1. Fang Shimin, better known by his pen name Fang Zhouzi, is a Chinese popular science writer who is primarily known for his campaign against pseudoscience and fraud in China.
33 Facts About Fang Zhouzi
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Fang Zhouzi was born in Zhangzhou, Fujian, China, in September 1967.
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Fang stated that his pen name, "Fang Zhouzi", is derived from a classical Chinese expression for "two ships sailing together"; in his case, the two ships stand for science and literature.
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Fang Zhouzi graduated from University of Science and Technology of China in 1990 and enrolled in Michigan State University, where he obtained a Ph.
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Fang Zhouzi then worked at various institutions as a postdoctoral researcher in molecular genetics.
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Fang Zhouzi escaped with only minor cuts and bruises, but believed it was an attempt to kill him.
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Fang Zhouzi is married to Liu Juhua, a senior reporter at the state-controlled Xinhua News Agency.
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Fang Zhouzi is an active campaigner against what he perceives as fraud in the Chinese society.
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Fang Zhouzi is famous for his website, New Threads, that discusses poor-quality science in China and his efforts to expose poor scientific work, fraud and increase the profile of research ethics in China have received wide coverage.
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For example, Fang Zhouzi called into question DNA supplements that were widely advertised as a means to rejuvenate the tired, the pregnant and the old.
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Fang Zhouzi seemed to especially relish smacking down powerful or popular scientists.
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Fang Zhouzi even challenged official support of traditional Chinese medicine.
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Fang Zhouzi has opened a forum for criticism and debate in a community that is otherwise devoid of it.
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Fang Zhouzi questioned the qualifications and degrees of high-profile Chinese businessman Tang Jun, the former president of MSN China, who acquired his PhD degree from a diploma mill rather than the claimed California Institute of Technology.
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Fang Zhouzi questioned former Google China president Kai-Fu Lee's intention for stating he was an associate professor at CMU in the Chinese version of his autobiography, while being actually an assistant professor.
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In January 2012, Fang Zhouzi accused Ping Fu, the Chinese-born American CEO of Geomagic, of fabricating stories in her memoir Bend, Not Break.
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Fang Zhouzi denied Fu Xinyuan's claims, calling Fu's letter "contrary to the spirit of free speech".
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Fang Zhouzi replied the Nature article, claiming that it is "absurd to compare Internet freedom of speech to the Cultural Revolution".
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In 2006, Fang Zhouzi was convicted of libel by an Intermediate Court.
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The television station of Shenzhen, China began airing an investigative report titled Fang Zhouzi Revealed on February 23,2012.
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Fang Zhouzi declined to be interviewed by the station, calling it "shameless".
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On his Weibo, Fang Zhouzi asked his audience to identify the program's presenter, suggesting she needs to "pay a price".
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Fang Zhouzi posted the photo, name and CV of the director of the TV station, calling him to be investigated by authorities.
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Fang Zhouzi stated that he does not expect China to produce a Nobel Prize-winning scientist for the next ten or more years.
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Fang Zhouzi has strongly criticized Christianity, dedicating a section of his New Threads website to its criticism.
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Fang Zhouzi has criticized Li Yi, a Taoist monk known for allegedly magical feats, for taking advantage of the poor public health infrastructure in China by claiming he could improve people's health.
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Fang Zhouzi was the earliest critic of Falun Gong, a spiritual practice that was later banned in China.
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Fang Zhouzi is an ardent supporter of the use of genetically modified food, writing articles and producing a series of lectures debunking the perceived risks and misinformation surrounding GMF.
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Fang Zhouzi vehemently denounces Greenpeace as an "anti-scientific organization", "a pseudo-environmental group".
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Fang Zhouzi asserted that Traditional Chinese medicine is superstitious pseudoscience and referred to its practitioners as "charlatans".
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Fang Zhouzi is one of the most vocal contemporary critics of TCM in China.
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Fang Zhouzi published a book systematically debunking TCM's theory and practice.
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In November 2012, Fang Zhouzi was joint winner, with Simon Wessely, of the combined Nature and Sense about Science inaugural John Maddox Prize for standing up for science.