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Fang Zhouzi

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Fang Zhouzi
方是民
Born
Fang Shimin

(1967-09-28) September 28, 1967 (age 58)
Yunxiao County, Fujian, China
CitizenshipChina
Alma materUniversity of Science and Technology of China (B.S.)
Michigan State University (Ph.D.)
OccupationPopular scientific translator (English to Chinese)
Known forFounder of New Threads
Anti-fraud campaign

Fang Zhouzi (Chinese: 方舟子; pinyin: Fāng Zhōuzǐ, born Fang Shimin, Chinese: 方是民) is a Chinese biochemist and popular scientific translator who is controversial for his campaign against academic fraud.[1] Founder of New Threads, a publication and website that targets the overseas Chinese audience, Fang's aggressive campaign against alleged academic fraud has been hotly debated; while Fang has earned the Chinese government's support and his works has appeared in many Chinese publications,[2] various Chinese scholars have accused him of vigilantism and of using populist rhetoric in academic research.[3]

In November 2012 he was joint winner, with Simon Wessely, of the combined Nature and Sense About Science inaugural John Maddox Prize for standing up for science.[4]

Biography

Fang Zhouzi was born Fang Shimin in Yunxiao County, Fujian, China in September 1967.[2] Fang stated that his pen name, "Fang Zhouzi", is derived from a classical Chinese expression for "two ships sailing together"; in his case, the two ships stand for science and literature.[5] Fang graduated from University of Science and Technology of China in 1990 and enrolled in Michigan State University, where he obtained a Ph.D. in biochemistry in 1995. Fang then worked at various institutions as a postdoctoral researcher in molecular genetics.[2]

In 1994, Fang founded the New Threads monthly, which was published online and targeted overseas Chinese students and scholars. In 1996, Fang founded the New Threads website and, subsequently, the non-governmental organization New Thread Press in New York. Since 2000, Fang has worked on writing for his website, campaigning against alleged academic corruption, and publishing popular science books.

In the summer of 2010 after Fang criticized the lack of efficacy of his surgical procedure and the inaccuracy of his curriculum vitae, urologist Xiao Chuanguo hired thugs in what Fang believed was an attempt to kill him.[4] Xiao had sued Fang for libel five times in the past five years, winning one case, losing two and two further being undecided.[6]

Views and essays

Academic fraud

Fang has on occasion exposed those he suspected of committing academic fraud, maintaining a section on New Threads for exposing corruption in academia.[7]

Traditional Chinese medicine

Fang asserts Traditional Chinese medicine is pseudo-science and superstition[8], and its practitioners "charlatans". [9]. Fang published a book systematically debunking TCM's theory and practice.[10]

Christianity

Fang has strongly criticized Christianity, dedicating a section of his New Threads website to its criticism.[11] In an interview, Fang described the religion as barbaric, violent, and a threat to Western and Chinese culture[12] In an essay, he questioned the gospel accounts of the life of Jesus Christ, saying "there is no reliable historical record providing evidence that Jesus of Nazareth ever existed".[13]

Academic fraud

Fang is famous for his website, New Threads (established in 2001), that discusses poor-quality science in China and his efforts to expose poor scientific work, fraud and increase the profile of research ethics in China have been widely praised.[3] In 2006, a series of accusations and counter-accusations on Fang's website lead to significant media attention, criticisms of the self-conducted investigations by Chinese universities, and greater involvement by independent investigative bodies such as the Ministry of Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences or the National Natural Science Foundation of China in investigating allegations; though these institutions already have a role in investigating academic misconduct though their involvement is seen as ineffective.[3] In 2012 Fang shared the inaugural John Maddox Prize, given out by Nature and Sense About Science to "individuals who have promoted sound science and evidence on a matter of public interest, with an emphasis on those who have faced difficulty or opposition in doing so."[4] The announcement of Fang's presentation summarized his contribution as:

China’s rush to modernize and the communist government’s celebration of science and technology have firmly embraced scientists and scientific achievements, sometimes uncritically. And into that permissive milieu has walked a plethora of opportunists ready to take advantage of the situation with padded CVs, fraudulent and plagiarized articles, bogus medicines and medical procedures carried out without clinical evidence.

In 2000, Shi-min Fang started to expose these escapades in his New Threads website. As an outsider, trained as a biochemist but turned science writer and commentator, he has done much of what the scientific community aims, but often fails, to do — root out the fakers.

For example, Fang called into question DNA supplements that were widely advertised as a means to rejuvenate the tired, the pregnant and the old. Eventually, the government issued warnings about the supplements. Fang seemed to especially relish smacking down powerful or popular scientists. He even challenged official support of traditional Chinese medicine. But his targets fought back, in one case with particular hostility...Fang imposes transparency on an opaque system. He has opened a forum for criticism and debate in a community that is otherwise devoid of it.

Open letter

On 8 May 2006, Fu Xinyuan, an Indiana University professor of immunology, published an open letter, signed by 120 overseas Chinese scholars, that called for due process and presumption of innocence in Chinese academic corruption cases. Furthermore, the letter criticized the practice of using populist rhetoric and personal attacks to affect institutional investigations. Although the letter did not explicitly mention Fang Zhouzi or his New Threads website, it was widely received as a rebuttal to Fang's campaigns. Fang denied Fu Xinyuan's claims, calling Fu's letter "contrary to the spirit of free speech". On 25 May 2006, Nature published a discussion of Fang's work, stating that while Fang's website had started a debate regarding academic integrity and scientific misconduct in China, areas where the country has admitted to "serious problems", the anonymous nature of the accusations posted on Fang's website reminded some of the similarly anonymous accusations that led to persecution of "government enemies" during the Cultural Revolution.[3] Fang replied the Nature article, claiming that it is "absurd to compare Internet freedom of speech to the Cultural Revolution".[14]

Plagiarism allegation

In October 2010, an overseas Chinese scholar known under the alias Yi Ming accused Fang of plagiarizing the Michigan State University professor Robert Root-Bernstein in an early essay. Michigan State University refused to investigate the issue on the grounds that Fang had already left the university at the time he published the essay.[15] On 3 August 2011, Root-Bernstein published an open letter refuting Fang's denial of any wrongdoing and claiming that Fang's essay exhibited "exactly the same development of the argument in the same order using the same examples". Later, in a letter written to Root-Bernstein and posted to his blog, Fang maintained that he didn't consider his actions to be plagiarism or copyright infringement, but apologized for not crediting Root-Bernstein in his original posting.[16]

References

  1. ^ Xiong, Lei (10 August 2001). "Biochemist Wages Online War Against Ethical Lapses". Science. Retrieved 3 February 2012.
  2. ^ a b c "Profile: Fang Zhouzi". Phoenix Television. Retrieved 3 February 2012.
  3. ^ a b c d Attention: This template ({{cite pmid}}) is deprecated. To cite the publication identified by PMID 16724027, please use {{cite journal}} with |pmid= 16724027 instead.
  4. ^ a b c Attention: This template ({{cite doi}}) is deprecated. To cite the publication identified by doi: 10.1038/491160a , please use {{cite journal}} (if it was published in a bona fide academic journal, otherwise {{cite report}} with |doi= 10.1038/491160a instead.
  5. ^ "方舟子：一己之力昭示的科学精神". New Threads. Retrieved 3 February 2012. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  6. ^ Attention: This template ({{cite doi}}) is deprecated. To cite the publication identified by doi: 10.1038/467511a , please use {{cite journal}} (if it was published in a bona fide academic journal, otherwise {{cite report}} with |doi= 10.1038/467511a instead.
  7. ^ "預告：21日下午方舟子談學術道德與創新型國家 (Notice: Fang Zhouzi to talk about academic integrity and innovative nations on the afternoon of the 21st)". People.com.cn. 20 April 2006. Retrieved 12 October 2012.
  8. ^ 21 Century News: Fang: Why TCM is not science
  9. ^ Chengdu Evening News: Fang: TCM is not science, practitioners charlatans
  10. ^ ISBN: 9787810728768
  11. ^ "Against Christianity" (in Mandarin). New Threads. Retrieved 2012-11-27.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link)
  12. ^ Fang, Z. "Interview with Fang Zhouzi on Christianity" (in Mandarin). New Threads. Retrieved 2012-11-27.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link)
  13. ^ Fang, Z. "There was no Savior--on the historical authenticity of Jesus" (in Mandarin). New Threads. Retrieved 2012-11-27.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link)
  14. ^ Attention: This template ({{cite pmid}}) is deprecated. To cite the publication identified by PMID 16791174 , please use {{cite journal}} with |pmid= 16791174 instead.
  15. ^ "方舟子涉嫌抄袭总调查". The Legal Weekly. 30 March 2011. Retrieved 3 February 2012.
  16. ^ Fang, Zhouzi. "我给指控我"剽窃"的"母校教授"的答复". Retrieved 3 February 2012.

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