以下是我今天微薄随手发的几句话，有时间再整理。
国内现在有一种奇怪的论调，说现在的科研考察机制是“唯论文”，甚至“有才干”的科技从业者不必有博士学位。事实上不写论文显然是不对的。如果一个人科研工作好，那么他/她必须把自己的好结果报告出来。如果自己的工作不好，就没有多少结果可以报告，也就没有论文。所以“唯论文”是个伪概念“。
欧洲的博士论文往往就是将自己已经发表的文献加上一个导言和结论/讨论成辑出版。所以一个人即便没有博士导师，也可以拿到博士学位。华罗庚访问剑桥时已经发表了很多文章了。他的导师 Hardy 就曾经建议他从中挑选出几篇，然后拿一个剑桥博士。华罗庚嫌麻烦，拒绝了。
FN David在获得博士学位之前也发表了很多文章。她是统计学家，护理学创始人南丁格尔的朋友的女儿。所以 David 用FN（南丁格尔的名字）作为自己的名字。在 Neyman 的强烈要求下，David同意要了个博士学位。后来有人问她有了博士学位后感觉好不好。“不好，它化了我20英镑。”David一生发表了100多篇文章。
星期四, 七月 26, 2012
About the immigration problems
I somewhat can now understand the situation of the immigration officers. The United Kingdoms are now suffering the problem of illegal immigrants. I myself have met a few of them. I don't know how many ways they have used to get into UK. I do knew some of them would just throw their passports away as soon as they landed in. The police would then have nowhere to expel them. Perhaps this is why UK is now adopting the finger prints systems.
The problem of illegal immigrants from China gained their fame a lot from the Dover tragedy incident (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/10414394). For a time, it was impossible for the people from Fujian province of China to obtain a visa to UK.
China, ridiculously, has now also such problems. In the city of Guangzhou only, it was estimated that there are more than 200,000 illegal immigrants. Most of them are from Africa. Their main strategy to manage to stay is usually to visit relatives first. then they will throw away their passports. Perhaps the Chinese government should learn also from developed countries about how to deal with this.
On the other hand, the policies of immigrant control have posed great inconvenience on most ordinary people. To attend a one-week business meeting costed me more than 200 Euro and much time to have the visa only.
As for the immigration officers, perhaps because they are facing various weird people all the time, many of them have grown cold blood, if it was warm before.
The problem of illegal immigrants from China gained their fame a lot from the Dover tragedy incident (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/10414394). For a time, it was impossible for the people from Fujian province of China to obtain a visa to UK.
China, ridiculously, has now also such problems. In the city of Guangzhou only, it was estimated that there are more than 200,000 illegal immigrants. Most of them are from Africa. Their main strategy to manage to stay is usually to visit relatives first. then they will throw away their passports. Perhaps the Chinese government should learn also from developed countries about how to deal with this.
On the other hand, the policies of immigrant control have posed great inconvenience on most ordinary people. To attend a one-week business meeting costed me more than 200 Euro and much time to have the visa only.
As for the immigration officers, perhaps because they are facing various weird people all the time, many of them have grown cold blood, if it was warm before.
星期二, 七月 24, 2012
A separation
Recalling days in 2002 is painful. That's why I hesitate to write them down.
The three-week buffer was short. I was in panic, not knowing how to deal with the situation, nor how to face my wife and son. My friends suggested me to call an MP. My bosses Peter and Sara called for me the immigration office. But the sending back decision was a final one. The day eventually came when my wife and son had to go.
I was moving around as if I was a piece of wood. My wife, however, patted my back and comforted me, "Don't worry. It would just take a few more days to get a new visa to get together again." But it turned out not that simple.
The immigration office spent more than 2200 pounds for the single way flight tickets. Their ordinary price for return were however only a few hundred. My wife and son were seated in business cabin so that the jet crew can keep an eye on them easier.
A real illegal immigrant from Fujian province happened to be sitting beside my wife on that plane. She was in quite dismay, murmuring all her expense of 20K pounds was then in drainage. She also arrived in UK for just a few days.
When the flight arrived in Beijing, several cops came to the plane to meet the send-backs by the British government. One of them yelled also at my wife. The crew kindly explained to him that my wife was different.
After arrival, my wife went on to apply the visas herself. The things then turned worse and worse. The officers in the embassy were bad tempered, and impatient, asking my wife to go there again and again, asking this and that. One time, one of them even throw the materials into my wife's face beastly. I only knew this after. I don't know the details about what they talked. But dare they throw things like that, the officers and I can surely be enemies.
In order to get reunited and to have me keeping my career, my wife refrained. Meanwhile, thinking about the new visa application procedure taking that long, I was upset. I couldn't focus on my work.
It took almost a year for them to come back to UK again. My wife and I are both exhausted.
The three-week buffer was short. I was in panic, not knowing how to deal with the situation, nor how to face my wife and son. My friends suggested me to call an MP. My bosses Peter and Sara called for me the immigration office. But the sending back decision was a final one. The day eventually came when my wife and son had to go.
I was moving around as if I was a piece of wood. My wife, however, patted my back and comforted me, "Don't worry. It would just take a few more days to get a new visa to get together again." But it turned out not that simple.
The immigration office spent more than 2200 pounds for the single way flight tickets. Their ordinary price for return were however only a few hundred. My wife and son were seated in business cabin so that the jet crew can keep an eye on them easier.
A real illegal immigrant from Fujian province happened to be sitting beside my wife on that plane. She was in quite dismay, murmuring all her expense of 20K pounds was then in drainage. She also arrived in UK for just a few days.
When the flight arrived in Beijing, several cops came to the plane to meet the send-backs by the British government. One of them yelled also at my wife. The crew kindly explained to him that my wife was different.
After arrival, my wife went on to apply the visas herself. The things then turned worse and worse. The officers in the embassy were bad tempered, and impatient, asking my wife to go there again and again, asking this and that. One time, one of them even throw the materials into my wife's face beastly. I only knew this after. I don't know the details about what they talked. But dare they throw things like that, the officers and I can surely be enemies.
In order to get reunited and to have me keeping my career, my wife refrained. Meanwhile, thinking about the new visa application procedure taking that long, I was upset. I couldn't focus on my work.
It took almost a year for them to come back to UK again. My wife and I are both exhausted.
星期二, 七月 17, 2012
好书推荐：《品茶女士》
俺最近对统计学历史人物的八卦颇感兴趣，《品茶女士》（The Lady Tasting Tea: How Statistics Revolutionized Science in the Twentieth Century）极大地满足了俺的这种癖好。这本书从剑桥大学的一个下午茶开始，讲了一位女士能够品出到底是奶加了茶还是茶加了奶，她声称一种比另外一种口感强。Fisher 当场设计了一个试验来判断女士的声明。各位统计学的大家的八卦即由此展开。
这本书其实是把统计学拟人成了可以品茶的女士。围绕统计这位“女士”，作者将统计学历史上的重要人物以及他们的贡献娓娓道来。同时，作者的目标是让他妻子这样的门外女也能看懂，因此省却了各种繁琐的公式和术语，可读性极强。
这本书还澄清了俺以前的一些误解，比如发现 t 分布的 Gosset。他实际上比 Fisher 年长。而不是 Gosset 为了尊重 Fisher 而自谦为 Student。Gosset 之所以不用自己的真名发表，是因为他当时在 Guinness 黑啤厂工作，按照公司的规定，他是不允许公开发表文献的。Gosset 同时也可能是唯一一位能够在 R. A. Fisher 和 Karl Pearson 这两大世仇之间说上话或者充当调停的人。
俺最初看到这本书的推荐是国内的一个翻译版。但这个翻译书名《女士品茶》就出了问题，原文 The lady tasting tea, 主词是女士，尤其前面有The。译文则让品茶成了主词，一下子韵味全无。还有，我们通常说孟德尔，文中译成门德尔。另外对照（control）译成控制组件。这个让搞统计的人不明所以。类似问题比比皆是。还是看原版更好些。虽然译者明显努力过了，但似乎与本专业相去较远。
所以您如果想看，但凡觉得自己的英文还凑合，就尽量看英文版吧。俺现在刚刚看了1/5，这个周末应该可以看完第一遍。
这本书其实是把统计学拟人成了可以品茶的女士。围绕统计这位“女士”，作者将统计学历史上的重要人物以及他们的贡献娓娓道来。同时，作者的目标是让他妻子这样的门外女也能看懂，因此省却了各种繁琐的公式和术语，可读性极强。
这本书还澄清了俺以前的一些误解，比如发现 t 分布的 Gosset。他实际上比 Fisher 年长。而不是 Gosset 为了尊重 Fisher 而自谦为 Student。Gosset 之所以不用自己的真名发表，是因为他当时在 Guinness 黑啤厂工作，按照公司的规定，他是不允许公开发表文献的。Gosset 同时也可能是唯一一位能够在 R. A. Fisher 和 Karl Pearson 这两大世仇之间说上话或者充当调停的人。
俺最初看到这本书的推荐是国内的一个翻译版。但这个翻译书名《女士品茶》就出了问题，原文 The lady tasting tea, 主词是女士，尤其前面有The。译文则让品茶成了主词，一下子韵味全无。还有，我们通常说孟德尔，文中译成门德尔。另外对照（control）译成控制组件。这个让搞统计的人不明所以。类似问题比比皆是。还是看原版更好些。虽然译者明显努力过了，但似乎与本专业相去较远。
所以您如果想看，但凡觉得自己的英文还凑合，就尽量看英文版吧。俺现在刚刚看了1/5，这个周末应该可以看完第一遍。
星期五, 七月 13, 2012
My wife's first entry to Edinburgh
One has to make many mistakes in the life. An old Chinese saying claims that successes are the sons of failures. Obvious some 'mothers' have no 'son' at all. And there are some errors one should ever avoid.
My wife was then working in a local music school, teaching piano. All her students loved her very much. She was quite reluctant to quit her job. She also didn't speak much English then. She finally agreed to pause her job for a while. She emphasized, half seriously, "I can go and have a look to see if it is good enough."
My experience in Edinburgh had been so nice, that I decided to go back as soon as possible to continue my job. I was moving from Roslin Institute to the Edinburgh University, I thus needed a new work permit. The new one had no defined date. So I used the first one, which was still valid for several months, for my wife and son's visa application.
This application for my wife was very easy, despite there were so many rumours about how bad the immigration officers are. And then my family made the trip.
I can still remember clearly when my wife holding my son, who was only half a year old, waiting at the rear of the plane in Heathrow, for all the rest passengers going to the front to get off. An mistress of the British Airway opened the back door of the plane, "You can use this door."
"Yes?", I replied.
"Yes, specially for you." She smiled at us.
After a few hours, we transferred from London to Edinburgh. Before the border desk, I was questioned by an immigration officer, "What are you doing here?"
"I am going to work in the University, for 3 years." I showed him my visa, which was only valid for a few months.
"Oh yes. You can continue your visa here." He stamped it, and it turned into a 3-year visa.
Then he turned to my wife, "What are you doing here?"
"She is visiting me, also maybe some sightseeing, to see if she is going to stay here." I replied for her. I was till thinking about my wife's reluctance to come here.
"Is she going to stay with you?", the officer asked.
"... Yes, if she found it worthy to stay here."
"Then this is not a right visa. She need a dependant visa, not a visiting one." He continued, "She has to go back to China."
"What?" I couldn't believe my ears.
The officer repeated his words, and added, presuming he was not that cruel, "She can stay here for a short period, since your baby is so young. Otherwise, they can't even enter this border. But after this period (21 days), she has to go. "
I was speechless.
Until today, I still don't understand what was the officer's logic. Even my wife decided to live with me in Edinburgh after that several months, she could fly back and apply the visas in a normal process. Rather than to be sent back as if she was an illegal immigrant.
My wife was then working in a local music school, teaching piano. All her students loved her very much. She was quite reluctant to quit her job. She also didn't speak much English then. She finally agreed to pause her job for a while. She emphasized, half seriously, "I can go and have a look to see if it is good enough."
My experience in Edinburgh had been so nice, that I decided to go back as soon as possible to continue my job. I was moving from Roslin Institute to the Edinburgh University, I thus needed a new work permit. The new one had no defined date. So I used the first one, which was still valid for several months, for my wife and son's visa application.
This application for my wife was very easy, despite there were so many rumours about how bad the immigration officers are. And then my family made the trip.
I can still remember clearly when my wife holding my son, who was only half a year old, waiting at the rear of the plane in Heathrow, for all the rest passengers going to the front to get off. An mistress of the British Airway opened the back door of the plane, "You can use this door."
"Yes?", I replied.
"Yes, specially for you." She smiled at us.
After a few hours, we transferred from London to Edinburgh. Before the border desk, I was questioned by an immigration officer, "What are you doing here?"
"I am going to work in the University, for 3 years." I showed him my visa, which was only valid for a few months.
"Oh yes. You can continue your visa here." He stamped it, and it turned into a 3-year visa.
Then he turned to my wife, "What are you doing here?"
"She is visiting me, also maybe some sightseeing, to see if she is going to stay here." I replied for her. I was till thinking about my wife's reluctance to come here.
"Is she going to stay with you?", the officer asked.
"... Yes, if she found it worthy to stay here."
"Then this is not a right visa. She need a dependant visa, not a visiting one." He continued, "She has to go back to China."
"What?" I couldn't believe my ears.
The officer repeated his words, and added, presuming he was not that cruel, "She can stay here for a short period, since your baby is so young. Otherwise, they can't even enter this border. But after this period (21 days), she has to go. "
I was speechless.
Until today, I still don't understand what was the officer's logic. Even my wife decided to live with me in Edinburgh after that several months, she could fly back and apply the visas in a normal process. Rather than to be sent back as if she was an illegal immigrant.
星期一, 七月 02, 2012
Travel notes -- going to Edinburgh
I never wrote my travel stories in English. This series is an exception, for my Scottish mum Maureen, and for my friends Robert and Cathy in Edinburgh.
It all began in 2001, when I received two job offers. One was a three years offer from USA. The other one was from Roslin, Edinburgh. Edinburgh, in many people's eyes, is a Mecca of quantitative genetics pilgrims. Then I accepted the later.
I left China in May, when my wife was already pregnant for five months. To us, the outside world was a big unknown. So my wife and I decided that I go first, or alone.
It turned out to be a pleasant journey. I came out of China for the first time. There were so many new people and things that I hardly had ever had the chance to imagine. My work also went on smoothly. After this half year post, I got another job in Edinburgh University in the King's Buildings.
The time came that I can bring my family to Edinburgh to live together again. My wife had then a good job in a local music school. She was also loved by her many students. It was a pity for her to give up all this to follow me. Another pity was that my first son was so eager to see the world, that he came out two weeks earlier than expected. When I flew back to China, he was already one-week old.
In Edinburgh, I had some good time
In Edinburgh, I had some hard time
It all began in 2001, when I received two job offers. One was a three years offer from USA. The other one was from Roslin, Edinburgh. Edinburgh, in many people's eyes, is a Mecca of quantitative genetics pilgrims. Then I accepted the later.
I left China in May, when my wife was already pregnant for five months. To us, the outside world was a big unknown. So my wife and I decided that I go first, or alone.
It turned out to be a pleasant journey. I came out of China for the first time. There were so many new people and things that I hardly had ever had the chance to imagine. My work also went on smoothly. After this half year post, I got another job in Edinburgh University in the King's Buildings.
The time came that I can bring my family to Edinburgh to live together again. My wife had then a good job in a local music school. She was also loved by her many students. It was a pity for her to give up all this to follow me. Another pity was that my first son was so eager to see the world, that he came out two weeks earlier than expected. When I flew back to China, he was already one-week old.
星期日, 七月 01, 2012
科学的励志和励志的科学
http://www.geekonomics10000.com/655
同人于野
(《东方早报·上海书评》，2012年7月1日，报纸版标题是《按时交作业的学生何以常穿脏袜子》)
励志类书籍的流行，也许是一个国家全面进入现代化，都市白领变成普遍职业的必然结果吧。我们看今天中国各大书店的畅销书排行榜，这类完全不计较文笔，用最直白的语言告诉你怎么“成功”的书籍占据了显著的位置。这种书在文艺青年眼里显然上不了台面，先不说追求所谓成功并不是什么了不起的情怀，就算那些已经成功了的人，比如被大学生嘲讽“你的成功还可以复印”的唐骏，又有什么值得赞赏的呢？然而对于普通青年来说，如果能通过读书来了解一些前辈的经验，掌握一点做事的方法，甚至哪怕仅仅获得一种更乐观向上的精神，其实都是很不错的收获。读书难道不就是为了这些么？
同人于野
(《东方早报·上海书评》，2012年7月1日，报纸版标题是《按时交作业的学生何以常穿脏袜子》)
励志类书籍的流行，也许是一个国家全面进入现代化，都市白领变成普遍职业的必然结果吧。我们看今天中国各大书店的畅销书排行榜，这类完全不计较文笔，用最直白的语言告诉你怎么“成功”的书籍占据了显著的位置。这种书在文艺青年眼里显然上不了台面，先不说追求所谓成功并不是什么了不起的情怀，就算那些已经成功了的人，比如被大学生嘲讽“你的成功还可以复印”的唐骏，又有什么值得赞赏的呢？然而对于普通青年来说，如果能通过读书来了解一些前辈的经验，掌握一点做事的方法，甚至哪怕仅仅获得一种更乐观向上的精神，其实都是很不错的收获。读书难道不就是为了这些么？
Back to Ås again
Home, sweet home. But I currently don't have any mood to write anything. Perhaps I will write something about my trip to Edinburgh/UK next time.
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