4 ms·

Maybe it's just me and my warped mind, but there's a part of me that incredibly fascinated with the amount of boundaries that countries like China are pushing (

Maybe it's just me and my warped mind, but there's a part of me that incredibly fascinated with the amount of boundaries that countries like China are pushing (medical, human rights, etc.) with a dearth of any kind of ethical oversight whatsoever. They are rapidly approaching the West's level of technological sophistication but yet they've come down a completely different path...one devoid of any kind of power-checking, one that does not care of what the public thinks/will think or even what groups in other countries think. It's...quite the sight in the modern world.

photorized 14y ago
Re: "they are rapidly approaching the West's level of technological sophistication" I would disagree with that assessment. Simple electronics aside, they are severely lacking in technology. For example - they spent several decades of R&D on a jet engine, and haven't been able to design/build (or even copy) one that would work. And that's despite all the technological knowledge they borrowed from the Russians. Disclaimer: former Jet Engine major from Russia, saw much knowledge sharing with China
- eitland 14y ago
  Does this mean the reports[1] about the Chinese stealt fighter are hoaxes or that they are buying their engines elsewhere? [1]: http://duckduckgo.com/?q=chinese+stealth+fighter http://duckduckgo.com/?q=chinese+stealth+fighter
  - Gravityloss 14y ago
    Russian engine technology. The J-20 is a big prototype canard fighter that has some stealth features but we don't yet know how stealthy it is, but it doesn't look very. And there's very little information on the J-21/J-31 (naming unclear) but it looks like the JSF / F-22. It could perhaps be more stealthy.
  - photorized 14y ago
    Older Russian engine - AL-31 (АЛ-31Ф).
  - sarvinc 14y ago
    Not the same jet but another example http://www.flightglobal.com/blogs/the-dewline/2012/12/china-upset-at-being-called-ou.html http://www.flightglobal.com/blogs/the-dewline/2012/12/china-...
revelation 14y ago
This just seems to be the chinese equivalent of the Lobotomy [1]. I guess one can learn how to create Aluminium and bend steel, but ethics? 1: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lobotomy http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lobotomy
- eitland 14y ago
  Nah, they are just a few years behind us. The sad truth truth is our parents classmates got lobotomy, our grandparents classmates were sent to Auswitch etc. The western civilization has not always been very civilized. (And some people would argue it still isn't..)
- ibisum 14y ago
  Don't kid yourself, America is still performing brutal lobotomies.
- merlincorey 14y ago
  > I guess one can learn how to create Aluminum Alchemy! Aluminium (aka aluminum) is a basic chemical element.
zalew 14y ago
> They are rapidly approaching the West's level of technological sophistication really? a few months ago one of their rapid trains crashed into another because a lightning strike disabled it's system and the following one didn't even know the hit one slowed down. all other super rails have systems and procedures to prevent such occurences (let's not even get started on the Japanese one). say what you want, I wouldn't want to live or work in one of those Chinese 'build in 14 days' buildings.
- angersock 14y ago
  Come now, we all know that "fail fast" is a valid design philosophy in architecture. :P
  - zalew 14y ago
    "move fast and break things!"
- Dirlewanger 14y ago
  >I wouldn't want to live or work in one of those Chinese 'build in 14 days' buildings. Oh, neither would I. When I say they're rapidly approaching us, I mean they are fast acquiring the means/funding to do so, but not in the sense that everything they make is safe/ethical through a Western society's lenses. This is the lack of oversight I'm talking about and is one of the tenets that sets us apart from the BRIC countries and other developing ones.
  - zalew 14y ago
    Brasil and Russia both have various specific to their natures issues, but I wouldn't put them in one line with China trying too hard to become Jetsons overnight.
- georgefox 14y ago
  Coming from the United States, I find the idea of a country with "rapid trains" pretty darn sophisticated.
Detrus 14y ago
Compared to millions of US kids being medicated for ADD with Ritalin, which can leave permanent marks like stunted growth. Or millions taking anti-depressants which also leave permanent marks, especially with prolonged use. All these treatments have side effects and benefits so lets not blow China's lack of ethics out of proportion in this case. Prescriptions for drugs that permanently alter the brain are handed out with criminal carelessness in the US.

photorized 14y ago

Re: "they are rapidly approaching the West's level of technological sophistication" I would disagree with that assessment. Simple electronics aside, they are severely lacking in technology. For example - they spent several decades of R&D on a jet engine, and haven't been able to design/build (or even copy) one that would work. And that's despite all the technological knowledge they borrowed from the Russians. Disclaimer: former Jet Engine major from Russia, saw much knowledge sharing with China

eitland 14y ago
Does this mean the reports[1] about the Chinese stealt fighter are hoaxes or that they are buying their engines elsewhere? [1]: http://duckduckgo.com/?q=chinese+stealth+fighter http://duckduckgo.com/?q=chinese+stealth+fighter
- Gravityloss 14y ago
  Russian engine technology. The J-20 is a big prototype canard fighter that has some stealth features but we don't yet know how stealthy it is, but it doesn't look very. And there's very little information on the J-21/J-31 (naming unclear) but it looks like the JSF / F-22. It could perhaps be more stealthy.
- photorized 14y ago
  Older Russian engine - AL-31 (АЛ-31Ф).
- sarvinc 14y ago
  Not the same jet but another example http://www.flightglobal.com/blogs/the-dewline/2012/12/china-upset-at-being-called-ou.html http://www.flightglobal.com/blogs/the-dewline/2012/12/china-...

revelation 14y ago

This just seems to be the chinese equivalent of the Lobotomy [1]. I guess one can learn how to create Aluminium and bend steel, but ethics? 1: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lobotomy http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lobotomy

eitland 14y ago
Nah, they are just a few years behind us. The sad truth truth is our parents classmates got lobotomy, our grandparents classmates were sent to Auswitch etc. The western civilization has not always been very civilized. (And some people would argue it still isn't..)
ibisum 14y ago
Don't kid yourself, America is still performing brutal lobotomies.
merlincorey 14y ago
> I guess one can learn how to create Aluminum Alchemy! Aluminium (aka aluminum) is a basic chemical element.

zalew 14y ago

> They are rapidly approaching the West's level of technological sophistication really? a few months ago one of their rapid trains crashed into another because a lightning strike disabled it's system and the following one didn't even know the hit one slowed down. all other super rails have systems and procedures to prevent such occurences (let's not even get started on the Japanese one). say what you want, I wouldn't want to live or work in one of those Chinese 'build in 14 days' buildings.

angersock 14y ago
Come now, we all know that "fail fast" is a valid design philosophy in architecture. :P
- zalew 14y ago
  "move fast and break things!"
Dirlewanger 14y ago
>I wouldn't want to live or work in one of those Chinese 'build in 14 days' buildings. Oh, neither would I. When I say they're rapidly approaching us, I mean they are fast acquiring the means/funding to do so, but not in the sense that everything they make is safe/ethical through a Western society's lenses. This is the lack of oversight I'm talking about and is one of the tenets that sets us apart from the BRIC countries and other developing ones.
- zalew 14y ago
  Brasil and Russia both have various specific to their natures issues, but I wouldn't put them in one line with China trying too hard to become Jetsons overnight.
georgefox 14y ago
Coming from the United States, I find the idea of a country with "rapid trains" pretty darn sophisticated.

Detrus 14y ago

Compared to millions of US kids being medicated for ADD with Ritalin, which can leave permanent marks like stunted growth. Or millions taking anti-depressants which also leave permanent marks, especially with prolonged use. All these treatments have side effects and benefits so lets not blow China's lack of ethics out of proportion in this case. Prescriptions for drugs that permanently alter the brain are handed out with criminal carelessness in the US.