This week’s reading material “The Mask” brings me some fresh ideas about the using the sophisticated mask to bypass ethics, conscience, and personal responsibility. Considering myself as both a scientist and an engineer, I can totally relate to the statement …
In my previous post, I talked about the perverse incentives in current academia based on Dr. Edwards paper. To me, I feel like it is of critical need to adopt a more intellectual and reasonable evaluating system or quantitative metrics. The …
Recently, I read Dr. Edwards’s paper entitled “Academic Research in the 21st Century: Maintaining Scientific Integrity in a Climate of Perverse Incentives and Hypercompetition” on the special issue of Environmental Engineering Science. This article focuses on the rising of perverse incentives in …
For the past few weeks, we watched several short videos about animals and how they stand up for their survival. These make me think about our actions when facing the exact same situation. Yes, we are much smarter than them, …
Academia is becoming a grueling place that typically requires so much effort with not equally payback (most of the time). I gradually realize this point in my PhD study witnessing all my seniors trying to secure a post-doc or faculty …
Last month, I learned that a previous VT professor, Dr. Yiheng Zhang, was arrested due to scamming National Science Foundation (NSF).<1> Dr. Zhang was accused of using already completed projects (in China) to apply funding from NSF. Moreover, once received …
Lance Armstrong was way too famous all over the world during my middle and high school times (2000-2007). His story of fighting cancer and coming back as a champion was among our most favorite examples in argumentative writings among teenagers. …
For the past few weeks, we are discussing the DC Water Lead Crisis and the high blood lead levels (BLL). As a toxic metal, lead can accumulate inside the body (both human and animals) and cause severe nerve damage, especially …
We watched several video clips during this week’s class, and I have to say these people involved in DC Lead Crisis, especially decision makers, can fabricate everything and feel quite comfortable with it. They violate every professional conduct and put …
During the press conference, I was “honored” to have the role of Thomas Jacobus from Washington Aqueduct (WAD). Video recording is definitely not my favorite thing, as in the last semester I was already video-taped twice and felt so weird …