Scientific and technological stagnation

One question that has been the subject of debate among historians has been why China did not develop a scientific revolution and why Chinese technology fell behind that of Europe. Many hypotheses have been proposed ranging from the cultural to the political and economic. Nathan Sivin has argued that China indeed had a scientific revolution in the 17th century and that we are still far from understanding the scientific revolutions of the West and China in all their political, economic and social ramifications.John K. Fairbank argued that the Chinese political system was hostile to scientific progress.
Needham argued, and most scholars agreed, that cultural factors prevented these Chinese achievements from developing into what could be called "science".It was the religious and philosophical framework of the Chinese intellectuals which made them unable to believe in the ideas of laws of nature:
It was not that there was no order in nature for the Chinese, but rather that it was not an order ordained by a rational personal being, and hence there was no conviction that rational personal beings would be able to spell out in their lesser earthly languages the divine code of laws which he had decreed aforetime. The Taoists, indeed, would have scorned such an idea as being too naïve for the subtlety and complexity of the universe as they intuited it.

Similar grounds have been found for questioning much of the philosophy behind traditional Chinese medicine, which, derived mainly from Taoist philosophy, reflects the classical Chinese belief that individual human experiences express causative principles effective in the environment at all scales. Because its theory predates use of the scientific method, it has received various criticisms based on scientific thinking. Even though there are physically verifiable anatomical or histological bases for the existence of acupuncture points or meridians, for instance skin conductance measurements show increases at the predicted points (see _The Body Electric_ by Robert O. Becker, M.D., pgs 233-236), philosopher Robert Todd Carroll, a member of the Skeptics Society, deemed acupuncture a pseudoscience because it "confuse(s) metaphysical claims with empirical claims".
...no matter how it is done, scientific research can never demonstrate that unblocking chi by acupuncture or any other means is effective against any disease. Chi is defined as being undetectable by the methods of empirical science.
More recent historians have questioned political and cultural explanations and have put greater focus on economic causes. Mark Elvin's high level equilibrium trap is one well-known example of this line of thought. It argues that the Chinese population was large enough, workers cheap enough, and agrarian productivity high enough to not require mechanization : thousands of Chinese workers were perfectly able to quickly perform any needed task. Other events such as Haijin, the Opium Wars and the resulting hate of European influence prevented China from undergoing an Industrial Revolution; copying Europe's progress on a large scale would be impossible for a lengthy period of time. Political instability under Cixi rule (opposition and frequent oscillation between modernists and conservatives), the Republican wars (1911-1933), the Sino-Japanese War (1933-1945), the Communist/Nationalist War (1945-1949) as well as the later Cultural Revolution isolated China at the most critical times. Kenneth Pomeranz has made the argument that the substantial resources taken from the New World to Europe made the crucial difference between European and Chinese development.
In Guns, Germs, and Steel, Jared Diamond postulates that the lack of geographic barriers in much of China (essentially a wide plain with two large navigable rivers, and a relatively smooth coastline) led to a single government without competition. At the whim of a ruler who disliked new inventions, technology could be stifled for half a century or more. In contrast, Europe's barriers of the Pyrennes, the Alps, and the various defensible peninsulas (Denmark, Scandinavia, Italy, Greece, etc.) and islands (Britain, Ireland, Sicily, etc.) led to smaller countries in constant competition with each other. If a ruler chose to ignore a scientific advancement (especially a military or economic one), his more-advanced neighbors would soon usurp his throne.

India Promises Action to Prevent Fraud After IT Industry Shaken by Scandal

Indian officials are promising to strengthen laws to prevent corporate fraud in the wake of a massive corporate scandal in the country's famous information technology industry. The revelation that one of the country's biggest technology outsourcing firms had inflated its profits and assets for years has shaken corporate India as well as foreign investors.
As the scale of the biggest corporate fraud in India becomes clear, top government officials have moved quickly to say they will do all they can to ensure there is no repetition.
This week, the chairman of Satyam Computer Services - the country's fourth largest Information Technology company - rocked corporate India by disclosing that over 90 percent of the $1.1 billion listed as cash on the company's books was fictitious. Satyam specializes in business software and back office services, and its clients include some of the world's biggest banks and manufacturers.
Regulatory authorities in India have begun searching for clues as questions are raised about how the fraud could have been hidden for so long.
Corporate Affairs Minister Prem Chand Gupta is promising stringent action against those found guilty.
"It would be the strictest possible action against the erring company … We are in fact more concerned about the investors, the stakeholders, the country's image," said Gupta.
A new management in Satyam is trying to salvage the situation. The company's interim chairman, Ram Mynampati, says they have reached out to their top 100 customers worldwide.
"The next step is to ensure that business continuity remains undisturbed … These steps include reaching out to our customers to assure them that business support deliverables will continue as usual, practicing complete transparency in all that we do," said Mynampati.
But analysts say it is unclear how the company will survive the scandal, dubbed as "India's Enron".
However the jury is out on how the scandal will impact foreign investors. Some analysts fear that global businesses will be cautious about investing in India as the country's corporate governance and accounting standards come under scrutiny.
Others say those worries will be short-lived. They say investors will continue to pump money into one of the world's fastest growing economies, although they will pay closer attention to the books of companies they are investing in.
On its part, India's information technology is reassuring customers that Satyam represents a "stand-alone case." The $50 billion IT industry has grown massively over the last two decades, and several Indian technology companies are listed on the New York Stock exchange. The New York Stock Exchange has halted trading in Satyam's shares.

Agreement with Microsoft to promote computer technology in Vietnam

New York (AsiaNews/agencies) – An agreement to promote computer technology in Vietnam has been reached between the Hanoi prime minister, Phan Van Khai, and Microsoft owner Bill Gates. The agreement, signed at the Microsoft headquarters in Seattle in the course of the Vietnamese leader's first US visit, provides for teacher training and backing for the spread of computer technology in Vietnam.

At the moment, internet is strictly controlled by the communist authorities. In August last year, the creation of a special police corps was announced to "guarantee internet security" in Vietnam. The new police unit was set up to investigate internet crimes and to stem the distribution of prohibited information. Democratic ideas are considered as such and several people have been sentenced for talking about their democratic convictions.

Around five million out of a population of 81 million Vietnamese use the internet regularly. Since the service is expensive, Vietnamese usually go online in internet cafes, where owners are obliged to record all users' personal details, as well as visits to sites judged inappropriate, and to report everything to the authorities. Dissidents often use the internet to circulate information about conditions of human rights and freedoms in the country. According to the annual report of Réporter sans frontières, in 2003, cyber-dissidents were those hardest-hit by repressive government measures.

At the end of July 2004, for example, Nguyen Dan Que, one of Vietnam's best-known democracy activists, was condemned to two and a half years in prison for "abuse of democratic freedoms against the government". He had sent a document by internet to a relative in the United States, in which he upheld the necessity of political reform and human rights guarantees.

Article 69 of the Constitution guarantees freedom of the press, but stipulates penalties for diffusion of state secrets or information which threatens national security.

New Computer Technology - When is ENOUGH?

New computer technology comes out continuously. As a computer consultant you probably want to keep up with all the new computer technology that comes along. You're most likely in love with technology - always looking for a new intrusion protection product to play with or another border-gateway protocol. What you have to realize is that your small business clients aren't experimenting with new computer technology and so you shouldn't be wasting your time investigating it.

New Computer Technology Distractions

New computer technology is a distraction you can't afford. It's easy to get caught-up with keeping-up, but, no one is paying you for your raw technical knowledge. They aren't paying you for knowing the latest new computer technology, they are paying you for knowing the technology they are using.

If you've been in corporate IT for a long time you're way ahead of the average small business anyway. The average small business is going to be at least six to twelve sometimes even 18 months behind the new computer technology you see in the average enterprise IT shop.

In the early stages of your business, you have to put learning new computer technology on the back burner. Adjust your priorities and put 90 percent of your R&D on the back burner for the next three to six months. Concentrate on finding paying clients. If those paying clients start demanding skills with new computer technology, that's when you invest your time and energy.

The Bottom Line on New Computer Technology

You're in the business you're in because you love new computer technology. Unfortunately, in the business building stage you can't afford to spend your time learning, you have to spend your time doing - and getting paid for doing it. New computer technology isn't being used in the majority of clients' applications anyway. Put your passion for new computer technology on hold for a while and be passionate about finding steady, paying customers.

CELL PHONES

Roughly 60 percent of American teenagers own a cell phone, according to U.S. Cellular statistics, and spend an average of an hour a day talking on them—about the same amount of time the average teenager spends doing homework. And cell phone companies are now marketing to younger children with colorful kid-friendly phones and easy-to-use features. According to market research firm the Yankee Group, 54 percent of 8 to12 year olds will have cell phones within the next three years.

With cell phone usage growing rapidly for children and teens, we offer the following information and tips for parents:
Health Risks


Mental health: Another study looked at addictive, problematic use of cell phones and found a link between low self-esteem and problem cell phone use. A study measuring the link between cell phones and mental health found that teens who used cell phones the most were more likely to be anxious and depressed.

Bullying: Text messaging is increasing used by bullies to torment their victims. Cyberbullying, psychological harassment in text or instant messaging, is more often perpetrated by girls, who initiate inappropriate messages or spread damaging gossip.

Eye strain and “digital thumb”: Just like other repetitive strain injuries that can result from computer use and other repetitive tasks, these conditions can result from focusing continually on a small screen and typing on small buttons.

Bacteria: Because of the close proximity to the mouth where germs can be passed from breathing, coughing and sneezing, most cell phones are crawling with bacteria. Additionally, many people use their phone everywhere, even in the bathroom.

Brain tumors and low sperm counts: While some research investigating the effects of electromagnetic radiation from cell phones in close proximity to the body have found statistical associations, other studies have found no increased risk.

Lack of sleep: One study found that some teen cell phone users are likely to be woken at night by incoming text messages or calls, and are therefore more likely to be tired and less able to focus throughout the day.


Dependence: One study finds that 37 percent of teens felt they wouldn’t be able to live without a cell phone once they had it. This study also shows that the more friends a teen has, the more likely they are to feel dependent on their phone and let calls or text messages interfere with their daily schedule.

Dishonesty: The Pew Internet & American Life Project found that 39 percent of cell users ages 18-29 say they are not always truthful about where they are when they are on the phone.

Expense: Parents often experience sticker shock when they receive the bill for their child’s cell phone. Special ring tones, text, picture and video messaging, downloadable games, overage minutes and connecting to the Internet can all be very expensive and heavily used by teens.

Protecting Your Cell Phone Number

New Internet-based technologies are making it easier than ever to protect yourself from phone predators who seek to invade your privacy
Recent court rulings have begun to treat a person’s phone number as part of their identity. You can now switch from phone provider to phone provider and keep your number; a technological advance unheard of just a decade ago. Now, more than ever, people have a vested interest in protecting their cell phone number from unscrupulous solicitors and companies that look to flood your number with unwanted sales calls. Until recently, there little you could do to protect your number.
The first big step toward safe-guarding your number was the advent of the caller ID box. With Caller ID you could identify the phone number of the person calling you before initiating conversation by picking up the phone. However, this technology was tempered by the increasing use of cell phones. Since cell phone numbers aren’t listed in any major conventional directory, your caller ID box would often give you the number of the person calling, but that was it. If you wanted to know more, you were out of luck.
These days, sophisticated internet services offer to protect your privacy through the use of reverse phone number searches. Simply take any phone number, including a cellular number, and enter it into the search window of a well-known and trusted reverse search internet service. You’ll receive all available information attached to that phone number. These sites make use of private as well as public databases to provide you with information such as name, address, previous address listings, possible relatives, and so much more, if available.
When you need to perform a reverse phone lookup in hurry, it may be worth your while to research reverse phone search services online to retrieve information fast. It is the most reliable and efficient tool available online to protect you and your family from unwanted phone calls.