Einstein also ended up on a very good campus once in the US, where his environment and daily talks with other like-minded people helped him process his thoughts. Einstein and Goedel talked a lot about time and other advanced topics. They wouldn't have had such an opportunity had they not been in the same area. Books ... Full Comment>>

*16 billion Full Comment>>

Hopefully the study about economic prosperity is true and this will start to shrink. (It might be a while...) Full Comment>>

I agree on the dental work in China. I have been helping my mom get 3 crowns and it is still 1/2 the price of what it would be in the US with "good insurance." Full Comment>>

@DJTM I believe Tokyo is in the top 25 on most world rankings of universities that I've seen (and I think most of them place Hong Kong University ahead of Tokyo University). I don't think I've ever seen it in the top 15. What ranking has them as #1 or #2? Full Comment>>

That said, finding jobs in China is a little different than other countries. Guanxi often gets in the way of more qualified candidates filling the positions. Many parents give a red envelope to one of the fellahs for entry to said fellahs' company (irrespect of their kid being able to do the job). This is what the ... Full Comment>>

It's a different environment. It has a different impact on its students. The level of competition is on a different scale. Perhaps the content is the same. Perhaps even down to the same textbook, but for some subjects the classmates and professors you attend class with may make all the difference in how the class ... Full Comment>>

If you're comparing a top 50 university I would agree with you, however there is a stark difference between a top 50 university and an unranked one. Are we talking solely about universities in China, or worldwide? The difference between degree mills' and highly renowned universities will also be quite extreme when ... Full Comment>>

I think the end part of the saying is "be afraid of people from Wenzhou speaking Putonghua." I heard a similar thing about people from Sichuan speaking Putonghua. Full Comment>>

It seems to me that if you have trained and practiced to compete for your country, you should show the world that you are the best in the world (not snake your way out of harder matches to get the gold). People pay to watch these matches to see world champions play at their best. To see any less should be ... Full Comment>>

(and) more tolerance of a beard length of epic proportions?(!!) Full Comment>>

EDIT: Drunken people very often behave like pigs and continuously look for trouble and show no respect whatsoever (in their home country and abroad). Full Comment>>

I agreed with most of that, but I wouldn't use the 50% of what the vendor says. Oftentimes they'll start shoes off at 300-600 for the fancier or larger brands. I think the prices listed are pretty reasonable goals, but I think it's important to remember that most vendors will make you work hard to get those prices. ... Full Comment>>

I think you are talking about a kook or two in the US who has access to a gun. The Chinese cultural dynamics mentioned in this article are more encompassing than a kook or two with access to a gun. The US is good at having a kook or two with access to a gun, but that's ought not count as a rebuttal to what this ... Full Comment>>

Actually homosexuality has appeared in nature time and time again. Full Comment>>

Yeah, what could be wrong with a model where 30% of the gays attempt suicide. Clearly, that might just be the best model to go with... Full Comment>>

Expanding the article to add those would make this an article about religion in China or the hospitals in China. To cover those, it'd be a multipage report, not an article Full Comment>>