center had been dismissed for failing to disclose their participation in China's Thousand Talents Program. The researchers include the center's CEO, Alan List, and the head of its research center, Thomas Sellers. "I'm appalled by the actions of the Moffitt CEO and some of its researchers," says state Representative Chris Sprowls (R), who is chair of a bipartisan select committee created by Republican House Speaker Jose Oliva. "The question is, has there also been any theft of intellectual property? Clearly, the intent is there." The Moffitt case is the latest instance of scientists being ousted from U.S. biomedical research institutions after being accused of failing to disclose foreign research ties or undermining the integrity of the process by which the National Institutes of Health (NIH) funds research. The MD Anderson Cancer Center cut ties with three scientists in April 2019 as part of a larger investigation, and 1 month later Emory University announced it had fired two neuroscientists. All five were Asian Americans.
How cute (Score:5, Interesting)
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Wasn't the entire space travel industry built with knowledge from German engineers in a time that Germany was a real enemy?
Yeah, but that knowledge was legally taken as spoils of war (and to keep those damn communists from getting it). If China wants to steal all our knowhow they should do it the real way, by beating us!
Re:How cute (Score:5, Insightful)
Wasn't the entire space travel industry built with knowledge from German engineers in a time that Germany was a real enemy?
No, it was built in a time AFTER Germany was conquered. Both the US and Soviet space programs started off as, another poster put it, "spoils of war".
The situation we're in now is more akin to Messerschmitt engineers working at Lockheed before the war... and sending what they learn back to Germany.
Re:How cute (Score:5, Funny)
The situation we're in now is more akin to Messerschmitt engineers working at Lockheed before the war... and sending what they learn back to Germany.
So what you're saying is we need to start inviting Chinese aerospace engineers to work at Boeing. I like your thinking, it'll set them back decades!
It wouldn't work (Score:3)
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Both the US and Soviet space programs started off as, another poster put it, "spoils of war".
"The Russians put our camera made by our German scientists and your film made by your German scientists into their satellite made by their German scientists." -- Ice Station Zebra
I have some foreign ties . . . but I hardly ever wear them.
I also have some Polish links . . . they're in my refrigerator.
Tip the veal, try the waitress . . .
Even cuter: (Score:2)
Chasing people for "ties to foreigners" used to be typical in those pesky Communist countries, and they were chastised for it.
Little did we know that "the land of the free" did the same thing...
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Actually it USED to be much more prevalent here in the US too, just a few decades back when security items required people to be more tightly vetted and yes, having ties to foreign countries that are pretty much our enemies, was an item of concern.
And because some races come from enemy countries, well, they were
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It's not because of "mandated diversity", it's because every corporation that used to be considered a "US company" is now part of an international conglomerate based in Bermuda or Lichtenstein. They have no loyalty to any country, but they control many of them. They want to be able to export "our" IP to China or Pakistan because it will make them money, so if security reviews get in the way they'll have their captive congresscritters get rid of them.
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*cough* power loom *cough.
Reality (Score:2)
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The problem will be our relationship to China in the exchange. If you control the follow of information, then everyone else is your bitch in one fashion or another and can be indirectly and directly manipulated for your own gain or other purposes.
This is a universal truth, China has learned how to play the game from us, because we have been doing it to China for decades and everyone, especially China, knows it.
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The problem is, most countries are figuring out, you research will be the best if you can attract the right people. In research, the people actually doing the research, quality of life tends to take precedence in choosing the country of employment. The USA quality of life has been steadily dropping for decades, to feed the insatiable greed at the top. So in the USA they no longer want their researchers even talking to foreign governments, else they might be tempted away, offered a better quality of life and
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Re:New McCarthyism (Score:5, Insightful)
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Since the NIH requires that NIH funded research is published in open access journals, wouldn't it be cheaper for China just to read them? They don't even have to pay a subscription fee!
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TFS says "Florida lawmakers have begun an investigation", so it's not researchers complaining, it's the knee-jerk reaction of a bunch of lawyers who have no clue how this stuff actually works.
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I was replying to a post talking (facetiously) about China.
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If you don't want China to get their hands on the research, don't give it to them.
If you have a NSF grant on a topic that you don't want shared to an other country. Then you shouldn't hire insecure students on the research project.
Also for those technology companies that got their patented technology taken, I am sorry they made a bad business decision. Trying to save a few bucks per unit, at the cost of their IP.
I don't think the US Government should be cracking down on the individuals. But correctly creat
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Those poor insecure students...Perhaps we could give them assertiveness or self-empowerment training?
The fact that... (Score:5, Insightful)
"The question is, has there also been any theft of intellectual property? Clearly, the intent is there." ... is being asked is telling enough. The intent is not just there, the evidence that it has been successfully achieved several times is on full and public display. China does not even hide that it engages in all sorts of industrial espionage, bribery, abuse, and general information control to claw its way to the top of the world.
And for a little money all of our governments are going to "let it happen". It is amazing how many people do not want to face down against China when it is clear China is not only willing but actually doing what it takes to come and face down you. China is proof that all of our politicians are sell outs & heavy breathing virtual signalers, and in very bad ways. They care more about their personal financial status and bogus propaganda than even their own nations economic security. They are busy selling their own grandchildren's future for the sake of themselves. It's disgusting that they not able to see what is going on.
If China is not stopped now... there is going to be a lot of people dying when we have to physically stop them from completing the job.
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Your tone is wrong.
Some countries we haven't negotiated proper/modern IP rights in the trade deals. Many of these trade deals are decades old where trade was focused on what we made vs how we made it.
Any country will follow the letter of the law not the spirit of it. While some Chinese companies may respect your IP, that is only part of a strategic decision where your business is more valuable then the IP.
Trade Wars and Tarrifs are the stupid approach to the problem. Banning US Companies from giving IP t
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Well, at this point there are damn few "US Companies" to worry about, almost all of them belong to international conglomerates based in Luxembourg or Panama.
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It is more a question of the drug market. China has designs on that too. So yeah, they might cure cancer, and for you, extra special deal, bargain this week, just pay up.
hahaha (Score:1)
Probe ALL money ties. (Score:3)
Instead of focusing on monetary ties to schools, they should instead be probing all monetary ties, especially political funding. As it stands, it's all but impossible to know who is funding a PAC and politicians seems to think this is fine. The truth is that nothing about having foreign money in politics is fine but they turn a blind eye because they believe it benefits them.
The best way to avoid foreign monetary ties to school is to *gasp* have the government fund them. Yes, it costs money and you might have to *bigger gasp* raise taxes of massive corporations and the rich.
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Errrmmm....you mean have the government fund basic science? Not gonna happen. The Republicans don't believe in basic science. The Democrats are all for it as long as minorities, womym, and any inbred social victimization class is proportionally represented and the research will be conducted to help eliminate inequality.
Worse, some of gov. agencies have caught the "gotta have it for the next quarter" disease from companies and their bean counting business school dolts.
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PACs are not allowed to coordinate with the candidates. So, they just see what the candidate says, and parrot it along. NO COORDINATION! See, everything is fine. Money isn't influencing it!
Everyone ... (Score:2)
All of them will have ties to other countries, as the vast majority (if not 100%) of the US population has friends, collegaues, and family who were not originally from the USA
Not just China (Score:4, Interesting)
India, Iran and Russia all have deep ties into US research sites, especially in regards to healthcare and high-end physics (nuclear, fusion). There are pretty much monthly stories about researchers and years of data, collected and paid for by the US tax payer, disappearing into some of those countries.
The Chinese and India send gluts of students every year, the goal is that they'll collect knowledge and information and kickstart their own industries back at home. But a lot of them are also sent by companies and state actors to steal what they can't get.
We have met the enemy, and they are us (Score:3)
To the Chinese government, this is another fantastic gift. Just look up the fascinating story of Qian Xuesen, and how one of the founders of the legendary JPL became the father of China's space program.
We have nothing to fear but fear itself. The great nation on earth can only be destroyed from within. We are halfway there, unfortunately.
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ALL states need to do this (Score:2)
McCarthy would be so proud... (Score:1)