Foreign universities may all be flocking to China but Chinese universities are also taking the first tentative steps overseas. Shanghai Jiaotong University is setting up a new research centre with the National University of Singapore to work on Energy and Environmental Sustainability Solutions for Megacities. more ›

In a scientific development that conjures images of Chinese vampires taking over the earth, scientists at Wuhan University (in conjunction with colleagues from Canada and the U.S.) have figured out a way to extract human serum albumin (HSA) from rice seeds. more ›

Swiss Bank UBS' latest "Prices and Earnings" study of purchasing power around the world has rated Oslo, Zurich and Geneva as the world’s most expensive cities based on a selected basket containing 122 goods and services. more ›

That's right, he's done it again folks! Professor Cao Yilin is the chief director of the Shanghai Key Laboratory of Tissue Engineering at Jiaotong University, as well as a plastic surgeon at No. 9 People's Hospital, and he's been growing human ears on mice since before Justin Bieber was born. He eventually won fame and fortune in 2001 and received 300 million yuan (US$47 million) in research funding as a result. But now he's come under fire from former colleagues who claim his earmice weren't REAL earmice... or something. more ›

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• Just in time for Halloween, Microsoft's latest update earlier this week certainly has a trick or treat feel to it. If you're one of the millions of PC users using a pirated version of Microsoft office on a pirated version of Windows then firstly shame on you, and secondly you'll be inconvenienced by a scary black screen every sixty minutes and a perpetual warning that your software is fake on your task bar. The latest WGA (Windows Genuine Advantage) and OGA (Office Genuine Advantage) Update isn't meant to “brick” your PC, it is just meant to freak you out and pretend to look like you're system has suffered an untimely death.
• And after that little scare and you are truly repentant this Hallows eve, but still think over a thousand Renminbi is too much to pay to make your computer do the most basic of tasks, then visit the Ubuntu site for a legally free operating system. But don't do it until October 30 when it's latest version, the Intrepid Ibex is released. For an office alternative you can try Open Office.
• Chinese software maker Kingsoft, in reaction to this latest somewhat intrusive update has issued a statement that although they are also against software piracy they won't be introducing an update that is effectively malware to their WPS Office product.

Western journalists have long lauded China's blogs as edgy, provocative and balanced alternatives to China's official newspapers. Now, we have science on our side: In a new study at Middlebury College, assistant professor Ashley Esarey analyzed the 2006 news content of over 500 Chinese blogs. Esarey found that some 61% of Chinese blogs carry criticism, with only 19% of Chinese official news media doing the same. While Imagethief does point out that explicit criticism of local or national government individuals is low among Chinese bloggers, the WSJ highlights other areas of Esarey's research:

some 36% of blogs demonstrated “pluralism”–- the presence of two or more opposing perspectives–- as opposed to just 5% of newspapers. Meanwhile, only 4% of blogs carried national propaganda, as opposed to 21% of newspapers.