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I'm extremely skeptical, because I've heard claims of silicon lasers for a long time but it never materialized. Also the article seems to plug unrelated scient

I'm extremely skeptical, because I've heard claims of silicon lasers for a long time but it never materialized. Also the article seems to plug unrelated scientists with vague affiliations to the University and a weird political spin to the whole thing regarding the author's home country's relationship with the US... despite it not being a US university. Weird.

tzs 5y ago
> Also the article seems to plug unrelated scientists with vague affiliations to the University. The only other scientists I noticed were her supervisor and the coauthors of the paper on her research. Did I miss someone? > a weird political spin to the whole thing regarding the author's home country's relationship with the US... despite it not being a US university That was in the short biographical section at the end, describing where she got her undergraduate degree and how she ended up McMasters. It is hardly a "weird political spin" to note that she considered US universities but could not get a visa.
- spicybright 5y ago
  I doubt GP would have even commented if she had a more typical bio.
- 908B64B197 5y ago
  > The only other scientists I noticed were her supervisor and the coauthors of the paper on her research. Did I miss someone? "Miarabbas Kiani's curiosity-based research is reflected in the story of another McMaster student. Donna Strickland received her BEng in Engineering Physics from McMaster in 1981 and went on to doctoral studies at the University of Rochester. Strickland's work on pulsed lasers with her PhD supervisor Gérard Mourou would lead to their Nobel Prize in Physics in 2018" I guess they wanted to have the "Nobel" keyword in there so they found the closest person to the institution (some undergrad from 40 years ago)? > That was in the short biographical section at the end, describing where she got her undergraduate degree and how she ended up McMasters. It is hardly a "weird political spin" to note that she considered US universities but could not get a visa. I just don't know if my alma mater would brag that "hey, since this guy couldn't get into somewhere else so he picked us!". I get that it's an undergrad's joke to laugh at "The Other Institute of Technology" but for a press release? The whole thing about the visa thing feels forced.
  - wenc 5y ago
    I was a grad student in Canada more than a decade ago. At the time, I noticed a disproportionate number of Iranian students among my peers, many of them very talented and who hailed from selective universities like Sharif. I befriended many of them and most of them told me they ended up in Canada because of how onerous it was to obtain US student visas (even though they had applied and gotten into good schools). This seeming non sequitur in the press release seems to be referring to that context — seems like it’s adding a human element to what is a dry technical press release. The narrative doesn’t point to any specific to any executive in power at the time but is more of a pointed reference to US visa policies since 1979 turning talent away.
    - 908B64B197 5y ago
      > who hailed from selective universities like Sharif Selective for the country I'm sure. Not the world. > they ended up in Canada because of how onerous it was to obtain US student visas (even though they had applied and gotten into good schools). I'm sure they were admitted to great US schools. Or at least claimed to. The visa process is long because of potential technological transfers. Also, the fact that countries like Canada aren't as strict is one of the reasons businesses like SpaceX that are subject to ITAR can't hire international applicants, even from countries like Canada.
allemagne 5y ago
The "weird political spin": >Miarabbas Kiani received her master’s in electrical engineering from Shiraz University in Iran, where she specialized in photonic and optoelectronic devices. Encouraged by her supervisor to expand her academic horizons, she considered studying in the U.S. but was unable to obtain a visa. Her father suggested she think of Canada. Presumably, this is some sort of bizarre prompted response and it's a stretch to think Kiani was simply asked "why did you decide to study at McMaster University" and this was her actual experience.
- bredren 5y ago
  I noticed this quote as well. It is pointed. You have to read further to see this happened in 2018. Presumably, this was directed at the policies of the executive at the time.
  - 908B64B197 5y ago
    Indeed. I wonder if they would have mentioned it had her visa denial had happened in 2014 rather than 2018, during a certain administration... What's puzzling is that it's not a US University. I can't recall any US University press release about innovation in physics mentioning some foreign country's policy in a weird political ending. Maybe it's cultural?
  - allemagne 5y ago
    Do you think it's possible it only appears pointed to you because of your own bias?

tzs 5y ago

> Also the article seems to plug unrelated scientists with vague affiliations to the University. The only other scientists I noticed were her supervisor and the coauthors of the paper on her research. Did I miss someone? > a weird political spin to the whole thing regarding the author's home country's relationship with the US... despite it not being a US university That was in the short biographical section at the end, describing where she got her undergraduate degree and how she ended up McMasters. It is hardly a "weird political spin" to note that she considered US universities but could not get a visa.

spicybright 5y ago
I doubt GP would have even commented if she had a more typical bio.
908B64B197 5y ago
> The only other scientists I noticed were her supervisor and the coauthors of the paper on her research. Did I miss someone? "Miarabbas Kiani's curiosity-based research is reflected in the story of another McMaster student. Donna Strickland received her BEng in Engineering Physics from McMaster in 1981 and went on to doctoral studies at the University of Rochester. Strickland's work on pulsed lasers with her PhD supervisor Gérard Mourou would lead to their Nobel Prize in Physics in 2018" I guess they wanted to have the "Nobel" keyword in there so they found the closest person to the institution (some undergrad from 40 years ago)? > That was in the short biographical section at the end, describing where she got her undergraduate degree and how she ended up McMasters. It is hardly a "weird political spin" to note that she considered US universities but could not get a visa. I just don't know if my alma mater would brag that "hey, since this guy couldn't get into somewhere else so he picked us!". I get that it's an undergrad's joke to laugh at "The Other Institute of Technology" but for a press release? The whole thing about the visa thing feels forced.
- wenc 5y ago
  I was a grad student in Canada more than a decade ago. At the time, I noticed a disproportionate number of Iranian students among my peers, many of them very talented and who hailed from selective universities like Sharif. I befriended many of them and most of them told me they ended up in Canada because of how onerous it was to obtain US student visas (even though they had applied and gotten into good schools). This seeming non sequitur in the press release seems to be referring to that context — seems like it’s adding a human element to what is a dry technical press release. The narrative doesn’t point to any specific to any executive in power at the time but is more of a pointed reference to US visa policies since 1979 turning talent away.
  - 908B64B197 5y ago
    > who hailed from selective universities like Sharif Selective for the country I'm sure. Not the world. > they ended up in Canada because of how onerous it was to obtain US student visas (even though they had applied and gotten into good schools). I'm sure they were admitted to great US schools. Or at least claimed to. The visa process is long because of potential technological transfers. Also, the fact that countries like Canada aren't as strict is one of the reasons businesses like SpaceX that are subject to ITAR can't hire international applicants, even from countries like Canada.

allemagne 5y ago

The "weird political spin": >Miarabbas Kiani received her master’s in electrical engineering from Shiraz University in Iran, where she specialized in photonic and optoelectronic devices. Encouraged by her supervisor to expand her academic horizons, she considered studying in the U.S. but was unable to obtain a visa. Her father suggested she think of Canada. Presumably, this is some sort of bizarre prompted response and it's a stretch to think Kiani was simply asked "why did you decide to study at McMaster University" and this was her actual experience.

bredren 5y ago
I noticed this quote as well. It is pointed. You have to read further to see this happened in 2018. Presumably, this was directed at the policies of the executive at the time.
- 908B64B197 5y ago
  Indeed. I wonder if they would have mentioned it had her visa denial had happened in 2014 rather than 2018, during a certain administration... What's puzzling is that it's not a US University. I can't recall any US University press release about innovation in physics mentioning some foreign country's policy in a weird political ending. Maybe it's cultural?
- allemagne 5y ago
  Do you think it's possible it only appears pointed to you because of your own bias?