THE TED STEELE DISGRACE

For anybody who still thinks our universities are places of light and learning, this story should be instructive:

"Dr. Ted Steele, senior academic and researcher in Wollongong University, well known for pioneering work in immunogenetics, was dismissed without warning and without pay more than a year ago. The legal battle to reinstate him has continued to this day. In the latest hearing, the Federal Court Judge Murray Wilcox expressed shock at the University's behaviour, the sacked academic is treated 'worse than a murderer'. Steele won his case, but to his dismay discovers he will be re-instated, only to be immediately dismissed again.... Steele was sacked in February 2001 for defending academic standards".

Steele had said that "soft-marking" for fee-paying Asian students was common. See here. Apparently, however, after immense public pressure, the university did cave in and reinstate him. They really hated him for exposing their racket, though.

For some information on the rather revolutionary scientific work Steele was doing before dismissal see here. He is in the forefront of finding some Lamarckian processes in the evolution of the immune system. Marc Miyake also has some comments on the sacking here and here. Marc also found Steele’s home page.

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THOSE SUPERIOR CANADIANS AGAIN

A medical correspondent writes:

In Toronto, this medical student who was exposed to SARS was quarantined for 10 days (idiotic, especially when incubation has been up to 14 days) - so, predictably, on day 11 he goes back to work in the nursery, and on day 12 he comes down with symptoms. A lot of new mothers are really pissed offf because thay can't bond with their quarantined babies.

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