My memories of research funding from a long time ago

I remember attending the ASPB (American Society of Plant Biologists) annual meeting a long time ago when I was a PhD student. A speaker used a bar chart to illustrate the distribution of US research funding across different fields. Research funding in biology was already significantly less than in other fields, and almost all of that funding went to medical and health related research. Funding for plant science was so minimal that it didn't even appear on that chart. Yes, some say that even without plant science research, plants can grow simply by being planted; without this basic research, they might just not grow well. Why would decision-makers care about this research? When resources are scarce, everyone has to work even harder to compete for limited funding. Back then, biomass energy was highly valued, so we could still apply for funding from the DOE. However, with more applicants than available funding, lab research funding was still insufficient. Graduate students had to register and prioritize the number of kits they could use to avoid interrupting experiments… Graduate students and their advisors would joke that if they could find a military application for the poplar plant they were researching, then they could apply for research funding from the DOD.

Here, I would like to pay tribute to those who continue to work on basic research even when funding is insufficient. I still love plant research, even though I can't continue it due to reality and practical limitations.

我記得在很久以前我還在唸博士時，去參加 ASPB (American Society of Plant Biologists)年度大會，有一位講者用柱狀圖展示美國科研經費在不同領域的分佈。

生物領域的研究經費已經比其他領域少很多了，而生物領域裡面的經費幾乎都是在醫學及健康相關研究上面，植物科學的經費是少到在那張圖上連一個pixel都沒有。是啊，有人說，即使不做植物科學研究，植物種下去就可以生長，沒有這些基礎研究可能只是長得不好，做決策的人怎麼會在乎這些研究，當資源不足時，大家只好更加努力在有限的經費中彼此爭奪。

那時候還是重視生質能的時代，所以還能向DOE申請經費，但是僧多粥少的情況下，實驗室的研究經費仍然不足，研究生必須登記及排序可以使用的kits數量以免造成實驗中斷而...。研究生和指導教授們會彼此開玩笑說，如果能幫我們研究的植物poplar找到軍事用途就好了，那就可以向DOD申請研究經費了。

在此，要對那些即使在經費不足的情況下仍然努力於基礎研究的人致敬。我還是喜歡植物研究，即使限於現實環境而無法繼續。

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TASA Act

This is a great news.

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Schmitt, Duckworth, Bennet’s Bipartisan Bill to Promote Space Exploration, Boost U.S.-Taiwan Relations Passes Commerce Committee (March 4, 2026) (from the press release of U.S. senator Eric Schmitt)

U.S. SENATE — U.S. Senators Eric Schmitt (R-MO), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), and Michael Bennet (D-CO) today announced their bipartisan Taiwan and American Space Assistance Act (TASA) passed out of the Commerce Committee and will now head to the Senate floor. TASA helps the United States counter threats from China and addresses current gaps in NASA’s ability to cooperate with Taiwan’s space efforts, including satellite programs, space exploration initiatives, and atmospheric and weather research.

(source: https://www.schmitt.senate.gov/media/press-releases/schmitt-duckworth-bennets-bipartisan-bill-to-promote-space-exploration-boost-u-s-taiwan-relations-passes-commerce-committee/)

美國參議院參議員埃里克·施密特(共和黨，密蘇裡州)、塔米·達克沃斯(民主黨，伊利諾州)和邁克爾·貝內特(民主黨，科羅拉多州)在 March 4, 2026 宣布，他們共同提出的兩黨合作法案《臺灣與美國太空援助法案》（TASA)已獲商務委員會通過，即將提交參議院全體會議審議。 TASA旨在幫助美國應對來自中國的威脅，並彌補美國國家航空暨太空總署(NASA)在與臺灣太空計畫合作方面存在的不足，這些合作涵蓋衛星計畫、太空探索計畫以及大氣和氣象研究等領域。

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Carbon sink: Living Rocks in the South Africa

Microbial win in the amount and speed of carbon sink this time.

1. Study Showcases Resilience and Rapid Growth of “Living Rocks” (Dec. 15, 2025) (https://www.bigelow.org/news/articles/2025-12-15.html)

Based on daily rates of carbon uptake, the team estimates that these microbialites can absorb the equivalent of nine to 16 kilograms of carbon dioxide every year per square meter. That’s like a tennis court-sized area absorbing as much CO2 every year as three acres of forest, making these systems one of the most efficient biological mechanisms for long-term carbon storage observed in nature.

2. Nature Communication (08 December 2025) (https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-025-66552-8) (https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-66552-8)

Integration of multiple metabolic pathways supports high rates of carbon precipitation in living microbialites

Authors: Rachel E. Sipler, Eric W. Isemonger, Samantha C. Waterworth, Steffen H. Büttner, Thomas G. Bornman, Ross-Lynne A. Gibb, Xavier Siwe Noundou, Siddarthan Venkatachalam & Rosemary A. Dorrington

Abstract: Microbialites are lithifying microbial mats that form multi-layered structures via biological carbon (C) uptake and carbonate precipitation. Here we relate C uptake and precipitation rates to taxonomic diversity and functional capacity of bacterial communities in supratidal freshwater microbialites. Diel assays and analysis of functional gene capacity reveal that photosynthesis is bolstered by light-independent, biological C uptake mechanisms, including biomineralization and chemoautotrophy. Through integration of these mechanisms, microbialites can capture inorganic C over a 24-hour cycle at a rate of 7-12 g C m-2 24 h-1. Notably, up to 87 % of the C taken up is precipitated as inorganic carbon, capturing 2.4 − 4.3 kg C m-2 year-1. Based on observed porosity and laboratory-based accretion rates, this equates to 13-23 mm of vertical calcium carbonate accumulation per year. Hence, contemporary microbialites provide a highly effective biological mechanism to precipitate dissolved CO2 as geologically stable carbonate mineral deposits.

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1. 根據每日碳吸收率，研究團隊估計，這些微生物岩每年每平方公尺(m2)可吸收相當於 9~16 kg的CO2。這相當於一個網球場大小的區域每年吸收的CO2量相當於三英畝(acre)森林，這使得這些系統成為自然界中觀察到的最有效的長期碳儲存生物機制之一。

2. 微生物岩是由微生物墊層形成的岩化體，透過生物碳（C）吸收和碳酸鹽沉澱形成多層結構。本文研究了潮上帶淡水微生物岩中細菌群落的分類多樣性和功能能力與碳吸收和沈澱速率之間的關係。晝夜節律測定和功能基因能力分析表明，光合作用受到光合作用非光依賴性生物碳吸收機制的促進，這些機制包括生物礦化和化能自養。透過整合這些機制，微生物岩可以在24小時週期內以7-12 g C m-2 24 h-1的速率捕獲無機碳。值得注意的是，高達87%的吸收碳以無機碳的形式沉澱，每年捕獲2.4-4.3 kg C m-2。根據觀測到的孔隙率和實驗室測定的沉積速率，這相當於每年垂直方向累積13-23毫米的碳酸鈣。因此，現代微生物岩提供了一種高效的生物機制，可以將溶解的二氧化碳沉澱為地質穩定的碳酸鹽礦物沉積物。

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Public transportation in Taiwan

I am both a pedestrian and a driver. I commute to work daily by train and on foot, and the trains are often packed. When I travel to Taipei, New Taipei, Hsinchu, and Kaohsiung for business, I also use public transportation. For me, places within a 20-minute walking distance after getting off the train are suitable for public transportation, but I know many Taiwanese people find even a 10-minute walk too far. I choose to spend NT$399 per month for unlimited train and bus travel within my commute area, as this is my commuting zone. If I need to commute across counties, I can choose an inter-county monthly pass; if I need to commute by high-speed rail, I can choose a high-speed rail monthly pass. These are the various preferential schemes currently offered by public transportation in Taiwan, and I have witnessed the improvements Taiwan has made year by year. In the metropolitan areas of the six major cities, whether or not to use public transportation is largely a matter of personal choice, and the enjoyment of using public transportation is even more related to the quality of passengers. How to transfer from one station to another one and from one transportation to another one are not difficult. Train and high-speed rail schedules are clearly listed, and there are App to track bus schedule real-time in major metropolitan areas. If you really want to use a bus, it's easy to find the information. We don't pay the high taxes of welfare states like those in Europe and Australia, so we shouldn't expect government officials to do everything for us. Many things can be easily done by ourselves with a little thought and effort; we should do them ourselves.

Things that require law enforcement are the government's priority. Things that individuals can do themselves shouldn't be constantly asked to be done by the government. Allowing motorcycles, bicycles, and shops to occupy arcades and sidewalks, condoning motorcycles, bicycles turning sidewalks into two-way slow lanes, forcing pedestrians to use both slow and fast lanes, and making it impossible for pedestrians to safely walk from one intersection to the next. I think these are the duties where government law enforcement should be focused on, but is failing to enforce the law. Laws alone are not enough to govern. 我每天 搭火車+走路 上下班，火車上常常塞滿人。去臺北、新北、新竹、高雄出差，也都是搭大眾運輸。對我而言，下車後走路20分鐘左右可達的地方都是適合搭大眾運輸的，但是我知道很多臺灣人連走路10分鐘都嫌遠。

我選擇每月花$399在我通勤的縣市無限搭火車及公車，因為這是我的通勤範圍。如果我要跨縣市通勤，我可以選擇跨縣市的月票，如果我要搭高鐵通勤，我可以選擇高鐵的月票。這些都是臺灣大眾運輸現在提供的各式優惠方案，臺灣這些年來逐年的改進我都看在眼裡。

在6都的都會區，要不要搭大眾運輸，和個人意願有很大關係，搭大眾運輸是否愉快，更是和乘客的素質有關。轉乘查詢沒有那麼困難，火車及高鐵都很清楚，大都會區也都有公車車班查詢app，只要有心想要搭，就很容易查到。我們沒有付像歐美澳等福利國家那麼高的各種稅，就不要每件事情都要求公務人員幫忙做好，很多事情自己動動腦動動手就很容易做到，這些自己做就好。

需要公權力執法才能做到的事情，是政府該優先去做的事情，個人自己就可以做到的事情，不要一天到晚要求政府幫我們做。放任機車、自行車及店家佔用騎樓及人行道，縱容機慢車輛將人行道變成雙向慢車道，逼迫行人無奈地走慢車道及快車道，造成行人無法安全的從一個路口走到下一個路口，有法卻不執法，這才是公權力該做卻無作為的地方，徒法不足以自行。

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CDC ACIP meeting on Sep. 18-19, 2025 regarding COVID-19 vaccines

Supporters of the KMT and CCP in Taiwan have once again begun spreading bizarre rumors, claiming, "The US CDC ACIP announced at its September 19, 2025 meeting that long-term safety uncertainties exist for the COVID-19 mRNA vaccine. With an overwhelming vote of 12 in favor, 0 against, and 0 abstentions, the recommendation for universal vaccination of the COVID-19 vaccine has been completely terminated." They then criticize the Taiwan CDC for inaction.

I've looked up the CDC ACIP meeting materials and conclusions from September 18, 2025 to September 19, 2025, as well as reports from CBS News. Whether vaccines are beneficial or harmful to the body is a matter of scientific research and should not be used as a tool for political warfare.  I'm not sure what the KMT and CCP supporters are trying to accomplish with these statements. They used rumors to try to discredit the Taiwan CDC and Medigen COVID-19 protein vaccine before, and they're now using them to discredit the CDC's epidemic prevention policies. Their tactics are exactly the same.

臺灣的藍白紅(國民黨及中共)支持者又開始在傳奇怪的謠言，謠言中宣稱 "美國 CDC ACIP在 9/19/2025 會議中宣布新冠 mRNA疫苗長期存在安全不確定性 以12票贊成、0票反對、0棄權，壓倒性的無異議，徹底終止對於新冠疫苗的普遍接種建議。"然後抨擊臺灣CDC無所作為。

我去查了 CDC ACIP 9/18/2025-9/19/2025 會議資料及結論，以及美國 CBS News 的報導，和請大家自評吧。疫苗對身體是否有益或有害，這是科學研究，不應該變成政治鬥爭的籌碼。不知道藍白紅支持者現在放出這樣的言論是要做什麼，當初他們用謠言想盡辦法要打死臺灣的 CDC 及 高端-蛋白質疫苗時，和現在想要繼續用謠言打死臺灣CDC的防疫政策，作法如出一轍。

Final ACIP September 18-19, 2025 Meeting Agenda (posted 9-19-2025)

https://www.cdc.gov/acip/downloads/agendas/final-posted-2025-09-19-508.pdf

Anticipated Votes

https://www.cdc.gov/acip/meetings/upcoming.html

ACIP Presentation Slides: September 18-19, 2025 Meeting

https://www.cdc.gov/acip/meetings/presentation-slides-september-18-19-2025.html

YouTube Live Stream Link 9-18-2025

https://youtube.com/live/-6uBNXsYRHQ?feature=share

YouTube Live Stream Link 9-19-2025

https://youtube.com/live/_9ChY9SpPlY?feature=share

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Based on CBS News, the CDC ACIP meeting on 9/19/2025 voted on their recommendations: 

1. The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, or ACIP, voted Friday on changes to COVID-19 vaccine recommendations.
2. The panel voted against recommending that a prescription be a requirement for COVID-19 vaccination. It also voted against recommending the vaccine for all adults, instead leaving it up to individuals.

(https://www.cbsnews.com/live-updates/cdc-vaccine-advisory-panel-covid-19-hepatitis-b-vaccines/)

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Watch "Legend of the Galactic Heroes"

When people give up thinking and are no longer willing to make the effort to maintain freedom and democracy, dictators find loopholes to seize power and dominate the world. I hope this won't happen to my country.

Q: But why do people fall for this?

A: It's because people want ease and less effort.

(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Legend_of_the_Galactic_Heroes)

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當人民不再思考也不再願意為了維護自由民主而付出十，獨裁者就得以找到縫隙掌權而宰制天下。

Q: 可是大家為什麼會上當呢？

A: 這是因為民眾想要的是輕鬆省力。

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Satellite application: Global Fishing Watch

Another useful satellite tool for understanding fishing activity worldwide.

Global Fishing Watch

https://globalfishingwatch.org/map/index

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RE100 and the result of 0823 referendum

According to the referendum, except for the three counties of Southern Taiwan, Tainan, Kaohsiung, and Pingtung, all other counties and cities in Taiwan have over 70% support for nuclear power. In fact, over 50% support nuclear power in Southern Taiwan as well.

In Taiwan, tsmc, UMC, Foxconn, Acer, Asus, AUO, the three largest telecom companies, Delta Electronics, and several financial holding companies are all participating in RE100. RE100 requires participating companies to achieve 100% renewable energy by 2050 (renewable energy sources such as wind, water, solar, geothermal, biomass, and green hydrogen are considered renewable energy, but nuclear energy is not). tsmc has set a target of 2040, Delta Electronics has set a target of 2030, Foxconn has set a target of 2040, and the three largest telecom companies and a number of financial holding companies have set a target of 2040.

International giants like Apple, Google, Facebook, and NVIDIA are also members of RE100, so manufacturers selling products to them must also use 100% renewable energy.

The majority of Taiwanese over the whole Taiwan love to use nuclear energy, which is not a renewable energy source and does not meet RE100 requirements. This will cause large companies like tsmc to have no electricity available. It is obvious that Taiwanese people want to drive out tsmc and these large companies that support Taiwan's economy, and they also do not want these international companies and AI centers to settle in Taiwan.  

I hate this consequence, but if this is what Taiwanese people want, what should I do?

 

根據公投展現的民意，除了南高屏3縣市，臺灣其他所有的縣市都有超過70%支持核電，南高屏其實也都有超過50%支持核電。

以臺灣而言，台積電(tsmc)、聯電、鴻海、宏碁、華碩、友達、電信三雄、台達電、多家金控都是參加RE100的公司，RE100要求參與的企業必須要在2050前要完成100%使用再生能源(風水光、地熱、生質、綠氫等可以再生的能源才是再生能源，核能不是)。tsmc自我要求2040做到、台達電是2030做到、鴻海是2040做到、電信三雄及一堆金控是2040做到。

以國際大廠而言，Apple、Google、Facebook、NVIDIA等也都是RE100成員，所以要賣東西給他們的廠商也都得用再生能源。

全臺灣都愛用核能，核能不是再生能源，不符合RE100要求，這會造成tsmc等大廠無電可用，顯然臺灣人想將tsmc及這些支撐臺灣經濟的大企業都趕出去，也不希望這些國際大廠及AI中心進駐臺灣。

我厭惡這樣的結果，但是如果這是臺灣人的心願，我該如何呢？

https://reccessary.com/zh-tw/news/re-100-in-taiwan

https://www.re100.org.tw/

https://esg.businesstoday.com.tw/article/category/190807/post/202406250041/

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Referendum on the restart of Taiwan's Third Nuclear power plant

Today (August 23, 2025) is the polling day for Taiwan's referendum on the restart of the Third Nuclear Power Plant. The referendum statement is: "Do you agree to the continued operation of the Third Nuclear Power Plant after the competent authority has confirmed there are no safety concerns?"

I walked to the polling station a little after 11 a.m. on a sweltering hot day to vote. Even though the station was close by, I was still drenched in sweat from the heat. I walked home and retreated back into my air-conditioned room to rest. Since Unit 2 of the Third Nuclear Power Plant was decommissioned on May 17, 2025, Taiwan has been through more than three months of summer without nuclear power, and I can enjoy the air conditioning comfortably at home with no power rationing issues.

This is a referendum that wastes life and money ($1.1 billion). What does "no safety concerns" even mean? It's not defined, so how can anyone confirm it? The plant is located on a fault line, but its earthquake resistance is insufficient. Situated on a tropical coast at the southernmost tip of Taiwan, it could face the possibility of high water temperatures, leaving it without cooling water. The power generated there has to be transmitted all the way to Taipei in the far north, crossing mountains and valleys. Is the power grid resilient enough? What happens if a single link in the chain is compromised? Most importantly, there's nowhere to store all the low, intermediate, and high-level nuclear waste. With so many problems, which competent authority would dare to guarantee "no safety concerns"?

This is a bogus issue, yet a bunch of people who support restarting the plant and didn't graduate from a science or engineering major are criticizing experts and professors for being uneducated. Geologists, drilling experts, electrical engineering professors and experts, and energy conversion and storage experts are all deemed by these people as uneducated, lacking in professional knowledge, and having no scientific literacy. I have a lot of relatives who are just like that.

今天(8/23/2025)是臺灣的核三重啟公投的投票日，公投主文為「您是否同意第三核能發電廠經主管機關同意確認無安全疑慮後，繼續運轉」。

我在大熱天的上午11點多走去投票所完成投票，雖然到投開票所很近，還是因為很熱而流了一身汗。走回家繼續鑽回開著冷氣的房間裡休息，核三廠2號機組自5/17/2025停役後，臺灣已經過了超過3個月沒有核電的夏天，我可以舒服的在家吹冷氣也沒有限電的問題。

這是一個浪費生命、浪費錢(11億)的公投案，什麼叫做 "無安全疑慮"，沒有定義，沒有定義要怎麼確認呢？從斷層帶上方經過但抗震能力設計不足；位在臺灣最南端的熱帶海邊，要面臨水溫過高沒有冷卻水可用的可能；要將臺灣最南端的發電一路翻山越嶺傳送到最北端的臺北，電網韌性是否充足，中間任何一個環節被破壞要怎麼辦；最重要的是所有的低中高核廢料都無處可去。有這麼多的問題存在，哪個主管機關敢保證說 "無安全疑慮"？

這個假議題，卻有一堆贊成重啟核三廠、非理工科系畢業的人在批評其他專家或教授沒有讀書，地質專家及教授、鑽井專家、電機系教授及機電專家、能量轉換儲存專家，全被這些人認定為沒有讀書、專業知識不足、沒有科學素養。我的親戚也有一堆這樣的人。

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To see a world in a grain of sand, And a heaven in a wild flower

Never forget your original intention.

I still remember one morning before the end of the Spring semester in my freshman year, walking on the lawn in my dorm, thinking about my final report. I gazed at the shimmering dewdrops in the morning light and the most common little yellow flowers. For some reason, I decided to squat down and take a closer look at those inconspicuous blossoms. Suddenly, I was struck and felt "To see a world in a grain of sand, And a heaven in a wild flower"(William Blake).

勿忘初衷。

還記得大一Spring semester結束前的清晨，走在宿舍的草地上思考著期末報告，看著在晨曦中晶瑩的露珠，以及最常見的小黃花，不知道為什麼就決定蹲下來近看那點不起眼的小花，卻突然間有了 "沙中見世界，花中見天堂" 的觸動，瞭解了英國詩人威廉·布萊克這句話。

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