Killing of Russian science continues

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Profile Raistmer
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Message 1387433 - Posted: 3 Jul 2013, 22:47:44 UTC
Last modified: 3 Jul 2013, 22:50:13 UTC

http://ufn.ru/pdf/trib121a.pdf

(text on english so everyone could read it freely).

Dear Colleagues,
Perhaps it is not yet known to you that a few days ago the Russian government proposed the liquidation
of the Russian Academy of Sciences that was founded by Peter the Great three centuries ago. This
project was prepared in dead secret in the best traditions of totalitarian societies without any discussion
with scientific community, although our government declares itself as a democratic institution in a
democratic country. These plans are not widely broadcasted by mass media since it is not a resonant
political event. Through all its history, even in cruel Stalin’s time the Russian (Soviet) Academy of
Sciences survived and remained the only democratic institution where the President of the Academy was
not appointed by the country authorities, but elected by ballot. And despite the wild introduction of
capitalism in Russia since 1990s, the Academy is now the only national-level organization in which the
property and infrastructure has not yet been sold and simply stolen. This concerns, in particular,
significant territories and infrastructure in the extremely expensive regions in the center of Moscow and
many other major Russian cities. Now under the pretext of improving the efficiency of management of this
property, it is proposed that all these lands and infrastructure will be confiscated and managed by the
governmental bureaucratic structures, but not the professional scientific experts as was before. We
believe it is possible to speak about killing of science in Russia.
To get information in more detail you can visit the site of Russian Academy of Science: http://www.ras.ru/
Unfortunately, they don’t have an English version of this site yet. Also you can read the text in English
published by a Russian science magazine:
http://news.sciencemag.org/scienceinsider/2013/06/new-law-would-deal-a-blow-to-rus.html or simply Google “Russian Academy of Science reform”.
Besides the transformation of the Academicians into a club of experts deprived of any real influence, the
reform proposed is mainly about the property of the Academy, first of all legalization of its privatization. In
recent years we saw very well how such “efficient management” operates in Russia. Everything will be
dispersed, rapidly sold and simply stolen as was observed many times in the near past. This
governmental “care” has nothing to do with real care about efficiency of research.
Scientists are often out of politics and this is usually a right choice. Now bad political decisions and big
money are knocking to our doors. The realization of the declared plans means that many of us will have
to break research activity, teaching young students and popularizing science. The education level has
already strongly dropped thanks to similar governmental “care”, although the Soviet education system
was one of the best in the world. Our country is quickly becoming a barbarian society with thermonuclear
weapons. It is very dangerous for people all over the world.
If you are with us against ignorance and obscurantism, please, support our petition to Russian President
and Parliament (the text and the response of the Russian scientific community is possible to find at
www.ras.ru although it is in Russian only). If you would like to support us, please, either FAX your letter
with support expression to +7(831)4365976 (fax of Geophysical Research Division of the Institute of
Applied Physics RAS) or e-mail your message to swan@hydro.appl.sci-nnov.ru and we will forward your
letters to our coordinators.
It is also possible to submit a letter directly to President Putin via an English-language web-interface:
http://eng.letters.kremlin.ru/send This is maybe the strongest variant, although you’ll need to spend a few
minutes for registration.
Please share this information with anyone who may be interested. As much as possible people should
know about this erroneous and actually monstrous decision of our government. This is the only legal to
push those guys in right direction and stop killing the science in Russia. They are eager to get the
approval of this law in the Parliament of Russia in the nearest days and have specially chosen the last
session before the summer break hoping that wide masses even would not realize what is happening.
Thank you in advance for your solidarity with us!
On behalf of Russian scientific community in Nizhny Novgorod,
Members of the Geophysical research division
Institute of Applied Physics,
Russian Academy of Sciences

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Message 1387463 - Posted: 4 Jul 2013, 0:29:52 UTC

Bad news for you folks and probably the rest of the world.
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Message 1387465 - Posted: 4 Jul 2013, 0:37:07 UTC

How do you fight a corruptocracy? ("Corrupt autocracy")


There's going to have to be some hard nasty politics to survive that one :-(

Keep hold of your head! Greed knows nothing of the values of Science.


Good luck,
Martin

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Message 1387480 - Posted: 4 Jul 2013, 2:14:25 UTC - in response to Message 1387465.  

Sort of sounds like the Russians and the Teapublicans in this country are cut out of a sadly serious mold.
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Message 1409484 - Posted: 29 Aug 2013, 19:16:42 UTC

"third reading" of this law will be in the beginning of September.
Will see...
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Message 1420084 - Posted: 25 Sep 2013, 13:07:26 UTC

Now passed "The Council of Federation", only Putin's signature remains... So, please sign this letter if you can:

http://save-russian-academy.org/
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Message 1420109 - Posted: 25 Sep 2013, 15:39:46 UTC - in response to Message 1420084.  

Your signature is number 21947.
...
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Message 1420124 - Posted: 25 Sep 2013, 16:33:11 UTC - in response to Message 1420109.  

Your signature is number 21947.

Thanks! Chances are extremely low, but we trying to do all what we can...
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Message 1420137 - Posted: 25 Sep 2013, 17:24:51 UTC

I hate to say it but Russia is beginning to sound a lot like Texas in the US


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Message 1420356 - Posted: 26 Sep 2013, 1:44:19 UTC

Sig confirmation 21,949
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Message 1420381 - Posted: 26 Sep 2013, 2:54:55 UTC - in response to Message 1420356.  

Thanks :)
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Message 1420442 - Posted: 26 Sep 2013, 6:56:14 UTC

I hate to say it but Russia is beginning to sound a lot like Texas in the US


You Moved To Texas. Russia your Next Stop?

Move 'it'

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Message 1420558 - Posted: 26 Sep 2013, 15:59:55 UTC - in response to Message 1420474.  

I hate to say it but Russia is beginning to sound a lot like Texas in the US

You sure it isn't the other way around.




Texas: Suppressing science and Minorities since 1836


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Message 1420589 - Posted: 26 Sep 2013, 17:14:04 UTC - in response to Message 1420588.  

I'd love to straighten texans out but they are hell bent on fighting anything that they consider infringing on their rights. Safety, health hell no. guns hell yes. pretty ignorant and they like to be that way. You're more likely to convince a donkey that he's not an ass.


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Message 1420892 - Posted: 27 Sep 2013, 8:30:46 UTC

My recent viewing of James Burke's Connections comes to mind here. People who have little or no knowledge of the value of scientific research unfortunately in many cases control the purse strings. If they don't see an immediate return on their investment then the science is no good. Burke pointed out that the tangible gains from scientific research usually lags many years behind most important discoveries.
Bob DeWoody

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Message 1421041 - Posted: 27 Sep 2013, 17:15:16 UTC

what is also disturbing is that Scientists who are notoriously bad public speakers are forced to beg and plead for money to keep their operations going. How sad that we can't just say thank you and support the sciences.


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Message boards : Politics : Killing of Russian science continues


 
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