Bogwitch

ayjay:

Explanation here

Explanation here

25 May 2012 • reblog: ayjay • China language nature grass sleep

Overachievers of the Day: An entire class of high school students in China was photographed recently while studying for the Gaokao — China’s National College Entrance Exam with life-and-death implications — while IV drips helpfully delivered “amino acid” concoctions to keep them cramming late into the night.

The photos are making the rounds online, but while the Western world reacts with dismay, Sino Weibo commenter 天高任鸿飞 isn’t fazed: “We all experienced this. We can only blame ourselves for lack of physical exercises.”

[ministryoftofu]

(via twelvecellphones)

7 May 2012 • reblog: thedailywhat • China

Abigail Washburn: Building US-China Relations … by Banjo

Cool!
Thanks, Tuggy!

22 April 2012 • China music culture

During the past few years, I have come to fear that the United Kingdom and China may be bookends on the most spectacular burst of development ever seen in human history. The carbon-fuelled, capital-driven model of economic growth, which started in my country 200-odd years ago, has spread across the planet and is now, I believe, reaching its apex here. We may well be blessed and cursed to be witnessing the era of “peak human” – at least in material terms. That is a huge and alarming prospect. It will require a complete readjustment of expectations. In future, I believe there will be greater tension globally between conservers and the exploiters. This may become the new dividing line in world politics. We are already seeing the rise of Green Parties, which are scoring record success (albeit often from a low base) in Australia, the United Kingdom, New Zealand and Canada. I’ve come to see the environment not as a subject, but as a prism. That is important to stress. Mostly the environment is treated as a subcategory and posted away to a certain pages in newspapers and on the websites. But it should not be a niche interest, it should be mainstream. The ecology is the basis for the economy, not the other way around.

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The most important story in the world: Guardian reporter Jonathan Watts’ parting thoughts on nine years of environmental journalism in China | chinadialogue (via ayjay)

Yes. Yes yes yes.

22 April 2012 • reblog: ayjay • environtment politics China

outdoorsanctuaries:

Dragon’s Backbone (by Aurelien.Censier)

17 April 2012 • reblog: outdoorsanctuaries • China

Fang Lizhi, China dissident who inspired Tiananmen, dies

redstaroverchina:

This is just another reminder that the Tiananmen generation is dying. This means that the reigns of the pro-reform movement needs to be taken up by the next generation and this can be seen slightly in the movements started online. The Tiananmen generation saw their sparks take to the kindle in the universities of China. This new generation is seeing their sparks ignite over the internet and social media sites. Regardless of where the sparks are made for both of these generations the movements see their real face and power in the streets and this is what we have yet to see out of the post Tiananmen generation. I can only imagine what it will look like but we can be sure that their movement will be a powerful one that the government may not be able to deal with like they have in past. The only thing I hope for is that the ideas and values that identified the generation of Fang Lizhi is not forgot but molded to the needs and situation of the modern generation. Lets not see the lives lost and destroyed during and after the Tiananmen protest fall into the pages of history. Honor their memories with a push for non-violent protest to finally see lasting reform in China.

7 April 2012 • reblog: redstaroverchina • China

Found this on a documentary, I think it’s totally amazing. I’m a nerd like that.

One of the pigments that originally adorned China’s ancient Terracotta Warriors, Chinese Purple, may have some surprising implications for future science.

28:10 to 36:14 - the art of Chinese Purple

36:15 to 45:15 - the science of Chinese Purple

It’s incredible to think that this material that’s been around for more than 2000 years, that was initially discovered and, in fact, created by Chinese chemists, and has been on this Terracotta Army for 2000 years, it’s incredible to think that we’ve revisited this material as something that’s a fundamental advance in our understanding, in out twenty-first century knowledge of physics, and that’s just mind-blowing.
- Suchitra Sebastian

6 April 2012 • China art science color history PBS