Nobel-Winning US Chemist Will Move to China to Lead AI Institute (nytimes.com) 116
Nobel-winning chemist Omar Yaghi is leaving UC Berkeley for China's Tsinghua University, where he will lead a new AI institute focused on accelerating the discovery of advanced materials. "Last week, Tsinghua University in Beijing welcomed Dr. Yaghi in an appointment ceremony, calling him one of the world's foremost chemists," reports The New York Times. "The university said he saw his new post as an opportunity 'not to slow down, not to repeat what has already been done, but to do science with more energy, more intensity, and more ambition than ever before.'" From the report: Dr. Yaghi was born in Amman, Jordan, to Palestinian refugees whose one-room home lacked electricity and running water. Early on, he became fascinated with a schoolbook's depiction of atomic building blocks. When he was 15, his father, a butcher, sent him to the United States. Last year, before flying to Stockholm to receive his Nobel Prize, Dr. Yaghi in an interview with The New York Times voiced concern about Mr. Trump's immigration policies, saying that they endanger the nation's system of universities, companies and governments that promote scientific excellence. "I think it's regrettable," he said of Mr. Trump's nationalism. "We have to know that people coming from different backgrounds improve the level for everybody involved," he added. "That's an amazing story. Great thinkers can improve not only the U.S. but the world."
Dr. Yaghi joined the University of California, Berkeley, in 2012, and while there earned many awards for his scientific advances. He received his Nobel Prize for helping discover a world of chemistry in which molecular building blocks are assembled into structures that possess vast internal surface areas -- the largest of any known substance. His porous structures can act like sponges that readily absorb, store and release gases and vapors. He named them metal-organic frameworks. The metal atoms form an adjustable framework that can hold chemicals associated with life -- carbon atoms in particular. While deeply theoretical, the frameworks are so radical, innovative and flexible in nature that materials experts and companies foresee many commercial uses for them. The frameworks can, for instance, harvest water from desert air. In 2018, Dr. Yaghi's students at Berkeley tested the idea in the Mojave Desert in California, finding that a small passive harvester could each day produce nearly three cups of pure, drinkable water. The device is now nearing commercialization.
In the interview with The Times, Dr. Yaghi credited the invention to his boyhood efforts to secure water for his family. The municipal pipes worked for only a few hours every week or two. That hardship, he added, shows how the diverse experiences of emigres can lead to unexpected breakthroughs. Dr. Yaghi has longstanding ties with Tsinghua University. In 2022, the Beijing school appointed him as an honorary professor and in that role he closely followed its work in chemistry, materials science and related disciplines. Now, on joining Tsinghua full time, Dr. Yaghi is being named as the head of a new A.I. institute for science research that will focus on the design and synthesis of new materials. Its underlying aim, the university said, is to "overcome the efficiency bottlenecks of traditional trial-and-error approaches" and shorten the usual cycles of discovery.
Dr. Yaghi joined the University of California, Berkeley, in 2012, and while there earned many awards for his scientific advances. He received his Nobel Prize for helping discover a world of chemistry in which molecular building blocks are assembled into structures that possess vast internal surface areas -- the largest of any known substance. His porous structures can act like sponges that readily absorb, store and release gases and vapors. He named them metal-organic frameworks. The metal atoms form an adjustable framework that can hold chemicals associated with life -- carbon atoms in particular. While deeply theoretical, the frameworks are so radical, innovative and flexible in nature that materials experts and companies foresee many commercial uses for them. The frameworks can, for instance, harvest water from desert air. In 2018, Dr. Yaghi's students at Berkeley tested the idea in the Mojave Desert in California, finding that a small passive harvester could each day produce nearly three cups of pure, drinkable water. The device is now nearing commercialization.
In the interview with The Times, Dr. Yaghi credited the invention to his boyhood efforts to secure water for his family. The municipal pipes worked for only a few hours every week or two. That hardship, he added, shows how the diverse experiences of emigres can lead to unexpected breakthroughs. Dr. Yaghi has longstanding ties with Tsinghua University. In 2022, the Beijing school appointed him as an honorary professor and in that role he closely followed its work in chemistry, materials science and related disciplines. Now, on joining Tsinghua full time, Dr. Yaghi is being named as the head of a new A.I. institute for science research that will focus on the design and synthesis of new materials. Its underlying aim, the university said, is to "overcome the efficiency bottlenecks of traditional trial-and-error approaches" and shorten the usual cycles of discovery.
Great (Score:4, Insightful)
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And how many American Indians were forcefully sterilized? Starting point, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/... [wikipedia.org] which doesn't get too much into the forced sterilization of blacks and the poor. But I guess in the land of the free, it's OK, especially as the Supreme Court said so in https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/... [wikipedia.org].
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the 2026 median republican voter everybody. this is what they have left.
Re: Great (Score:2)
Sinophobia still running rampant?
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When will the Han Chinese let the Uyghurs be FREE: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/... [wikipedia.org]
Re: Great (Score:2)
Good for him (Score:4, Insightful)
No point staying in a place that doesn't want you.
The dumbing down continues unabated.
Re:Good for him (Score:4, Insightful)
Indeed. People like this guy want to work on discoveries, not to fight political battles.
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China is currently doing capitalism better than the USA.
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As of a few years ago, most of China's GDP was dedicated to things like Thousand Talents and wooing foreign talent to their shores.
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"so that nothing can get built without lots of delays and legalized bribes (read: donations to environmental groups)"
Evidence? or are you are just running off at the mouth? If you want to see graft on an industrial scale, look no further than the alleged administration which has turned the executive branch into protection racket.
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So I can pay the doctors directly instead of the insurance company?
Re: Good for him (Score:1)
If that's how you want to think about it, sure.
At some point I suppose you'll come to the realization that concierge medical services are all fine and dandy if you're a one-percenter, but don't really scale very well.
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Re: Good for him (Score:3)
By which you mean they disappear their treehuggers instead of indulging them so that nothing can get built without lots of delays and legalized bribes (read: donations to environmental groups)? Sorry guy. The graft over there is omnipresent. Red envelopes stuffed with cash are a form of life. To the point of you best have one to give to the doctors if you or your relative is hospitalized.
Uhm... this Trump's wet dream. The US is headed in this direction. Flank speed. Oh well... time for coffee.
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And people of all walks give others (doctors, neighbors, friends, the boss (at work or elsewhere), etc.. ) as a form of good luck and a thank you.. the amounts are almost token amounts.. (too much creates an obligation and no one wants a "debt" of any sort over their head).. now of course this scales.. those at bottom a
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In fact China has brought in a lot of fairly strict environmental policies in the last few decades, which often have quite dramatic effects on local industry. For example, no factories within half a kilometre of most rivers, and no discharging untreated waste into them.
Then there is the massive and frankly staggering rate at which they have adopted renewables. Hit their Paris targets 5 years early, and those were considered too ambitious to be realistic at the time.
"But China" was never a good argument, but
Re: Good for him (Score:1)
It (might) make sense for him because they will (probably) treat him very well, despite being more authoritarian (and evil) in general. This also makes sense if he prioritizes career over politics.
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Statements like yours is _why_ this guy left. But I guess you lack the self-awareness needed to even begin to be able to see that. Why did he go to China? Probably because that was the best offer and as long as he can publish, it really does not matter that much where he works.
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I would also assume "live work balance" is better, cost of living adequate in relation to income.
Can by any electric car he wants.
Has not to fear that he gets shot by a random insane person with a gun.
Huge variety if Chinese food. And I personally like the girls, too.
Then: do not forget how intellectually interesting it is to have other scientists around you, working on completely different topics, that suddenly give you an interesting idea. Like material science for photonic computers.
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I assume you're one of those people who buys products - a consumer. In that case you're likely handing a significant part of your income over to that country.
Apparently it's OK to buy Chinese products (or Saudi, or ...), or to watch the Olympics or F1 or whatever in one of those countries. But when scientists in the US are no longer able to publish in peer reviewed journals if they receive Federal grants (yh, that's actually true), and they opt out and go work somewhere else, they're somehow evil?
It's not s
Re:Good for him (Score:5, Insightful)
Are we great again yet?
Ok Ok low effort reply there but truthfully this is a direct example of brain drain due to an administration that is downright hostile to science. We used to be the envy of the world in terms of our research institutions and science.
The more the nationalists try and keep others out and the more they make science into a political point the more folks are going to just give up on America.... and I don't blame them. If I had any "in" elsewhere (family history, available opportunity) I'd leave
Sorry in truth I really wish they hadn't made science and education and many peoples very humanity and human rights political...
Re:Good for him (Score:4, Insightful)
I never thought about gay or trans people until a certain political group started talking about them non stop.
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Just ignore and move on. People like him(Vomitgod) have no interest in an honest discussion. They are beholden to their gods.
Re: Good for him (Score:2)
You got a source and credibility validation on that ac? This thread is about the value of smarts.
Re: Good for him (Score:1)
You know the reason all the games have a bunch of gender fluid furries? Because that's what the kids want to see. You know why? Because it makes you apoplectic.
Re:Good for him (Score:4, Insightful)
The MAGA crowd thinks this is a good thing because it's hurting someone else.
Until of course it directly affects them and they might go as far as blaming the orange turd. But the last question you should ask them is given the chance would they vote the same way again?
You know what the answer will be.
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The problem the Maggots will refuse to see the damage done by scientists' refusals to come the U.S. (in addition to the ones that leave) given the xenophobic attitude of the Maggots.
It's hard to care about brain drain (Score:2)
So the problem we have is yeah immigrants generate a lot of wealth but nobody's really seeing any of it except the 0.1%. hell we don't even get the benefits of the taxes they pay because those just get turned into tax cuts for billionaires. Or I guess now trillionaires.
I get this a lot with
Re:Good for him (Score:4, Funny)
No point staying in a place that doesn't want you.
The dumbing down continues unabated.
Bummer, too, because his work on metal organic frameworks would have been perfect for extracting electrolytes. It's what plants crave.
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Bummer, too, because his work on metal organic frameworks would have been perfect for extracting electrolytes. It's what plants crave.
it will still be if it flourishes in china instead of in the us and the whole world, including the us, might still benefit from that knowledge. that "bummer" is just ideological ... which is all politics in the west seems to be about these days because objective reality doesn't make for a sellable story.
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it will still be if it flourishes in china instead of in the us and the whole world, including the us, might still benefit from that knowledge. that "bummer" is just ideological ... which is all politics in the west seems to be about these days because objective reality doesn't make for a sellable story.
I don't think it's too rabidly nationalistic or ideological of me to say that I'd prefer such discoveries and technologies be developed in my own country, rather than importing them from China. From a scientific standpoint, I agree that the knowledge benefits everyone, no matter where the discoveries are made. But from the standpoint of economics and national security, every key technology that we have to import from a strategic rival is a potential liability.
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i understand, and i agree. but then why make a rival out of china? they surely don't.
the perception of the "chinese threat" to the world (and to the us no less, probaly the safest country on the planet) is mostly narrative (sourced on ideology), there is little objective reality supporting it. the other way around though ...
the real threat that china (and other emerging powers) poses is that their progress contributes to stop american uncontested hegemony. i understand that some americans might not like tha
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I'd prefer such discoveries and technologies be developed in my own country
Why?
Discoveries and technologies don't care about national borders. A discovery one place will help (or hurt) people everywhere. Where the discovery was made makes little difference. I also don't see any reason to put people in my country above people in other countries. I care about people, not lines on a map. If something helps people, that's great. Whether those people live in the same country I do makes little difference.
I suppose there's the purely selfish argument that I should want work to be d
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No point staying in a place that doesn't want you.
I find no mention of him being unwanted.
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you seem to miss metaphors too.
Re:Good for him (Score:5, Insightful)
No point staying in a place that doesn't want you.
I find no mention of him being unwanted.
FTS: "Dr. Yaghi was born in Amman, Jordan, to Palestinian refugees whose one-room home lacked electricity and running water ...When he was 15, his father, a butcher, sent him to the United States".
Trump has expressed disdain for all sorts of immigrants - including legal ones - and ICE has detained and deported even US citizens because they "don't look right" to the knuckle-dragging MAGA crowd. And then there's the USA's funding and arming of Israel's genocide in Palestine.
So why should the Palestinian immigrant who happens to be the subject of this story assume that he's any less unwanted than any other immigrant? He has at least two very good reasons for fearing that he may only be wanted in the sense of "wanted poster".
I want to say for the sake of freedom but... (Score:3)
Re:Good for him (Score:4, Informative)
Racism in China is a whole other level (Score:1)
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Go to China. See what life is like in comparison to the US.
Bullshit comment.
10x times better than in the US.
Significantly lower cost of living, and in relation to that significantly higher wages.
Free healthcare, and paid healthcare - like plastic surgery - is cheap.
Basically no violent crime.
You can buy what ever electric car (or other nice toy) you want: as it has no farking stupid tax on it.
Bay Area in California and China.
Of course there is. The bay area is a sprawl of century old houses mixed with sky
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It isn't a "communist" dictatorship since Mao is dead.
Stupid idiot.
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That is wrong.
I suggest to read the Chinese laws that define how the power system works.
And insulting the party as CCP, when it is clearly CPC (no idea why Americas keep doing that and reedit for example Wikipedia all the time) does not make any sense either.
How would you find it if we refer to your two fail parties as
Party of American Democrats
Party of Unamerican Republicas
Instead of simply using their official name?
The official name is: Communist Party of (the people of) China. CPC.
CCP is company in Islan
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I'm betting you go silent. That's because China isn't a free society. You're not allowed to talk about it.
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My official stance is many fold.
A) there was no massacre - it was basically the same thing like the storm to the capitol after Trumps first reelection failed
B) the massacre was started by the protestors - who attacked police and military forces
C) Now we come to the "Evocation school "solution, as the protestors where mainly Han Chinese - aka "mainland Mandarin speaking Chinese people" the government pulled in ethnic groups that hate han to suppress the uprising/rebellion/protests
D) that is why China introdu
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There was a violent crackdown in Beijing in June 1989. This is documented by eyewitnesses, journalists who were present, diplomats, hospital workers, declassified government documents from multiple countries, and later research. While the exact death toll is disputed, there is broad agreement among historians that hundreds, and possibly more than a thousand, people were killed when the Chinese military used live ammu
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Your argument contains several claims that are not supported by the historical evidence.
:P
That is wrong
There was a violent crackdown in Beijing in June 1989.
That is correct. As the protesters were violent, too. The first people who died: were soldiers.
While the exact death toll is disputed, there is broad agreement among historians that hundreds, and possibly more than a thousand, ... while regrettable the death toll was not particular high.
Yes, from 10,000 to 30,000 protesters
The protests did not begin a
Yep. (Score:1, Troll)
The FSB is certainly getting a good ROI on their investment in Trump.
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Is the US no longer a good place for doing research?
Do you really need to ask?
You might want to move that rock you're living under to someplace where at least a little light seeps in around the edges.
Re:Why (Score:4, Informative)
The republican party cares more about grabbing power than helping people or making things better.
Given that they control all 3 branches of government, can any MAGA fans list legislation that has helped anymore?
Lower grocery prices?
Lower fuel costs?
Job creation?
Inflation?
Federal deficit?
Healthcare?
Education?
I'll check back if anyone can think of anything.
In another dimension... (Score:3)
Carroll O'Connor applauds you.
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*Citations needed
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by Anonymous Coward...
That's also much more affordable when your not competing will illegals and their free money. Oh and I just remembered the free business loans only they qualified for too.
So embarrassed by the crap that you have to make up that you're posting AC? What are these free business loans only "illegals" qualify for, and where can I apply? Yo quiero links!
Re: Why (Score:4, Insightful)
Unless of course you went full lefty-loon-woke in the last decade and went on record that according to science chicks can have dicks and dudes can (and should!) wear dresses.
Then I suppose we're occupied france, the gulags, and the cambodian killing fields all rolled into one.
10AM EST and you're talking about "chicks with dicks" in a discussion about academic research? I really don't understand the obsession.
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They are secretly drawn to that sort of thing, but don't want to admit it to themselves. The moment they see it, their desire goes in a direction that they don't like to admit is there, and they freak out. So, don't show it so they can stay in the closet is their true reason.
Trump will arrest him if he comes back into U.S. (Score:2)
The USA is not welcoming of foreigners (Score:1, Insightful)
Re:The USA is not welcoming of foreigners (Score:4, Interesting)
As a visitor, I've had random Americans yell death threats at me on the street. Never had that happen living or working as a foreigner in China. Do you have any actual experience or are you just parroting the domestic propaganda you've been brought up on?
Re: The USA is not welcoming of foreigners (Score:2)
Re: The USA is not welcoming of foreigners (Score:5, Interesting)
US intentional homicide rate is 5.763 per 100,000 population. That's considerably higher than the wild west known as the Philippines at 4.348, and Liberia at 3.087. It's more than five times Scotland at 1.038, Germany at 0.911 and Australia at 0.854. It's over ten times Northern Ireland at 0.521, and twenty times Japan at 0.229. US murder and crime rates are not low.
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Crime in t
Re: The USA is not welcoming of foreigners (Score:5, Insightful)
"if you disregard all the data points that inconvenience me, what I say actually seems to make sense"
Europe is not anomalously low. The US is anomalously high for a developed country, and for a western country.
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but our murder and crime rates are actuallly pretty low. ... or in relation to what exactly? Careebian countries (strange that they have such an absurd high homicide rate)
In relation to Nigeria, Somalia
Are you an idiot or just completely uninformed?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/... [wikipedia.org]
Here, sort by kills, and look were you are, and then compare it with Germany for example.
Seriously? USA a save country? Not for me. Horror country.
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2 Things:
1. Wikipedia? Already failed.
2. From the page you linked:
"Figures from the Global Study on Homicide are based on the UNODC Homicide Statistics dataset, which is derived from the criminal justice or public health systems of a variety of countries and territories."
Self-reported. Ok. If it's that easy, then i'dll self-report that I am super wealthy, and get myself a gretbigo loan, and disappear.
Most seriously, however, I will point out that you do not live here, yet you are going to
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Does not matter where I live.
US of awesome apes is a crime shit hole compared to any western standards.
On top of that police corruption that wants to close cases and fake evidence to look strong.
On top of that judges who own a prison and convict retarded penalties and put the victim into their own prison.
On top of that judges and state attorneys and even high ranked police officers get voted into position. Which gives them reason to fake evidence and convict hard to show "we are strong", so they do not lose
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For China? Depends on country of your origin.
There had been several stabbings of Japanese Nationals (and more than 1 involved Grade school kids, including a 10 Year old Japanese boy that died in Shenzhen on his way school).
I don't think there's much targeted stabbing/shootings from White American to specifically target CHILDREN of Foreign Nationals in this decade, no matter how the western Media plays the rac1st issues of USA. My 2 cents as an Asian.
Re:The USA is not welcoming of foreigners (Score:5, Informative)
Advanced materials research is morally ambiguous? You talk about "free and open" while people in this country are charged with felony vandalism for touching the peeling paint in the reflecting pool. https://www.wusa9.com/article/... [wusa9.com]
Or how about being executed in the street for exercising second amendment rights? https://www.bbc.com/news/artic... [bbc.com]
Re:The USA is not welcoming of foreigners (Score:5, Insightful)
When China invites people because they have skill, they don't set the power of the government to harass those people. Here in the USA, the current administration is not only turning people away who want or wanted to come, but those who ARE allowed to come are then assaulted by ICE in many cases. That is what makes the USA obviously hostile toward immigrants as well as visitors.
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China is not a free and open society
They consider themselves a free and an open society. More free than under the previous Emperor and occupying forces. More free than under Mao, too.
and they do not welcome outsiders
Look at the: previous occupying conquerors/forces.
Asian cultures have a long memory: white people robbed the country(ies) for centuries. Obviously we are not welcome there.
Quid Pro Quo (Score:2)
In fairness, while America may lose a Nobel prize winning chemist, they'll pick up several South African Nazis.
Berkeley (Score:2, Funny)
Apparently, Berkeley wasn't quite communist enough for him.
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No one cares about Countries or Parties that have the term "communist" in them, except US-americans.
Communism is dead all over the planet since the 1990s, and you farking idiots do not realize that.
They'll Put Him In the Gobi Desert Until... (Score:1)
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He had no loyalty to the United States. China offered him money and opportunity, so he took it. He may live long enough to regret the decision, provided Xi doesn't have him purged at some point.
Re:The US gave him everything (Score:5, Insightful)