Who Passes Through the Filter? Column in KomputerraOnline #35
In one important respect, Ukraine has managed to catch up with Russia. Just as Russia can boast of Petryk, Ukraine can boast of Sliusarchuk.
Perhaps I should explain to readers who Sliusarchuk is...
| A brilliant neurosurgeon demonstrating extraordinary mental capabilities. Enrolled in a Moscow medical institute at age 13, became the youngest doctor of sciences in Ukraine. After thousands of successful neurosurgical operations, earned exceptional authority. Publicly demonstrated his superpowers: for instance, proved he had memorized 30 million digits of pi, and won (in a blindfold session) a match against the chess program "Rybka," which was considered unbeatable for a human. Director of the Institute of the Brain, laureate of the State Prize in the field of education (2011). | Has no education beyond a vocational school he barely graduated from. Presents forged diplomas. Has no understanding of medicine, though he strives to portray himself as a physician. Has a shaky grasp of how chess pieces move. His memory-wonder demonstrations are ordinary tricks, and his chess games are fraudulent. Has no scientific publications; occasionally attributes others' work to himself. Through deception and in violation of all norms, illegally treated and even operated on patients. Accused of causing the deaths of several people through incompetent and unlawful treatment. |
This is about one person. But although these versions are placed side by side, they are not equivalent. On the left is the deception spread by the media. On the right, as far as can be judged from trustworthy sources, is the sad truth. Against the backdrop of the Ukrainian "Doctor Pi," even the achievements of Russia's Petrik pale (though Petrik is a native of the Zhytomyr region).
| The Pride of Russia, a brilliant inventor, a modern-day Leonardo da Vinci. His inventions can solve world hunger, extend human life to 200 years, and grow crystals with unique properties. His crowning achievement: water nano-filters (developed together with Boris Gryzlov) that won a 2008 United Russia party competition. The Clean Water programme using these filters is intended to supply Russians with water purified by his nano-filters. President of the Research Institute of Fullerene Physics, academician of the Russian Academy of Natural Sciences and many public academies. | A fraudster who served time for attempted armed robbery of an apartment. Having moved from commodity-trading scams, he pivoted to promoting technologies that either do not exist at all or fail to meet their advertised claims. His water nano-filters not only fail to provide the purification claimed but contaminate water with nanoparticles causing rapid death of test organisms. Academic expert review found some of the "inventor's" technologies to be dangerous and others unrealizable, and established that his activities have no connection to science or technical innovation. |
Both descriptions refer to a single individual. But although these versions appear side by side, they are not equivalent. On the left is the media-propagated deception. On the right, to the best one can judge from trustworthy sources, is the sad truth.
Even the achievements of Russia's Petryk pale beside Ukraine's "Doctor Pi" (though, incidentally, Petryk is a native of Zhytomyr Oblast).