Why did a Chinese university [Wuhan University of Technology] hire Charles Lieber to do battery research?

Science ^ | February 4, 2020 | Robert F. Service

[Missouri gal]

Among the ongoing mysteries surrounding last week's [Jan 29] arrest of Harvard University nanoscientist Charles Lieber is the precise nature of the research program Lieber was conducting in his cooperation with Chinese researchers.

[Missouri gal]

key points: 1-charged with false statements about the nature of his research 2-received BIG money from China ($50K/month) 3-Doesn't have any history of work on "batteries" 4-DOES have a history of working on nanotech with espionage capabilities placed inside the body 5-trained a bunch of Chinese researchers now working in the US

[SeekAndFind]

OK, pardon me for asking a stupid question.

Since researchers and scientists share the results of their work with other scientists from all over the world, why is working with technologists at Wuhan University a crime? Is there a law specifically aimed against sharing knowledge with Chinese scientists?

[va22030]

Not surprising.

Just one more example of American for sale.

Even billionaire Americans are for sale. eg. little mike

[mfish13]

They do not share if the work is proprietary.

[Boogieman]

They share some of it with other scientists, but not everything. If the government is funding your research project, for example, there may be strings attached.

[littleharbour]

Many Chinese students are legitimately trying to obtain a western education to improve their future, with the goal often a new life in a western country. But many others are operatives for the Chinese government, seeking to steal information. When many Chinese-Canadians protested in support of the HK democracy activists, they were hounded by Chinese “students” aggressively promoting the Chi-com party line. Very hard to separate the friends from the foes.

[rfp1234]

Maybe they were trying to engineer bat-shaped drones for bioweapon delivery. [/s]

[SeekAndFind]

RE: They do not share if the work is proprietary.

What makes a research proprietary? Did Charles Lieber sign a non-disclosure agreement? Is his research funded by the Federal government?

[BTerclinger]

” Is there a law specifically aimed against sharing knowledge with Chinese scientists WHO WORK FOR THE CHINESE COMMUNIST GOVT?”

There should be.

Whats the difference between the Chicomms and the Nazis?
Nazis were responsible for 20 million dead.

Chicomms? between 45 and 70 million.

[mfish13]

Hell if I know. I was just pointing out what can happen. Universities can be public state schools, and patent anything they get from research.

[Hot Tabasco]

integrate nanowires with biology. In 2017, for example, he reported creating soft, flexible 3D nanowire mesh that could be injected into the brains or retina of animals, unfurl and wrap around neurons, and eavesdrop on the electrical communication between cells.

This is what we know. What concerns me is what kind of technological and biological experiments are being secretly conducted in privately funded laboratories around the world............

[Colt1851Navy]

Is this the guy that makes the big old 200 ton cranes?

[dfwgator]

Because they can?

[Excuse_My_Bellicosity]

I think it’s the fact that the didn’t disclose the money he was getting from a foreign government that is getting him jammed up, and it’s not just a tax problem (but there is that, too).

[Excuse_My_Bellicosity]

That name Wuhan again, hmmm.

[Missouri gal]

Working with Chinese scientists was not specifically the problem. He lied about WHAT he was researching and the research was probably funded by taxpayer funded grant. (For which the applicant swears on oath they were truthful.) Regardless of who funded the research, we don't just let people do any kind of research together with hostile nations, especially when the results might be used against us. Research is not necessarily publicly shared. US law forbids sharing anything that might be used as a weapon against us. This is what the Huawei controversy is about.

[TBP]

Maybe we can get #MiniMike to promise to pardon him.

[Excuse_My_Bellicosity]

Yep, he was lying to the State Department, his university, and a lot of other people. I’m curious as to how he got caught, maybe somebody noticed that he suddenly owns a lot of really nice vehicles or an auditor noticed inconsistencies in paperwork and started digging into it, who knows?