Sci-Tech

Guangdong Specifies Punishment for Paycheck Delays

The Higher Peoples Court of Guangdong Province has issued a regulation setting the sum involved in wage defaults that constitute the culprit employers criminal liability. Considering uneven economic development across the province， the ruling adopted different yardsticks for two city categories.

In Class A cities， which cover six major cities on the Pearl River Delta， including Guangzhou and Shenzhen， employers face custodial sentences if they delay paying a worker for three months or more and the sum owed totals at least RMB 20，000； or if their delayed paychecks amount to at least RMB 100，000 for a minimum of 10 workers.

The provinces 15 less-developed cities， including Shantou and Shaoguan， fall under Class B. In these areas employers face imprisonment if they delay paying a worker for three months or more and the sum owed totals at least RMB 10，000； or if their delayed paychecks total at least RMB 60，000 for a minimum of 10 workers.

Recent years have seen a sustained， high number of wage disputes in Guangdong. The year 2012 saw 62，633 cases， the following year 50，156 and last year 49，636， involving RMB 1.364 billion in 2012 and reaching RMB 1.799 billion last year. The local courts move is expected to deter paycheck delays and better safeguard the rights of employees， particularly migrant workers.

Liquid Metal Machines Developed in China

Researchers from the Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry at the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the School of Medicine of Tsinghua University have found a liquid metal that can “eat”substances and then propel itself like a self-fueled motor. The finding may lay the theoretical and technological base for a liquid metal robot.

Scientists found that after “eating” a small piece of aluminum， the machine – a liquid metal ball with a five millimeter diameter – is able to move spontaneously in various solutions and structured channels at a speed of five centimeters per second for more than an hour. Power for the liquid metal motor comes from the endogenous electric field of liquid alloys and metal “food，” and the hydrogen generated by the electrochemical reactions. Based on this theory， researchers have developed several liquid metal machines that can move in alkalescent， acidic or neutral electrolytes. Experts believe that the development of advanced shape-shifting flexible intelligent machines is the shared dream of both scientists and engineers.endprint

“Snow Dragon”Returns from 31st Antarctic Trip

The icebreaker Xuelong（Snow Dragon）， returned to Shanghai on April 10， concluding Chinas 31st Antarctic expedition.

The China-led team completed reconnaissance and sur- vey observations for a planned bio-ecology and satellite remote research station. The team also undertook marine geology， geophysics， marine chemistry and biology， and biotic resource analysis in the Southern Ocean. Scientists succeeded in drilling ice cores of a total length of 172 meters， which will inform ancient climate study. The astronomical telescope at Kunlun Station was repaired， and another installed.

The vessel left Shanghai last October. Thirty-one team members spent the winter at the Changcheng and Zhongshan stations to conduct research in the fields of meteorology， ecology and polar light.

China to Launch More BeiDou Satellites This Year

The 17th satellite in the BDS global network， launched on March 30， marks the first step towards its expansion from a regional to a global service. China plans to launch five satellites for its indigenous global navigation and positioning network this year， according to chief designer of the BeiDou Navigation Satellite System（BDS） Yang Changfeng.

A complete network will take shape by 2020. The BDS global network will be made up of 35 satellites， five of which will be in geostationary orbit. Compared with the satellites already in operation， the latest one has a longer life and even greater accuracy， Yang said. Its service life is around 10 to 12 years， as compared with the old models eight years， and it will have a maximum accuracy of two to three meters.

UNESCO Honors Chinese Scientist with Women in Science Award

Xie Yi， a professor at the University of Science and Technology of China， and four other women have won the LOreal-UNESCO Women in Science Awards 2015 for their ground-breaking discoveries in physical sciences. “Xie Yi is honored for her significant contributions to creating new nano materials with promising applications in the conversion of heat or sunlight into electricity，” a UNESCO press release said. “Her work will greatly contribute to lessening pollution and boosting energy efficiency， and opens promising prospects for the future. Committed to preserving our planet， she has dedicated her life to finding new and intelligent solutions to address the environmental challenge，” it added.

The other four scientists are： Rajaa Cherkaoui El Moursli， professor at the Mohammed V University of Morocco， Dame Carol Robinson， professor at Oxford University， Thaisa Storchi Bergmann， professor at the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul of Brazil， and Molly S. Shoichet， professor at the University of Toronto.

Dedicated to both honoring distinguished women scientists and supporting promising young researchers， the LOreal-UNESCO For Women in Science initiative gives five annual awards and accelerates the careers of 15 exceptional young women each year.endprint