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Published online 4 June 2008 | Nature 453, 702-703 (2008) | doi:10.1038/453702a
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Russian science academy rejects Putin ally
No change at the top as old guard keeps its grip on power.
Mikhail Kovalchuk's rise to the top position in Russian science seemed a done deal. But the general assembly of the Russian Academy of Sciences has thwarted plans for the head of its newly established division for nanosciences to become the influential academy's new president.
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Russian Academy of Science discredited themselves by recent elections and showed complete inability to modernization. About 2/3 of RAN members are aged over 70 and their roots are deeply in Soviet Union times. One need to understand specifics of Science at communist times: while Natural sciences were relatively free from ideology, all social sciences were dominated 100% by Marxism-Leninism. One can confidently say that most of academicians who received their degrees in economics, sociology etc were doing pseudoscience and received their titles for fabrication of theories not connected to any realities. What happened to these people now? They are still academicians (some of them on the level of vice-president of RAN) and they vote accordingly to their old principles. Yes, Kovalchuk has moderate publication record but anyway his Institute produces some decent science. It is possibly arguable if his merits are sufficient for elections to RAN, but how could governor of Khabarovsk region become academician without EVER occupying any research position? Is it possible to open new direction in science (merit for election to RAN) making research between other hobbies and does governor of large region has in reality any free time for serious research? See bigraphy of Ishaev V.I. , http://www.adm.khv.ru/invest2.nsf/General_en/1F077808035B285BCA256524001A4F29?OpenDocument Electing politicians instead of real scientists is a scandal for reputation of RAN and Russian science. It is taken as an insult by active researchers of our country.
For as long as the Russian government is run on a platform of opaque policy, no one in the Scientific community will take them seriously. Science should be transparent, if not how are we supposed to trust their findings. Someone in a laboratory (or an office therein)dies, from rather obvious circumstances, and they tell us the lady just died? Do they think people honestly believe that? I must say Until the whole system in Russia changes from its KGB style methodology, I will have a hard time believing anything coming from there. Its sad that the people over there truly dedicated to science, must work in a situation like that. Even though people in the world hate the United States (even domestic people), you must admit, we are free. More good has come from America and England than anywhere else because we are a Transparent society, no one is 100% protected from the law. When the government, or anyone screws up, it is not swept under the carpet in a shady and desperate attempt to hide it from the people and ones enemies. It is plastered all over the Six O'Clock news. In Russia the details are ever more ridiculously lost in a web of lies and deceit.
To Robert Pelot: Was it translated to English that envelope with white powder had also name on it and return adress. It was sample sent for analysis and scientist which sent it is out of suspicions. Nothing "obvious as you see". "More good has come from America and England than anywhere else because we are a Transparent society, no one is 100% protected from the law." Like war in Iraq ? Tens of thousands civil people killed and no weapons of mass destruction were found in Iraq. Had anyone was taken to Haag tribunal for that? What about president of above named country which openly supports torture and secret prisons of Guantanamo kind? Count problems on both sides please, not just Russian ones...
To Alexandr: Alex, don't be so petty. Yes, like war in Afghanistan and Chechnya! Like children killed in London subway and Russian schools by terrorists. Here we discuss quite different matters. I am neither American nor British. But looking at the core of the subject one must admit that American science is leading today, as does its democracy. I would make free entrance for Russians to the US to alleviate your hate to Americans. Indeed, this child of Britain has grown and gave the world a completely new way of thinking. Many people say that American dictate globalism. But I ask my friends why do you wear leans? Do Americans force you to do so? No? Then, you just like jeans and you don't have something comparable to wear. So, who is forcing globalism? Americans or you? Alex, Russians do not have good pants, so they wear jeans, and they will do so until their academy of sciences and their society continues thinking that they are very smart and American are the world's evil. Americans just live 70 years ahead. That's their main sin. You just cannot see the problem from the point they do, as it's like farmer Joe is making calculations for spacecraft trajectory. This is the way barbarians laughed at Romans and told Romans were stupid. That's the way you think about America. And why then Russian VKontakte.ru is a copy of American Facebook? Why Google or Microsoft is not Russian? Or you want to tell us that MS Word is not your primary text application?
I am full of this anti-American stuff. As the United States is a very progressive country. Alex, I often hear that American democracy is full of faults. When I hear it from Russians, I vomit.
Robert, you're not quite right about the absence of competition in post-Soviet scientific institutions. As opposed to the American merit-based equal-rights competition, most post-Soviet countries have kinsfolk-based bribe-size competition.
To Anrdrii: I am not anti-American and my visa to USA is still valid. What I tried to object in previous post is presentation of false information about particular "white powder" followed by absolutely not related to subject of article american propaganda. I don't think that USA is MUCH better than Russia in many respects. I am critical to both systems. I do believe that there are countries which are much better for life of ordinary people, take Scandinavians for example.
Jeans? So that is the epitome of the contributions of the USA to the planet? I use jeans... But I don't use MICROS~1 products, lucky me. And I love British science journals. How did this argument started? The news talk about the reaction of Russian academicians to bureaucratic, unscientific decisions. Russians striving for openness. Then suddenly we are talking about "the world hates the USA, but that is hypocrisy because everyone uses jeans and watches The O.C."??... You guys care too much about countries, names, things. Let's talk about people. Some people in the world are nice. Some people in Russia are greedy bastards, and some people in the USA too. Nobody "hates the USA", Robert. We hate stupidity. Stupidity is an ubiquitous phenomenon that we should fight in any country, place, regime, anywhere, specially the scientific community. This attempt to tie together countries, values, ethnicities, morals and stuff only lead to meaningless discussions. This is the bad thing that frequently happens in Russia and in the USA, and that we should be all fighting...