NASA International Conference on Prohibition of Chinese participation by the United States scientists boycott

Chinese network October 6th news according to the British "Guardian" website reported on October 5th, USA National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to affect national security as an excuse, refused to Chinese scientists (including in Chinese scientists to work in America) to participate in an academic conference, the ban was strongly against the American researchers.

American NASA officials cited a law passed in March, declined China scientists to participate in a next month in California Ames Research Center (Ames) meeting of the application, the law prohibits any Chinese into USA Aerospace Bureau building.

The law is made by USA congressman Frank Wolf (Frank Wolf) initiated a part of aggressive behavior. Wolf is chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, permissions at NASA, the regulations on the surface to the anti spyware on the grounds, refused all facilities for foreigners to enter the nasa.

But the ban has angered many American scientists, they said China students and researchers in their laboratories have been targeted discrimination. More and more scientists refuse to attend the meeting and join the protests, some famous scholars in individual or team name out of a meeting.

The meeting was held for international and American Kepler Space Telescope project, the project is mainly looking for signs of extrasolar planet, for which the scientists in this field, this conference is a major event in the academic calendar.

Alan Bos (Alan Boss) is one of the sponsors of the conference, he refused to talk about the situation, but said: "this is not a scientific event, is a political problem unfortunately."

Gav Marcin professor of astronomy at University of California Berkeley (Geoff Marcy) said, the ban is "totally shameful and immoral". He was outside of exoplanets, or planets of the solar system and made an outstanding contribution and is expected to win Nobel award.

In an email to the conference organizers, Marcy said: "out of my conscience, I can't attend this discriminatory meeting, the meeting mainly discussed in the trillions of miles of the planet, not related to national security"."

He told "the guardian" reporter: "country specific America pure scientific research, scientists are excluded, it's completely unethical behavior. The behavior of violation of conscience can not accept, this is the bottom line."

Yale University astronomy professor Deborah Fisher (Debra Fischer) said, when her lab China postdoctoral Wang Ji (sound) was refused to attend the meeting, she really understands the ban exists. That American NASA refused Wang Ji's request for citizenship, Fisher decided to withdraw from the meeting, she told Wang Ji: "I can't say I didn't go, but I will boycott the meeting." Immediately after, her research team also announced its withdrawal from the.

The law allows America NASA injunction in some special cases invalid, but the director of America NASA Charles Bolden (Charles Bolden) has filed for an extension, so any appeal will be rejected.

China applicants will receive declined in reply to a message, the sender is NASA's Kepler project group of expert Mark Messersmith (Mark Messersmith). "Unfortunately...... In March this year American by law prohibited by any Chinese citizens to participate in the USA National Aeronautics and Space Administration and other departments of the meeting, taking into account security issues, the recent congressional action has been taken, China citizens working in USA other agencies also applies the ban."

American Congress recently action including through June this year, the new provisions of the act, prohibits NASA funds cooperation and China in any form. The terms caused by NASA to provide scientists funded panic, they may have to cut off cooperation with China, and no longer receive Chinese students.

Marcin said, the bill damaged Sino US scientific research personnel relationship, if the future of Sino US conflict broke out, this is a fuse.

The Astronomer Royal, Martin Chis (Martin Rees) said, he fully supports the view of Marcin, called "America ban lifting a rock only to drop on their own feet."

Chris Lintott (Chris Lintott) is a British astronomer at the University of Oxford, he called for a complete boycott of the meeting until the problem is completely resolved. He said: "the political factor on science, I was shocked and upset, science should be for all the people, because the nationality problems limit research to attend the meeting, which is contrary to the principle of practice for many years, as if returned to the cold war with the west at the Russian physicist."

"The Kepler project meetings should be held in other places to -- I want everyone to boycott the ban until completely solved."

Editor: Liu Yang